I just finished reading The Physics of Star Wars: The Science Behind a Galaxy Far, Far Away. As the title suggests, it looks at various aspects of the Star Wars universe, such as planetary science, the Force, robotics, and weapons. For each item that the author covers, he includes some information about which films (the most recent movie he discusses is Rogue One) reference the topic, which physics concepts are introduced, Star Wars back story, how the physics works in Star Wars, and how the physics actually works in real life. Some of the concepts turn out to be rooted in fact (like planets orbiting a binary star system) while other still remain more fiction than fact (alas, light sabers and Force jumps are part of this group.) I'm not sure whether this book is meant to be more of a physics primer with a fun slant or a book about a specific aspect of Star Wars.
Do you like books that analyze the scientific aspects of a fandom, or do you think the explanations destroy the wonder and "unweave the rainbow"? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
It's probably more a fun slant. Star Trek has similar books, although they are much closer to science. They are interesting, but the science behind it all isn't something I need to know.
ReplyDeleteI watched a couple of specials on whether superheroes like Superman or Spider-Man could actually exist. It's fun but not essential.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I've seen other books like this before. I think there might even be one about the science of Harry Potter, strange as that sounds.
ReplyDeletePat, I see no need to get bitten by a spider any time soon.