The Science of Star Wars

Star Wars is full of amazing sights and mindblowing ideas. From desert planets under twin suns to lightsabers that can cut through seemingly anything, from protocol droids and moon-sized space stations to beings that can freeze blaster bolts in place and influence others with their mind, it’s a rich and fascinating universe. But how does the science work in the Star Wars universe, and how much of it can we apply to real-world advancements?

The Science of Star Wars tackles both of these ideas, exploring the length and breadth of Star Wars — from alien life to starship tech and more — explaining how physics, chemistry, and other scientific fields as we understand them fit the wonders we see on the big screen.

Brake and Chase do an admirable job of keeping the whimsy alive while confessing the unlikelihood of lightsabers and tractor beams and yet bringing a new appreciation to things like midi-chlorians, the much-maligned prequel explanation for the Force, which they liken to mitochondria in the cell.

If you’ve ever wondered how life could arise on Tatooine or how likely it is that there’s a cantina full of aliens somewhere in our galaxy, The Science of Star Wars is for you.