The Science of Star Wars Weaponry - Issue 55: Trust
▻http://nautil.us/issue/55/trust/the-science-of-star-wars-weaponry
If you are already a Star Wars fan, you know that the stories take place in a galaxy far, far away, so the laws of physics should still apply. On the other hand, these are obviously works of fiction; is there any point in applying those laws? Yes—it is both fun and worthwhile to do so. Sometimes the physics shown in the movies is spot on while on other occasions it would require advanced technology or new discoveries in the realm of physics to make sense. Either way, science is about the critical thinking process needed to tackle a problem rather than the specific situation in which the problem appears. There’s no reason we can’t consider Yoda force-lifting rocks instead of pulleys lifting blocks! Still, the films don’t always provide all the answers needed to explain a physics topic. (...)