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 [Paperback]

Jeanne Cavelos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0312263872 | ISBN-13: 978-0312263874 | Edition: 1st

Former NASA astrophysicist Jeanne Cavelos examines the scientific possibility of the fantastical world of Star Wars. She explains to non-technical readers how the course of science might soon intersect with such fantasies as interstellar travel, robots capable of thought and emotion, habitable alien planets, bizarre intelligent life forms, high-tech weapons and spacecraft, and advanced psychokinetic abilities. She makes complex physics concepts, like quantum mechanics, wormholes, and Einstein's theory of relativity both fascinating and easy to comprehend. The Science of Star Wars does for Star Wars what Lawrence Krauss's bestselling The Physics of Star Trek did for the Star Trek universe.

Cavelos answers questions like:

* How might spaceships like the Millennium Falcon make the exhilarating jump into hyperspace?

* Could a single blast from the Death Star destroy an entire planet?

* How close are we to creating robots that look and act like C-3PO and R2-D2?

* Could light sabers possibly be built, and if so, how would they work?

* Do Star Wars aliens look like "real" aliens might?

* What kind of environment could spawn a Wookie?

* What would living on a desert planet like Tatooine be like?

* Why does Darth Vader require an artificial respirator?

* Can we access a "force" with our minds to move objects and communicate telepathically with each other?

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (May 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312263872
• ISBN-13: 978-0312263874
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not so long or so far away, some of it could happen February 5, 2005

By Charles Ashbacher HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Quality entertainment is its' own reward, so in many ways the plausibility of the scenarios is not an overriding concern. However, there is a threshold of believability that cannot be crossed, for if it is, it can cease to be entertainment. The quality of the entertainment has a great deal to do with the location of the threshold, if the story is very good, the bar is higher, but for a mediocre story it can be much lower. In the Star Wars movies, the bar is generally considered pretty low, as most people who watch them are fairly uncritical of the scientific basis for the events. George Lucas was brilliant when he opened the series with the phrase, " A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." This is equivalent to the classic "Once upon a time" opening to fairy tales. By immediately giving the Star Wars events the status of a fairy tale, Lucas provides himself with a great deal of scientific poetic license in his Star Wars movies.

However, there are always people who examine the actions on the screen and consider the plausibility based on the current theories of science. In this book Cavelos critically examines the major events in the Star Wars series from the perspective of modern science. The opening chapter is a discussion of the major environments where the action takes place. It starts with the questions concerning how prevalent planets are in the universe. In this case, recent research indicates that there are an enormous number of planets, so the focus moves to planets that could support life, in particular, human life. Here, the odds drop substantially, as the range of temperature, gravity and atmosphere that humans can function in is in all cases very narrow. The existence of specific planets such as Tatooine with its' two suns, the moon "planets" of Endor and Yavin and the ice planet Hoth are all seriously examined. Given the constant number of new surprises that the study of planets in our solar system has provided, while unlikely, most of these environments cannot be ruled out.

Chapter two, which deals with the characteristics of alien life forms, was my favorite. Many of the main species, such as the Wookies, Hutts, Banthas, Jawas, and Ewoks are examined from a biological perspective. How their bodies are constructed and if they could function in their environment makes an interesting exercise in comparative biology. By examining Jar Jar Binks, one can reach many conclusions concerning how his species functions. This is a chapter that would make an excellent study topic in high school biology classes.

Chapters three and four deal with the technology, with chapter three devoted to the artificial intelligence (AI) of droids and four the technology of the spacecraft. Despite many problems in implementation, there appears to be no reason to doubt that droids with the capability of R2-D2 and C-3PO will eventually be constructed. However, the development of interstellar craft that travel through hyperspace will require substantial advancements in harnessing energy and the presence of scientific realities that we currently know nothing about.

The Force, that all-encompassing energy field, is the topic of the last chapter. It is also the most difficult to envision, although in many cases, it is just another name for God. The difference is of course that using the force would mean that an individual could channel the power of God for their own purposes, independent of the goodness rating of the action. Extra-sensory perception and the current "evidence" for it are also examined.

I am a devoted fan of Star Wars, and as I scientist I recognize when scientific laws are broken on the screen. Nevertheless, it was a very fun book to read, because there is scientific evidence that indicates that some of what happens in these movies could actually take place.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 'The force' is not a farce. January 11, 2000

By Vincent Sanford

Format:Hardcover

Let me start out by saying that I could hardly put this book down. Once I started, each chapter made me starve for the next. The book, as the title suggests, offers a scientific look with amazing theories and explanations to some of the concepts in the movie, "Star Wars." For example, one may ponder the existence of aliens and the ability to travel at light speed--or even faster! Well, this book provides a thorough look at these questions giving an opportunity for some very accomplished scientists in such fields as physics and statistics to share their views and offer a hypothesis. I especially enjoyed the chapter on 'The Force.' Here I found it incredibly interesting. For there is not only a physical scientific look at this phenomenon but also a parapsychological view, fusing physics, psychology, metaphysics and even quantum mechanics together. In conclusion, this book is an asset to anyone who has pondered the many what ifs... in life. A great read as well as a perfect look at the blending of "Star Wars" with science, the human experience and the human mind. Great Work.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great starting point! August 23, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This book is written in a readable way that touches on many of the major topics brought up by physics. I think it is a great starting point for those of us that wan't to leap into physics. Being thirteen I have to give her credit for making the book understandable, quantum mechanics is pretty hard to explain and it takes someone who knows what she's talking about to do so. It has brought me to the point where my mind begins to understand things, and starts asking questions! It has furthered my desire to be an astrophysicist and is quite a good book!