Rating: 
Summary: Not so long or so far away, some of it could happen
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: "Fascinating"
Review: Bacteria on a camera left by one Apollo mission on the moon survived for three years, until picked up by another Apollo crew. Fascinating! (The author was discussing the "slug" who lives in a vacuum, inside an asteroid.)Roboticists have decided emotion, not logic, reigns, because AI units without emotion tend to make the same mistakes over and over. Fascinating -- Mr. Spock will be passe. There are desert-dwelling reptiles who absorb dew through their backs -- fascinating. The book is just chockfull of facts you especially treasure because you've had to listen to sound in space, seen a muppet levitate a spaceship, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I loved this book. Like all Star Wars books I read, I could barely put it down. The only reason it's not perfect is that the whole Star Wars series is very loosely based on science, so this book really has a very shaky fundamental basis. The fact that Jeanne Cavelos can write a great book around this weak foundation, though, is a testament to the skill with which the author writes.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I loved this book. Like all Star Wars books I read, I could barely put it down. The only reason it's not perfect is that the whole Star Wars series is very loosely based on science, so this book really has a very shaky fundamental basis. The fact that Jeanne Cavelos can write a great book around this weak foundation, though, is a testament to the skill with which the author writes.
Rating:
Summary: Making science fun
Review: I saw The Science of Star Wars title and said to myself, "I'm not interested in knowing how President Regan dreamed of waging nuclear war. But, wait a minute! Maybe this book is about Star Wars the movie! ... Cool!" So Jeanne Cavelos, an astrophysicist, describes the "state of the art" of all kinds of science - not just physics - that might (or might not) justify the many scientific aspects of the Star Wars movies: The origins of life on earth, the possibility of extra-terrestrials, evolution and the biology of alien life forms, the future developments of robots and androids, time travel, worm holes, Einstein's general and special theories of relativity, and how to imagine the 10 dimensions of super string theory, the quest for a unified field theory, and extra sensory perception research, including the CIA's investigations of remote viewing. How can those topics be interesting? Because they are all illustrated with the characters and scenes you've come to know and love from the Star Wars movies. I've never had so much fun with science! I know that many teenagers would like this book. I think that even some youngsters as young as 10 might really be challenged and intrigued with these explanations. (OK, maybe they can skim over a few of the sections on relativity and super string theory. But I know that some of them will sink in.) Young or old, I recommend this book for anyone with a modicum of curiosity or imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Making science fun
Review: I saw The Science of Star Wars title and said to myself, "I'm not interested in knowing how President Regan dreamed of waging nuclear war. But, wait a minute! Maybe this book is about Star Wars the movie! ... Cool!" So Jeanne Cavelos, an astrophysicist, describes the "state of the art" of all kinds of science - not just physics - that might (or might not) justify the many scientific aspects of the Star Wars movies: The origins of life on earth, the possibility of extra-terrestrials, evolution and the biology of alien life forms, the future developments of robots and androids, time travel, worm holes, Einstein's general and special theories of relativity, and how to imagine the 10 dimensions of super string theory, the quest for a unified field theory, and extra sensory perception research, including the CIA's investigations of remote viewing. How can those topics be interesting? Because they are all illustrated with the characters and scenes you've come to know and love from the Star Wars movies. I've never had so much fun with science! I know that many teenagers would like this book. I think that even some youngsters as young as 10 might really be challenged and intrigued with these explanations. (OK, maybe they can skim over a few of the sections on relativity and super string theory. But I know that some of them will sink in.) Young or old, I recommend this book for anyone with a modicum of curiosity or imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Making science fun
Review: I saw The Science of Star Wars title and said to myself, "I'm not interested in knowing how President Regan dreamed of waging nuclear war. But, wait a minute! Maybe this book is about Star Wars the movie! ... Cool!" So Jeanne Cavelos, an astrophysicist, describes the "state of the art" of all kinds of science - not just physics - that might (or might not) justify the many scientific aspects of the Star Wars movies: The origins of life on earth, the possibility of extra-terrestrials, evolution and the biology of alien life forms, the future developments of robots and androids, time travel, worm holes, Einstein's general and special theories of relativity, and how to imagine the 10 dimensions of super string theory, the quest for a unified field theory, and extra sensory perception research, including the CIA's investigations of remote viewing. How can those topics be interesting? Because they are all illustrated with the characters and scenes you've come to know and love from the Star Wars movies. I've never had so much fun with science! I know that many teenagers would like this book. I think that even some youngsters as young as 10 might really be challenged and intrigued with these explanations. (OK, maybe they can skim over a few of the sections on relativity and super string theory. But I know that some of them will sink in.) Young or old, I recommend this book for anyone with a modicum of curiosity or imagination.
Rating: 
Summary: Why I wrote the book and more about it
Review: I'm the author of THE SCIENCE OF STAR WARS, which explores the four STAR WARS films and asks, how possible is that "galaxy far, far away"? I'm a STAR WARS fan from way back in 1977, when as a seventeen year old, I went into a movie theater and was completely blown away by George Lucas's vision. That opening scene of the first movie, in which a star destroyer flies endlessly out of the screen, sent my heart racing. I had never before visited such a bizarre, exhilarating, awe-inspiring, fully realized universe. I wanted to live in that "galaxy far, far away." And so I did, for two hours at a time. Many, many times. The STAR WARS movies fueled my interest in space travel and the possibility of alien life, which led me to become an astrophysicist and to work at NASA, and now to write this book. I don't believe George Lucas's main concern in writing these movies was to create a scientifically accurate futuristic universe. And in 1977, most scientists dismissed the film as having no scientific basis whatsoever. Yet in the years since the first movie came out, a strange thing has happened. Science is beginning to catch up with George Lucas. Many scientists believe a future involving the elements in the movies may well someday be possible. Exploring these possibilities in the book was not only lots of fun, but showed me the movies from an entirely new perspective, revealing things I'd never seen before (and after watching them so many, many times, that was really a shock!). I hope I give you that same experience. The book has chapters on Planetary Environments, Aliens, Droids, Space Ships and Weapons, and The Force. I discuss many of the fascinating issues raised by the films, such as how we might make a light saber, what sort of bionic limbs and life support systems Darth Vader would need after falling into a molten pit, why Han and Threepio can't be friends, and lots more. You can find further information, including an expanded table of contents and excerpts from the book at my website: http://www.sff.net/people/jcavelos I'd be happy to hear from you if you have any comments or questions. Best, Jeanne Cavelos jcavelos@empire.net http://www.sff.net/people/jcavelos
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