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The Science of Star Wars: Part 1, Traveling in Hyperspace

Star Wars continues to be the most successful movie franchise in history. The movies are great fun, the storytelling is excellent, thoroughly based on the Hero’s Journey, and the characters are some of the most beloved in cinema history. Whether your favorite scene is the from jump into hyperspace, the climactic lightsaber duel between Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vadar, Vadar intoning “I am your father,” or the destruction of the Death Star, they all still resonate today. But what of the science of Star Wars. Are these great scenes and effects even possible? Do they violate the laws of physics and nature as we understand them today? Join Tom Fox and Dr. Ben Locwin, a healthcare executive. In addition to his medical expertise, he is a degreed astrophysicist, as they look behind some of the most exciting scenes in Star Wars to look at the portrayal of science in Star Wars. In Episode 1, they consider traveling in hyperspace. Some of the topics covered are:

1. The visual effect of light bending.

2. Does traveling in hyperspace violate Einstein’s Law of Special Relativity.

3. What would be traveling in hyperspace do to the human body?

4. How does one navigate in hyperspace.