What do you think?
Rate this book
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
How possible is this galaxy far, far away?In this entertaining and informative work, former NASA scientist andStar Wars fan Jeanne Cavelos explores the scientificpossibilities and questions raised by the Star Wars films andbooks. From Star Wars: A New Hope to The Phantom Menace, Cavelos leaves no stone unturned in her attempt to question the basicscientific principles underlying the technology of America's mostpopular science fiction series. Enlisting the aid of leading expertsfrom today's cutting-edge scientific disciplines, Cavelos writes in anaccessible, easy-to-read style that will appeal to both young scienceenthusiasts and the most wizened scholars.This is science at its best. Here you'll learn: the principles ofquantum physics as exemplified by the Millennium Falcon; thelatest technological advances in the field of robotics; how close w
273 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
25 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Jeanne Cavelos
17 books72 followersJeanne Cavelos is a writer, editor, scientist, and teacher. She began her professional life as an astrophysicist and mathematician, working in the Astronaut Training Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Her love of science fiction led her to earn her MFA in creative writing. She moved into a career in publishing, becoming a senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell, where she created and launched the Abyss imprint of psychological horror, for which she won the World Fantasy Award, and the Cutting Edge imprint of literary fiction. She also ran the science fiction/fantasy publishing program. In addition, she edited a wide range of fiction and nonfiction.
In 1994, she left New York to pursue her own writing career. She is currently writing a near-future science thriller about genetic manipulation, titled Fatal Spiral. Her last novel to hit the stores was 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." Her 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."
Her first published book, the Babylon 5 novel The Shadow Within (Dell), went out of print a few years ago and was reissued by Del Rey due to popular demand. Dreamwatch magazine called it "one of the best TV tie-in novels ever written."
Recent works include the novella "Negative Space" (which was given honorable mention in The Year's Best Science Fiction), in the anthology Decalog 5: Wonders (Virgin Publishing), and several essays: "Living with Terror: Jack Bauer as a Coping Mechanism in Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disordered America" in Jack Bauer for President , "Stop Her, She's Got a Gun!" in Star Wars on Trial , "Down the Wormhole: Cognitive Dislocation, Escalation, Pyrrhic Victory and Farscape" in Farscape Forever , and "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). She has published short fiction, essays, and reviews in many magazines.
The Many Faces of Van Helsing , an anthology she edited, was published by Berkley in 2004 and was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. The editors at Barnes and Noble called it "brilliant. . . . Arguably the strongest collection of supernatural stories to be released in years." Berkley is releasing a mass market paperback edition in October 2008.
Jeanne also runs 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 she loves working with developing writers, she created and serves as director of Odyssey , a six-week summer workshop for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror held annually at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Odyssey allows developing writers to focus on their craft and receive detailed, in-depth feedback on their work. Guest lecturers include some of the top authors, editors, and agents in the field.
Her love of science fiction led her to earn her MFA in creative writing. She moved into a career in publishing, becoming a senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell, where she created and launched the Abyss imprint of psychological horror, for which she won the World Fantasy Award, and the Cutting Edge imprint of literary fiction. She also ran the science fiction/fantasy publishing program. In addition, she edited a wide range of fiction and nonfiction.
In 1994, she left New York to pursue her own writing career. She is currently writing a near-future science thriller about genetic manipulation, titled Fatal Spiral. Her last novel to hit the stores was 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." Her 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."
Her first published book, the Babylon 5 novel The Shadow Within (Dell), went out of print a few years ago and was reissued by Del Rey due to popular demand. Dreamwatch magazine called it "one of the best TV tie-in novels ever written."
Recent works include the novella "Negative Space" (which was given honorable mention in The Year's Best Science Fiction), in the anthology Decalog 5: Wonders (Virgin Publishing), and several essays: "Living with Terror: Jack Bauer as a Coping Mechanism in Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disordered America" in Jack Bauer for President , "Stop Her, She's Got a Gun!" in Star Wars on Trial , "Down the Wormhole: Cognitive Dislocation, Escalation, Pyrrhic Victory and Farscape" in Farscape Forever , and "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). She has published short fiction, essays, and reviews in many magazines.
The Many Faces of Van Helsing , an anthology she edited, was published by Berkley in 2004 and was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. The editors at Barnes and Noble called it "brilliant. . . . Arguably the strongest collection of supernatural stories to be released in years." Berkley is releasing a mass market paperback edition in October 2008.
Jeanne also runs 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 she loves working with developing writers, she created and serves as director of Odyssey , a six-week summer workshop for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror held annually at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Odyssey allows developing writers to focus on their craft and receive detailed, in-depth feedback on their work. Guest lecturers include some of the top authors, editors, and agents in the field.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 16, 2021
THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN!
"Wait Dessi seriously, are you calling a book trying to look scientifically at a made up world that is obviously going to prove how silly and nonsensical and impossible that world is, *fun*?"
HECK YES.
See, Cavelos is ahuge nerd big Star Wars fan. So against what you might think, this book doesn't go through Star Wars point by point just to say "in conclusion, this would never happen". She considers many expert arguments, including her own, to explain why something would be likely to happen or not, and what conditions would be necessary for it. Nothing is deemed impossible. Maybe that's overly optimistic in the future of science as we know it, like some readers suggest, but shouldn't science be overly optimistic?
Of course, the book is heavy on science, but even if I didn't fully understand some concepts, it still felt easy to read. And fun - did I say it was fun? The thing for me was, I like science, but I'm still a lay person and I don't spend enough time reading up on scientific developments. This book, using something fictional I enjoy, let me in on a lot of real life information I didn't know about - and it also reminded me just how creative science is, how creative it *needs* to be, by default.
Since this book dates from 1999, I really would love an updated version from this author, both to include more recent scientific discoveries and the new information about the GFFA we've received since then (the book was written before TPM was released, although the author still managed to include TPM in some of the chapters. Yes, she tackled the midichlorians question!)
I only take half a star back for some spelling mistakes - guess the editor was not a SW fan.
"Wait Dessi seriously, are you calling a book trying to look scientifically at a made up world that is obviously going to prove how silly and nonsensical and impossible that world is, *fun*?"
HECK YES.
See, Cavelos is a
Of course, the book is heavy on science, but even if I didn't fully understand some concepts, it still felt easy to read. And fun - did I say it was fun? The thing for me was, I like science, but I'm still a lay person and I don't spend enough time reading up on scientific developments. This book, using something fictional I enjoy, let me in on a lot of real life information I didn't know about - and it also reminded me just how creative science is, how creative it *needs* to be, by default.
Since this book dates from 1999, I really would love an updated version from this author, both to include more recent scientific discoveries and the new information about the GFFA we've received since then (the book was written before TPM was released, although the author still managed to include TPM in some of the chapters. Yes, she tackled the midichlorians question!)
I only take half a star back for some spelling mistakes - guess the editor was not a SW fan.
July 23, 2011
Well, you can't blame a book for being written too soon.
Everything about this book is good from the concept to the research to the presentation of information. But despite its only being ten or so years old, so much of it is already invalid - we already have walking bipedal robots (see Asimo) and our understanding of much of physics is changing by the minute, as well as future-thinking perspectives on space travel.
But like I said, you can't blame a book for being written too soon. And even though the afterward does manage to squeeze in those god forsaken midi-chlorians, I'd recommend this book to any science-seeking Star Wars fan with the caveat that they do their own research as well since so much has changed since the book's publication.
Everything about this book is good from the concept to the research to the presentation of information. But despite its only being ten or so years old, so much of it is already invalid - we already have walking bipedal robots (see Asimo) and our understanding of much of physics is changing by the minute, as well as future-thinking perspectives on space travel.
But like I said, you can't blame a book for being written too soon. And even though the afterward does manage to squeeze in those god forsaken midi-chlorians, I'd recommend this book to any science-seeking Star Wars fan with the caveat that they do their own research as well since so much has changed since the book's publication.
September 12, 2023
this book was AMAZING!!!!! I learned so much about the theory of relativity, and quantum mechanics! As a Star Wars fan, I always thought that Star Wars would be a really cool future, but never actually thought it possible!! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in any type of science or just looking for a great read!
April 3, 2021
Cavelos is clearly as knowledgeable in physics as she is a huge fan of Star Wars. With that said, it should be no surprise that the book contains some of the nerdiest thoughts and sentences I've ever encountered. This was made more enjoyable just due to how obvious it was that the author enjoyed the work she put into it.
December 12, 2017
i really loved the book,the author Jeanne Cavelos did a good job writing the book,my favorite character wasn't really a character but was r2d2 and how he affected space.everything in the book was vivid and very specific.
June 21, 2017
Got a little science-y for this non-scientist to follow in the physics of the Force section. But otherwise intriguing for a Star Wars fan.
July 10, 2022
The most famous sci-fi universe dissected using real world science (as we know it today), written by a scientist who loves sci-fi. What's not to love?
February 16, 2024
When i was gooning to Thomas Raycraft, this book still managed to keep me on the edge of my seat! literally! I was edging too! #WRIZZ
February 15, 2012
This was a surprising book for me, in that sections that I thought I would really enjoy were not interesting me and the sections that I thought that I would have to slog through were incredibly enjoyable. Since I had such an uneven response, I think I'll take it section by section.
Section One: Planetary Environments
I was happy to see that my Intro to Astronomy class that I took in my sophomore year of college was still with me, but this was not a very interesting section for me. It did a good job of presenting the basic outline of planet structure and the necessities for life. This section had less room for interesting tidbits than other sections.
Section Two: Aliens
This was a great section. Starting at the beginning with a look at the Star War universe and giving us a reorientation into the variety of life on our little planet, the author focuses on discussing the possible evolutionary development of several of the alien forms in Star Wars.
Section Three: Droids
This was actually the section that I was dreading. Robots don't interest me in the least. However, I found the explanations as to the problems of emotional impairment and particularly the section of understanding and evaluating human speech to be fascinating. Her drawing connections to those who have suffered brain damage in the areas that control those parts was apt and well done. I also enjoyed the in-depth analysis of the three main droid characters: Threepio, Artoo, and Vader.
Section Four: Spaceships and Weapons
I tried with this section. I just could not get into it. The only thing I liked was the short subsection dealing with Han's 'parsec' mistake. Sometimes apologists can be so inventive.
Section Five: The Force
I was disappointed in this section, probably because I was hoping for a good look at blending mysticism with science. I don't think the author failed to deliver on that as much as she had other goals in mind. I did enjoy the brief subsection on hypnosis and some of the explanations for the abstract notions were very good.
All in all, I thought that this was a great book. It relates scientific concepts well and is obviously well versed in the Star Wars universe.
Section One: Planetary Environments
I was happy to see that my Intro to Astronomy class that I took in my sophomore year of college was still with me, but this was not a very interesting section for me. It did a good job of presenting the basic outline of planet structure and the necessities for life. This section had less room for interesting tidbits than other sections.
Section Two: Aliens
This was a great section. Starting at the beginning with a look at the Star War universe and giving us a reorientation into the variety of life on our little planet, the author focuses on discussing the possible evolutionary development of several of the alien forms in Star Wars.
Section Three: Droids
This was actually the section that I was dreading. Robots don't interest me in the least. However, I found the explanations as to the problems of emotional impairment and particularly the section of understanding and evaluating human speech to be fascinating. Her drawing connections to those who have suffered brain damage in the areas that control those parts was apt and well done. I also enjoyed the in-depth analysis of the three main droid characters: Threepio, Artoo, and Vader.
Section Four: Spaceships and Weapons
I tried with this section. I just could not get into it. The only thing I liked was the short subsection dealing with Han's 'parsec' mistake. Sometimes apologists can be so inventive.
Section Five: The Force
I was disappointed in this section, probably because I was hoping for a good look at blending mysticism with science. I don't think the author failed to deliver on that as much as she had other goals in mind. I did enjoy the brief subsection on hypnosis and some of the explanations for the abstract notions were very good.
All in all, I thought that this was a great book. It relates scientific concepts well and is obviously well versed in the Star Wars universe.
September 5, 2012
I must say I enjoy reading this book . I am not much of a science person but I love Star Wars . Jeanne Cavelos writes the book more for Star Wars fans the scientists, and that is a good thing . She uses examples from the film, she makes science fun to read . The book is broken down into 5 parts .
1) Planetary Life : She writes about all the planets in Star Wars , how life might of started on them , or even if life could start on them . I like her take on each of the planets . I did feel she may have spent a little to much time on Tatooine . Buit it still was interesting to read .
2)Aliens : She talks about the different aliens , what type e would meet in space . There a vary interesting section on The Hutt .
3) Droids :why R2D2 and C3PO act the way they do , how far are we away from robots like R2D2 and C3PO . and how far away we are from bionic limbs like Darth Vader.
4) Spaceships and weapons : She writes how a ship can travel near or faster then light . How there could be Antigravitational vehicles may work . She covers LASERS and Light Sabers .( sadly she does not say how one might build a Light Sabers)
5) The Force : She goes into how Jedi might use the force and the ways that it could be done .
All in I liked this book It a good read , the part about the Force got a bit to Science for me in places . I would like to see her write an update for the book , she only covers four of the films . Pules we learned so much since the last film has come out on March 18th, 2005. I am looking forward to reading her book The Science of the X-Files.
Read on and may the Force be with you
1) Planetary Life : She writes about all the planets in Star Wars , how life might of started on them , or even if life could start on them . I like her take on each of the planets . I did feel she may have spent a little to much time on Tatooine . Buit it still was interesting to read .
2)Aliens : She talks about the different aliens , what type e would meet in space . There a vary interesting section on The Hutt .
3) Droids :why R2D2 and C3PO act the way they do , how far are we away from robots like R2D2 and C3PO . and how far away we are from bionic limbs like Darth Vader.
4) Spaceships and weapons : She writes how a ship can travel near or faster then light . How there could be Antigravitational vehicles may work . She covers LASERS and Light Sabers .( sadly she does not say how one might build a Light Sabers)
5) The Force : She goes into how Jedi might use the force and the ways that it could be done .
All in I liked this book It a good read , the part about the Force got a bit to Science for me in places . I would like to see her write an update for the book , she only covers four of the films . Pules we learned so much since the last film has come out on March 18th, 2005. I am looking forward to reading her book The Science of the X-Files.
Read on and may the Force be with you
May 27, 2009
How likely is life on other planets? What governs interstellar travel? Does the Force exist?
"Science is beginning to catch up with George Lucas" (p. xiv).
The Science of Star Wars looks at the scientific possibility and plausibility of the Star Wars universe and covers the original trilogy, and The Phantom Menace (based on descriptions but before that movie was released). It is open-minded toward future discoveries, practical about things that just don't work (at least, not yet), and fair to the many different views and opinions of scientists in different camps. It reads well: not too complicated for a person of average intelligence.
The most fascinating part in this book for me was the discussion about why we would want to give robots emotions. I had no idea until reading it what part emotion plays in rational thought.
I'd like to see an addendum that looks at the last two movies and deals with clones, shaping personalities with gene therapy, and revisits some of these theories with the scientific research of the last 10 years.
"Science is beginning to catch up with George Lucas" (p. xiv).
The Science of Star Wars looks at the scientific possibility and plausibility of the Star Wars universe and covers the original trilogy, and The Phantom Menace (based on descriptions but before that movie was released). It is open-minded toward future discoveries, practical about things that just don't work (at least, not yet), and fair to the many different views and opinions of scientists in different camps. It reads well: not too complicated for a person of average intelligence.
The most fascinating part in this book for me was the discussion about why we would want to give robots emotions. I had no idea until reading it what part emotion plays in rational thought.
I'd like to see an addendum that looks at the last two movies and deals with clones, shaping personalities with gene therapy, and revisits some of these theories with the scientific research of the last 10 years.
April 21, 2010
This woman is obsessed with Star Wars. I mean, seriously, beyond anyone I've ever known, obsessed with Star Wars. It's not obvious right at first, although on the flyleaf it told about how the author decided to become an astronomer after watching Star Wars for the first time. But as I was reading the book, I realized this was a whole different magnitude of fandom. She has obviously watched the movies hundred of times, and read every single book in all the series, at least once. But the reali giveaway was when she referred to Jar Jar Binks as "a loveable goofball." OK, that is just not normal.
But about the book - it wasn't quite what I expected either. It takes the whole Star Wars thing so seriously, and tries to seriously account for every aspect of the movie - the planets, the lifeforms, and so on. There wasn't enough tongue in cheek for me to be able to pay attention to the science. Only recommended for real Star Wars geeks.
But about the book - it wasn't quite what I expected either. It takes the whole Star Wars thing so seriously, and tries to seriously account for every aspect of the movie - the planets, the lifeforms, and so on. There wasn't enough tongue in cheek for me to be able to pay attention to the science. Only recommended for real Star Wars geeks.
November 18, 2022
Always a bad idea to jot down thoughts well after you finished the book, especially when you've been reading it off and on over the course of two years.
I picked this up used long ago, expecting it to be some sort of criticism on the Star Wars films and how it's not real science and mostly fantasy. And while the implausability is often brought up, the book mostly just uses situations from the original films (including the brand new Episode 1 as this was published soon after its release) as an introduction to the type of science and physics research it would take to either study or create some of the portrayed technologies.
So overall it's pretty approachable though still a bit dry, especially for the Force chapter, and functions as an intro physics and astronomy read. And surprisingly a lot of it still holds up and isn't too dated, except for the robotics chapter. We certainly have advanced a lot on that front in the last 20 years.
I picked this up used long ago, expecting it to be some sort of criticism on the Star Wars films and how it's not real science and mostly fantasy. And while the implausability is often brought up, the book mostly just uses situations from the original films (including the brand new Episode 1 as this was published soon after its release) as an introduction to the type of science and physics research it would take to either study or create some of the portrayed technologies.
So overall it's pretty approachable though still a bit dry, especially for the Force chapter, and functions as an intro physics and astronomy read. And surprisingly a lot of it still holds up and isn't too dated, except for the robotics chapter. We certainly have advanced a lot on that front in the last 20 years.
February 6, 2008
This was a fun book!
The author is clearly a fan of the Holy Trilogy. She is an expert in her own field, but doesn't rely on her knowledge only when proposing how the worlds, life-forms, and technology presented in Star Wars could exist. She found help from experts in electronics, planetary science, astronomy, and dozens of other disciplines to ensure that she wasn't using bad science.
This book is written for people with little or no scientific knowledge, which I appreciated. She uses clear examples to "dumb down" the theory for the common man. She does obviously want it all to be possible, so some of her theories are far-fetched, but she admits as much and provides the statistical backing... 1 chance in 31 trillion is still a decent chance since space is so big. If you're a scientist you might be able to poke holes at it, but for the intended audience, it's great.
The author is clearly a fan of the Holy Trilogy. She is an expert in her own field, but doesn't rely on her knowledge only when proposing how the worlds, life-forms, and technology presented in Star Wars could exist. She found help from experts in electronics, planetary science, astronomy, and dozens of other disciplines to ensure that she wasn't using bad science.
This book is written for people with little or no scientific knowledge, which I appreciated. She uses clear examples to "dumb down" the theory for the common man. She does obviously want it all to be possible, so some of her theories are far-fetched, but she admits as much and provides the statistical backing... 1 chance in 31 trillion is still a decent chance since space is so big. If you're a scientist you might be able to poke holes at it, but for the intended audience, it's great.
January 29, 2016
The Science of Star Wars is sciency. Very sciency. As in, way over my head sciency.
I like Star Wars and am intrigued about what might be possible in Earth's future as humans continue to develop technology and scientific concepts, so I did find parts of it interesting. I think a true Star Wars fanatic would appreciate it more than I did. The author even talks about the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special (which she describes as "so awful it's fascinating").
The author clearly knows her science. A lot of similar information about planetary environments can be found in Peter D. Ward's book Rare Earth, which I really enjoyed. The book is a little dated, as it was published before any of the Star Wars prequels (so long before the newest Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens).
Recommended for astrophysicists and huge Star Wars fans.
I like Star Wars and am intrigued about what might be possible in Earth's future as humans continue to develop technology and scientific concepts, so I did find parts of it interesting. I think a true Star Wars fanatic would appreciate it more than I did. The author even talks about the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special (which she describes as "so awful it's fascinating").
The author clearly knows her science. A lot of similar information about planetary environments can be found in Peter D. Ward's book Rare Earth, which I really enjoyed. The book is a little dated, as it was published before any of the Star Wars prequels (so long before the newest Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens).
Recommended for astrophysicists and huge Star Wars fans.
May 5, 2010
The Science of Star Wars is a fascinating book, full of insight into the whys and hows of the Star Wars universe. My favorite chapter was the last one, which tried to explain the Force using what we currently understand about physics and biology. The only complaint I have about the book, and this is just a matter of personal belief, is that the author tried to explain things solely from an evolutionary point of view. Some of the "mysteries" mentioned in the book could be easily explained by the existence of God and creation rather than evolution. The book was well-written, however, and the information contained in it explained in an easy-to-understand format that kept me reading with interest despite the obvious difference in beliefs between myself and the author.
January 22, 2016
Who has not looked at all the great stuff in Star Wars and wonder if you could actually make it. Well, if you are an astrophysicist, you probably think about this in greater depth than most people. From the design of light sabers to the design of alien creatures, human and otherwise the author provides a springboard to promote speculation among her readers. I look forward to a lively discussion among the members of our science fiction and fantasy book club. Join us at Hardee's 913 E. Main in Galesburg at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 29.
April 2, 2012
I've been reading a lot of "Science of..." books lately and Cavelos just hits the wrong nerve. I find her explanations to be frustrating and simplistic. She uses the characters to as examples when she shouldn't. (Imagine Luke and Leia were a binary star system...) The hope she had for the "new" prequels was kind of adorable and I'm sorry that she had them dashed to the floor and stomped on by Lucas.
November 20, 2016
Although the science has changed dramatically since its publication, this is still an interesting read. As a casual science enthusiast I found the book to be a really good introduction to concepts, like string theory, and made the ideas approachable.
The author also has a friendly, casual style of writing that is easy to read and has lots of humour injected to keep things light, especially in the really heavy sections.
The author also has a friendly, casual style of writing that is easy to read and has lots of humour injected to keep things light, especially in the really heavy sections.
January 8, 2008
The Science of Star Wars was a great book to hear on tape because it wasn't the kind of thing that I usually will pick up to read and devote a lot of time to finishing. It was, however, far more interesting than NPR. The science is shaky, more like speculation than observation, but still Star Wars made an entertaining vehicle for exploring quantum physics and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
July 28, 2008
As a physics teacher and star wars fan, I love this book. It takes many fantastic ideas from star wars and shows how they can or cannot exist in our universe. A must read for any science/star wars fan.
February 22, 2013
damn good book, do not have to be a nerd or fan to read. do not have to be into sciens/physics just some good information. well thought book and great time killer, even if you read it here and there a must own.
September 13, 2007
Great book!
May 25, 2010
I am not a huge, or even big Star Wars fan (heck, I didn't even like the first one), but I loved this book. A great concept, very well done. I could not put it down.
July 4, 2013
Very fun way of looking at physics and biology via the Star Wars universe!
October 22, 2012
A nice, readable volume of pop science. I recommend this to hard core Star Wars fans, nerds, and trolls wanting to win arguments on the internet.
May 1, 2015
great science book about star wars!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews