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The Science of Star Wars: An Astrophysicist's Independent Examination of Space Travel, Aliens, Planets, and Robots as Portrayed in the Star Wars Films and Books 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

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Could the science fiction of Star Wars be the actual science of tomorrow?

-How close are we to creating robots that look and act like R2-D2 and C-3PO?
-Can we access a "force" with our minds to move objects and communicate telepathically with each other?
-How might spaceships like the
Millennium Falcon make the exhilarating jump into hyperspace?
-What kind of environment could spawn a Wookiee?
-Could a single blast from the Death Star destroy an entire planet?
-Could light sabers possibly be built, and if so, how would they work?
-Do
Star Wars aliens look like "real" aliens might?
-What would living on a desert planet like Tatooine be like?
-Why does Darth Vader require an artificial respirator?

Discover the answers to these and many other fascinating questions of physics, astronomy, biology and more, as a noted scientist and
Star Wars enthusiast explores The Science of Star Wars.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jeanne Cavelos says, "Star Wars fueled my interest in space exploration and the possibility of alien life," leading her to a career in astrophysics. While these movies have inspired her, she admits that may not have been their intention.

In creating the part science fiction/part fantasy/part myth that is Star Wars, George Lucas did not seek to create a futuristic universe that agreed perfectly with our current understanding of science.... How realistic, how possible, is this galaxy far, far away?

The answer when A New Hope first came out was "not at all." But a strange thing has happened in the years since Star Wars first came out. Science is beginning to catch up with George Lucas.

Cavelos looks at Lucas's planets, aliens, droids, technology, and Force with both rationality and affection. The droids R2-D2 and C-3P0, among others, become more interesting and almost credible after her consideration.

The element of Star Wars that is most true to science is the sense of wonder it calls forth, which has very little to do with how close it is to a possible future. Or, as Steve Grand, director of the Cyberlife Institute, said to Cavelos: "I never try to let scientific implausibility get in the way of a good story!" --Mary Ellen Curtin

From Publishers Weekly

The opening in May of the new Star Wars film has hardcore fans in a frenzy. Timed to release with The Phantom Menace, this book follows in the tradition of The Physics of Star Trek and Caveloss own The Science of the X-Files. The author examines five major areasplanetary environments, aliens, droids, space ships and weapons, and the Forcein sufficient detail to satisfy even knowledgeable fans. Take Lukes desert home world, Tatooine. When Star Wars first came out, scientists doubted the existence of planets in other solar systems, but since 1995 several have been found. Could a planet form around a binary star? Yes, but due to gravitational forces only if the stars were very far apart or very close, so as Luke gazes out at his two suns setting, he sees an accurate portrayal of a binary system. Most of the Star Wars aliens fare equally well. The Wookies keen sense of smell, for example, would give them an alternative means of communication so that they might need to vocalize only with grunts and howls. Can the force be with you? Physicist David Bohm posited a quantum potential force that would interpenetrate and bind together everything in the universe, but only Yoda knows if we can direct it with our minds. Caveloss engaging style makes this book a treat, with no science background necessary. (May) FYI: The Science of the X-Files has been nominated for a 1998 Bram Stoker Award in the Nonfiction category.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003GFIVMU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 419 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

About the author

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Jeanne Cavelos
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I am a writer, editor, scientist, and teacher. I began my professional life as an astrophysicist, working in the Astronaut Training Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

After earning my MFA in creative writing, I moved into a career in publishing, becoming a senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell, where I created and launched the Abyss imprint of psychological horror, for which I won the World Fantasy Award, and the Cutting Edge imprint of literary fiction. I also ran the science fiction/fantasy publishing program. In addition, I edited a wide range of fiction and nonfiction. In my eight years in New York publishing, I edited numerous award-winning and best-selling authors and gained a reputation for discovering and nurturing new writers.

In 1994, I left New York to pursue my own writing career. My latest book is Invoking Darkness, the third volume in the best-selling trilogy The Passing of the Techno-Mages, set in the Babylon 5 universe (Del Rey). The Sci-Fi Channel called the trilogy "A revelation for Babylon 5 fans. . . . Not 'television episodic' in look and feel. They are truly novels in their own right." My nonfiction book The Science of Star Wars (St. Martin's) was chosen by the New York Public Library for its recommended reading list, and CNN said, "Cavelos manages to make some of the most mind-boggling notions of contemporary science understandable, interesting and even entertaining." The highly praised The Science of The X-Files, (Berkley) was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Publishers Weekly called it "Crisp, conversational, and intelligent."

My first published book, the Babylon 5 novel The Shadow Within (Dell), has been reissued by Del Rey with a new cover. Dreamwatch magazine called it "one of the best TV tie-in novels ever written."

Other works include essays in Star Wars on Trial and Farscape Forever, a novella, "Negative Space" (which was given honorable mention in The Year's Best Science Fiction), in the anthology Decalog 5: Wonders, and an essay, "Innovation in Horror," which appears in both On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writers Association and The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing (Writer's Digest Books). I've published short fiction, essays, and reviews in many magazines.

I'm currently at work on a science thriller about genetic manipulation and cloning, titled Fatal Spiral.

I also put together my first anthology, The Many Faces of Van Helsing, which was published by Berkley in 2004 and nominated for a Bram Stoker Award.

I run Jeanne Cavelos Editorial Services, a full-service freelance company that provides editing, ghostwriting, consulting, and critiquing services to publishers, book packagers, agents, and authors. Among its clients are major publishers and best-selling and award-winning writers.

Since I love working with developing writers, I created and serve as director of Odyssey (www.odysseyworkshop.org), an annual six-week workshop for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror held at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Guest lecturers have included George R. R. Martin, Harlan Ellison, Terry Brooks, Ben Bova, Jane Yolen, and Dan Simmons.

During the school year, I am an English lecturer at Saint Anselm College, where I teach writing and literature.

I've lectured widely at venues as varied as the Smithsonian Institute, the United States Air Force Revolutionary Technologies Division, the American Chemical Society, Dartmouth College, the Intel International Science Fair, the Discovery Channel, the Sci-Fi Channel, the History Channel, Turner Entertainment, the Art Bell radio program, and many others.

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Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They appreciate its lucid explanations of complex concepts, making some ideas believable.

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5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. It provides useful background for Star Wars fans.

"...This book in no way will keep you bored. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys to read." Read more

"...Overall I think maybe an interesting book to read for the Star Wars fan who are curious as to how science may one day "takes us" to a world..." Read more

"I'm really enjoying this reading...." Read more

"great book for any fan on the background for the ideas Star Wars used." Read more

5 customers mention "Thought provoking"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and interesting. They say it explains complex concepts in a lucid way that makes some of it believable.

"...Or “ that’s impossible “ this book is great. it actually makes some of this stuff believable because as it turns out some of it isn’t as far fetched..." Read more

"...Great for pondering about our real universe and the star wars universe." Read more

"I love good science. This is unique in that explains complex notions in a lucid way but with out talking down to the reader or being dumb...." Read more

"Fascinating; thought provoking..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2014
    Some of my friends know me to occasionally either directly quote Star Wars, or else refer to it somehow in a much more vague way. If I do this, I "Star Wars" you.

    But this book is another one of the better science books I have read, outside of my native forensic sciences. Of course all my friends love that I read an astrophysics formula used to explain the Force, and then there is all kinds of other interesting analysis of astrophysics in a galaxy far far away.

    Take this book slow, especially if you're new to physics, and maybe do your homework by watching the original Star Wars trilogy, so you'll be up to speed on all the references in this book.
    (It seems like this book was written before the newer Star Wars films came out)
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2012
    This book was a real joy to read. Any person that has a love for science or the Star Wars franchise and a hunger for learning more about them will love this book. The way Jeanne examines the possibility of our society becoming of that seen in the Star Wars films is fasinating. Those who have not seen any of the Star Wars films will be compelled to go watch them. And those who have lost the love for science or Star Wars films will feel it renewed. This book shows a whole new look into how the aliens of Star Wars came to be. It examines how one day the human race may have colonies on other worlds around the universe, and how we will be able to find the right planets for humans to thrive on. This book is great for people of all ages for the fact that it's very easy to read and is very likely to leave you satisfied and hungry for more. It is also a great book for teachers to apply in their classrooms. This book in no way will keep you bored. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys to read.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2007
    The book mainly deals at "how" some of the things (we all love) and see in the Star Wars films could be explained or achieved from a scientific perspective. Certain aspects and themes addressed in the book are interesting such as space travel, what would life in other planets look like, and gadgets such as lasers and lightsabers. The author however frequently gives oversimplified and "empty" solutions to these themes. Sometimes no solution at all. Probably because Star Wars is just that... a work of fiction and was not necessarily written to uphold any specific scientific laws. Other times the author gets a little bit too "technical" and scientific in her explanation which makes the reader get distracted (Unless you work for NASA or a fan of Stephen Hawkins). I do like her little humor bits and the allusions to IGMO (her Iguana pet)which she uses to illustrate certain points.
    Overall I think maybe an interesting book to read for the Star Wars fan who are curious as to how science may one day "takes us" to a world (albeit far from the same) similar to what we see in Star Wars films.
    May the force be with you.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019
    For those out there who just want to watch a movie this book probably isn’t worth reading, but for those of us Star Wars fans who not only enjoy the movies but are sitting there thinking “how in the heck did they do that?” Or “ that’s impossible “ this book is great. it actually makes some of this stuff believable because as it turns out some of it isn’t as far fetched as you might want to think. Read the book and make up your own mind
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2015
    Though Ms Cavelos' book has been out for quite some time, I still find myself revisiting it a couple times a year. For any fan of Star Wars, this book brings home some of the practical science used in the telling of the SW tales, but also looks ahead to how technology portrayed in the films might become reality in the future. She attemps to explain how light sabers might work, how people ran remain standing on a spaceship no matter which angle of flight it is taking, and, importantly, resolves the Kessel Run "parsec" goof Lucas made in the cantina scene :) If you have an interest in science and science fiction, this book is a must-read. Cavelos deftly and with a considerable helping of good humor, explains how the fictions in SW might have actually worked, and how some, well, would likely remain fiction. In so doing, again, I find that her writing style coupled with her intelligent arguments are discussions I enjoy going back to from time to time. Pick up a copy of this book - you won't be disappointed.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2015
    I'm really enjoying this reading. Dr. Cavelos brings discussions on artificial intelligence, astrophysics, neuroscience and our geek-love for star wars to a level even I can understand. Great for pondering about our real universe and the star wars universe.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 1999
    This book is an examination of the scientific factors that drive the Star Wars movies. While the author did her homework on the 4 movies and really knows her science, the book has a tendancy to draw conclusions from JUST the 4 movies. Several points the text tries to explain have already been explained in the other Star Wars comics, novels, and sourcebooks. And while a few references are made to the Star Wars Encyclopedia, other details that would clear up some questions posed by this book aren't in the movies but in the afore mentioned works. While the book does go a long way towards explaining the movies it seems to focus more on the advances of simply OUR planet than the advances in the Star Wars galaxy. This, however is no reason not to read this book. It is well researched and I learned a lot from it. All in all worth it for the casual reader who has only seen the movies but for the die hard Star Wars fans like me (geeks in other words;)) it seems a bit empty. But that does not diminish the quality and readability of the book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2015
    great book for any fan on the background for the ideas Star Wars used.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Love2Shop
    3.0 out of 5 stars Gran libro, pero...
    Reviewed in Mexico on September 27, 2018
    El libro es maravilloso, muy divertido y te explica todo “con manzanas”.

    El gran problema es la impresión, deja mucho que desear. Hay muchas partes que tienen un sombreado gris para resaltar, pero que resulta cansadísimo a la hora de leerlo.
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    Love2Shop
    3.0 out of 5 stars
    Gran libro, pero...

    Reviewed in Mexico on September 27, 2018
    El libro es maravilloso, muy divertido y te explica todo “con manzanas”.

    El gran problema es la impresión, deja mucho que desear. Hay muchas partes que tienen un sombreado gris para resaltar, pero que resulta cansadísimo a la hora de leerlo.
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  • Selphy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super Geschenk und interessant!
    Reviewed in Germany on April 2, 2017
    Ich habe dieses Buch für ein Geburtstagsgeschenk gekauft und als ich reingeschaut hatte, war es schon super interessant! Sehr gute Englischkenntnisse sind hier gefragt, aber wer diese hat und an Physik und Star Wars interessiert ist, der wird hier seinen Spaß haben! :)
  • Mr. D. J. Maddock
    5.0 out of 5 stars Star Wars for the Inner (and Outer) Geek
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2012
    Jeanne Cavelos' The Science of Star Wars looks into the scientific plausibility of elements of the Star Wars Universe. Topics are broken up into a handful or categories such as Planetary Environments, Aliens, Droids, Spaceships and Weapons and The Force...

    Though there is a great deal of depth to the Science of Star Wars, the language is not too complex - all the better for simpletons like me...
  • Darania
    4.0 out of 5 stars The force is strong with this one
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2011
    This Star Wars Science Book arrived in VG Condn & within the postage time as decribed. Plus its also an entertaining informative read! Recommended.

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