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Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination
For almost thirty years, the words "Star Wars" have summoned images of spaceships, super-weapons, and futuristic visions of all kinds. But George Lucas's immensely popular, vividly imagined blockbusters of life in "a galaxy far, far away" have often anticipated real-life technology right here on Earth—and this fascinating, visually irresistible book probes the amazing interface between movie magic and practical science.
Today's scientists are taking Star Wars fictions and turning them into fact; travel entrepreneurs are making plans for commercial space flight, and high-tech mag-lev trains defy gravity to zoom along like Luke Sky-walker's landspeeder. As the beloved C-3PO observes in his introduction to the book, robots are now a reality, and microscopic nanobots are already performing surgery internally. In the next twenty years, human soldiers will wear exoskeletal armor like Imperial stormtroopers and carry laser weapons as lethal as any light-saber, while orbiting satellites spy on the enemy and accurately pinpoint targets thousands of miles away. These exciting advances, often fraught with peril, are explored by the book's technological experts, who consider the risky implications and possible consequences of their inventions.
A perfect souvenir for visitors to the exhibition, now on a three-year multi-city tour, as well as the millions who have made Star Wars one of the most successful epics in entertainment history, this is a book guaranteed to delight film fans and the technologically savvy alike.
Today's scientists are taking Star Wars fictions and turning them into fact; travel entrepreneurs are making plans for commercial space flight, and high-tech mag-lev trains defy gravity to zoom along like Luke Sky-walker's landspeeder. As the beloved C-3PO observes in his introduction to the book, robots are now a reality, and microscopic nanobots are already performing surgery internally. In the next twenty years, human soldiers will wear exoskeletal armor like Imperial stormtroopers and carry laser weapons as lethal as any light-saber, while orbiting satellites spy on the enemy and accurately pinpoint targets thousands of miles away. These exciting advances, often fraught with peril, are explored by the book's technological experts, who consider the risky implications and possible consequences of their inventions.
A perfect souvenir for visitors to the exhibition, now on a three-year multi-city tour, as well as the millions who have made Star Wars one of the most successful epics in entertainment history, this is a book guaranteed to delight film fans and the technologically savvy alike.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2005
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 13, 2019
How do elements of Star Wars, such as ships, hyperspace travel and bionics relate or, or come from everyday life? This book delves into that question with gusto. A guide to a Boston Museum exhibit, this book chronicles how George Lucas' inventions and creations have a basis in modern science and technology. This book was published in 2006, so many more advances and discoveries have been made since then, but it was still an interesting read.
From the time the book was written, it looked forward to how transportation, battle armor, medicine and even war will advance and change based on new scientific advances that look remarkably like elements of Star Wars. One of the most interesting theories proposed at the time was how battle armor would evolve to be like Stormtrooper armor, and how weapons would change to resemble the guns and lightsabers we see both heroes and villains carrying in the films.
At times inspiring, at others more of a cautionary tale, this book outlined a future that in some ways we are seeing now, and in others, it has yet to materialize.
From the time the book was written, it looked forward to how transportation, battle armor, medicine and even war will advance and change based on new scientific advances that look remarkably like elements of Star Wars. One of the most interesting theories proposed at the time was how battle armor would evolve to be like Stormtrooper armor, and how weapons would change to resemble the guns and lightsabers we see both heroes and villains carrying in the films.
At times inspiring, at others more of a cautionary tale, this book outlined a future that in some ways we are seeing now, and in others, it has yet to materialize.
nope
October 4, 2024Not what I expected or wanted. In the nope pile.
January 11, 2012
If I was smart I would have had Anthony Daniels sign this book the night I met him and shared drinks. So, so stupid!!
July 7, 2017
Book is 10 years old now and some of the science seems - and is likely - a little dated. But what do I know? I'm no scientist! An easy and enjoyable read about the possibilities of our real world and how earth science correlates to the fantastical world in the galaxy far, far away.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews