Mark Brake

Jon Chase

Discover the science behind the most popular sci-fi franchise of all time! Capturing the imagination and hearts of crowds worldwide, Star Wars is a fantastic feat of science fiction and fantasy. The Science of Star Wars addresses 50 topics that span the movies’ universe such as battle technology, alien life, space travel, etc. You’ll find fascinating explorations of the physics of Star Wars, its plausibility, and more. The perfect Star Wars gift for fans of the saga, this book addresses many unanswered, burning questions, including: How long before we get a Star Wars speeder off the ground? What exactly is the Force? How could Kylo Ren stop a blaster shot in mid-air? How could we live on a gas giant like Bespin, or a desert planet like Tatooine? Nature versus nurture: How does it play out in the making of Jedi? How much would it cost to build the Death Star? And much more! We marvel at the variety of creatures and technology and the mystery behind the force. But how much of the Star Wars world is rooted in reality? Could we see some of the extraordinary inventions materialize in our world? This uncomplicated, entertaining read makes it easy to understand how advanced physics concepts, such as wormholes and Einstein’s theory of relativity, apply to the Star Wars universe. The Science of Star Wars explains to non-technical readers how physics and fantasy might merge to allow for the possibility of interstellar travel; communication with foreign but intelligent lifeforms; human-like robots; alien planets fit for human life; weapons and spacecraft such as laser guns, light sabers, and the Millennium Falcon; and Force-like psychokinetic powers. In the 21st Century, we’re on the edge of developing much of the technology from “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away”… These fantasies aren’t as impossible as you might think! Written for every fan of George Lucas’s films, you don’t need to be a Jedi or an astrophysicist at NASA to appreciate all of Mark Brake and Jon Chase’s fun and informative analysis of this classic series in The Science of Star Wars. Prepare your mind to make the jump to light speed and find out about the facts behind one of our favorite modern epics!

The Scientific Facts Behind the Force, Space Travel, and More!

The Science of Star Wars

How does magic in J. K. Rowling’s universe work? Finally, the scientific secrets are revealed! The story of the boy who lived has brought the idea of magic and sorcery into mainstream fruition more than any other book series in history. Modern muggle scientists have uncovered explanations to the seemingly impossible, including answers to such questions as: Will we ever see an invisibility cloak? How hazardous is a flying broomstick like the Nimbus 2000? How has medicine made powerful potions from peculiar plants? (Felix Felicis, anyone?) Can scientists ever demonstrate Wingardium Leviosa, or the flying power of a Golden Snitch? Is it possible to stupefy someone? And many more! Often perceived as a supernatural force, magic captivates and delights its audience because of its seeming ability to defy physics and logic. But did you ever wonder if science has any explanation for these fantastic feats? The Science of Harry Potter examines the scientific principles—behind some of your favorite characters, spells, items, scenes, and even games like Quidditch and Wizard’s Chess—from boy wizard Harry Potter’s world, providing in-depth analysis and scientific facts to support its theories. Author Mark Brake, whose The Science of Star Wars was a knockout success, has found the answers to satisfy the curious spirits of muggles everywhere… A perfect Harry Potter gift for anyone obsessed enough to stand in line to be the first to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, witches and wizards alike will be fascinated by the merging of this improbable realm and real science!

The Spellbinding Science Behind the Magic, Gadgets, Potions, and More!

The Science of Harry Potter

We are the first generation to live in a science fiction world. Media headlines declare this the age of automation. The TV talks about the coming revolution of the robot, tweets tell tales of jets that will ferry travelers to the edge of space, and social media reports that the first human to live for a thousand years has already been born. The science we do, the movies we watch, and the culture we consume is the stuff of fiction that became fact, the future imagined in our past—the future we now inhabit. The Science of Science Fiction is the story of how science fiction shaped our world. No longer a subculture, science fiction has moved into the mainstream with the advent of the information age it helped realize. Explore how science fiction has driven science, with topics that include: Guardians of the Galaxy: Is Space Full of Extraterrestrials? Jacking In: Will the Future Be Like Ready Player One? Mad Max: Is Society Running down into Chaos? The Internet: Will Humans Tire of Mere Reality? Blade Runner 2049: When Will We Engineer Human Lookalikes? And many more! This book will open your eyes to the way science fiction helped us dream of things to come, forced us to explore the nature and limits of our own reality, and aided us in building the future we now inhabit.

The Influence of Film and Fiction on the Science and Culture of Our Times

The Science of Science Fiction

Emma Weitkamp

From discussions of climate change to the latest arguments around stem cell research, science has never been more topical and relevant to our everyday lives. Yet its intricacies are often hard for the general public to grasp. The key challenge for scientists and science communicators is to explain these scientific ideas and engage different groups with current debates.

This long-overdue book explores how to successfully communicate complex and sometimes controversial scientific issues. Investigating the practices behind a range of traditional media and more interactive approaches, the book looks at how professional communicators interact with and present science communication in all its guises. It explores the historical background of science communication and examines how science continues to be referred to and used throughout popular culture, the media, and museums. Practical chapters explain key methods and give tips on overcoming communication issues and problems, whilst introducing the reader to a theoretical understanding of science communication.

Written and edited by pioneering and experienced professionals in the field, this is an essential text for students and practitioners learning how to effectively communicate science.

Introducing Science Communication: A Practical Guide

Really Really Big Questions From Space and Time is an unusual and fun introduction to space science and astrophysics. It explores those massive, complicated, weird and often unanswered questions such as Does the Universe have a shape? What makes sunshine? Do stars explode? How do you build a time machine? and Do aliens look like me? Your head will spin – with knowledge!

Really, Really Big Questions About Space and Time

Discover the real science behind 2001, ET, Signs, and all your favorite fictional alien civilizations. As space telescopes continue to search for life in this unearthly Universe, the crucial questions remain unanswered. Are we awake to the revolutionary effects on human society and science that alien contact will bring? And how is it possible to imagine the unknown? The Science of Aliens tells the compelling story of how the portrayal of alien life has evolved over time. Taking examples from science, film, and fiction, this book showcases how scholars, filmmakers, and authors have devoted their energies to imagining life beyond this Earth. From Copernicus to Kubrick, The Science of Aliens is a fascinating account for anyone interested in extraterrestrials. Otherworldly topics include: What Xenomorphs from Alien and Na’vi from Avatar have in common Darwin among aliens Extraterrestrials in Einstein’s sky Aliens in our space age And so much more Visualize the unknown and redefine your place in a changing cosmos with The Science of Aliens.

The Real Science Behind the Gods and Monsters from Space and Time

The Science of Aliens

Vous êtes un fan des épisodes de la saga Star Wars ? Et si la science vous livrait quelques secrets pour savoir ce qui se cache derrière la Force, le sabre laser, les voyages intergalactiques, etc. ? Nous sommes émerveillés par la variété des créatures (Jedi, robots - R2-D2-, droïdes -C3PO-), des personnages (Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Dark Vador et Dark Maul, Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Han Solo et Chewbacca, Princesse Leia, etc.),et des technologies présentés dans la saga Star Wars créée par Georges Lucas. Et par le mystère qui se cache derrière la Force. Mais dans quelle mesure le monde de Star Wars est-il enraciné dans la réalité ? Pourrions-nous voir certaines des inventions extraordinaires se matérialiser dans notre monde ? La science dans Star Wars est une lecture divertissante qui permet de comprendre facilement comment des concepts de physique, tels que les trrous noirs et la théorie de la relativité d'Einstein, s'appliquent à l'univers de Star Wars. Ce livre explique aux levcteurs nons spécialistes comment la physique et la science-fiction pourraient fusionner ! Cadeau idéal pour les fans de la saga, ce livre répond à de nombreuses questions brûlantes et sans réponse : De quelle nature est exactement la Force ? Combien de temps faudra-t-il avant qu'un vaisseau type X wing T-65 ne décolle ? Comment Kylo Ren a-t-il pu arrêter un tir de blaster en plein vol ? Comment pourrions-nous vivre sur une planète désertique comme Tatooine ? Combien cela coûterait-il de construire l'étoile de la mort ? Qu'est-ce qui rend le Faucon millenium si performant ? Comment fonctionne un sabre laser ?

Ce qui se cache derrière la Force, le sabre laser, les voyages intergalactiques...

La science dans Star Wars

Révolution des robots, multivers, navettes spatiales, mutants, cyborgs... la science-fiction est largement entrée dans notre quotidien : l’avenir imaginé dans le passé est devenu notre présent. De Ready Player One à Transformers, en passant par les X-Men, Blade Runner, Star Trek ou Interstellar, ce livre propose une histoire décapante de la science-fiction et illustre les façons dont elle modèle notre vision du monde et comment, au bout du compte – au bout des contes –, elle influence la science elle-même ! Avec verve et humour, Mark Brake répond ainsi à quelques questions fondamentales : L’espace est-il peuplé d’extraterrestres ? Existe-t-il des mondes parallèles ? Sera-t-il jamais possible de voyager dans le temps ? Notre société fonce-t-elle vers le chaos ? Quand pourrons-nous enfin parader dans des voitures volantes ? Si vous trouvez que notre monde commence à ressembler de plus en plus à un épisode de Black Mirror, ce livre est fait pour vous !

L'influence de la SF sur la science et la pop culture - De la guerre des mondes à Black mirror

Vivons-nous en pleine science-fiction ?

The geeks will inherit the earth. With well over two hundred episodes and a dozen seasons, The Big Bang Theory is one of America’s favorite television series, bringing a new class of character to mainstream television: the science nerd. In spite of its evident popularity and influence in shaping public attitudes to science and scientists, there are relatively few books that explore the show’s culture and social dimension. The Science of The Big Bang Theory looks behind the comedy scenes and scripts of this long-running and successful TV show to explore topics such as: The Bachelor Party Corrosion and Archimedes The Valentino Submergence: Fun with Flags The Dumpling Decoupling: Sheldon and Doctor Who The Mystery Date Observation: The Unlikely Dating Habits of Eggheads And More! This book is a light-hearted science companion to TV's The Big Bang Theory, providing you with just the kind of dissection of the science and culture you’d need to understand “math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries, that all started with the big bang! Hey!”

What America's Favorite Sitcom Can Teach You about Physics, Flags, and the Idiosyncrasies of Scientists

The Science of The Big Bang Theory

A tale of some of the most amazing creatures ever to grace this tiny planet—unearth how the science fiction of the Jurassic World franchise inspired the evolution of dinosaur science. It all began in 1993. Jurassic Park was a movie landmark in the development of computer-generated imagery and animatronic visual effects. Jurassic Park became the highest-grossing movie of that year, and the highest-grossing film ever at the time, a record held until the 1997 release of Titanic. The field of dinosaur science has blossomed by leaps and bounds and branched out in recent years, in no small part to this iconic movie series. In The Science of Jurassic World, we experience the amazing story of the birth of the dinosaurs, how they evolved to world dominance, how some became gargantuan in size, how others grew wings and flew, and how the rest of them met an untimely end. Chapters include: How did Jurassic Park transform dinosaur science? Was Dr. Alan Grant’s job a walk in the park? What’s with the giant dinosaur poop? When will we clone dinosaurs? And so much more! Discover how some of cinema’s most incredible creations do justice to the jaw-dropping evolution of these fantastic creatures.

The Dinosaur Facts Behind the Films

The Science of Jurassic World

Neil Hook

Since its emergence in the seventeenth century, science fiction has been a sustained, coherent and subversive check on the promises and pitfalls of science. In their turn, invention and discovery have forced fiction writers to confront the nature and limits of reality. Different Engines explores how this fascinating symbiosis shapes what we see, do, and dream. From Johannes Kepler's Somnium to Arthur C. Clarke's 2001, science fiction has emerged as a mode of thinking, complementary to the scientific method. Science fiction's field of interest is the gap between the new worlds uncovered by experimentation and exploration, and the fantastic worlds of the imagination. Its proponents find drama in the tension between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Its readers, many of them scientists and politicians, find inspiration in the contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Brake and Hook's Different Engines is a unique, provocative and compelling account of science fiction as the arbiter of progress.

How Science Drives Fiction and Fiction Drives Science

Different Engines

Compelling account of how ideas of alien life have evolved for general readers, amateur astronomers and undergraduate students studying astrobiology.

Communicating the Science and Culture of Astrobiology

Alien Life Imagined

čarovná věda na pozadí kouzel, podivných předmětů, lektvarů a mnohého dalšího

Harry Potter a věda

Lonely Planet Kids

Planet Earth. Four elements. One incredible story. We take kids on a rollercoaster ride through history, geography and science to show how four elements - earth, fire, air and water - created the world and everything that exists today. Amazing facts, photography and illustrations bring our planet and its past to life in an exciting, engaging way.

The Big Earth Book

Fliegende Besen, magische Wesen und Zaubersprüche machen die Welt von Harry Potter so außergewöhnlich. Natürlich gibt es diese Dinge in Wirklichkeit nicht – oder etwa doch? Ist es durch einen biologischen Zufall möglich, dass ein dreiköpfiger Wachhund wie Fluffy existiert? Könnte die Existenz von Gravitationsfeldern erklären, warum der Nimbus 2000 fliegen kann? Und ist ein Greif nichts anderes als der inzwischen ausgestorbene Dinosaurier Protoceratops? Die Wissenschaft hinter Harry Potter betracht die mysteriösen Phänomene rund um Hogwarts und erklärt, ob und wie diese auch in unserer Muggelwelt vorkommen könnten. Ein lehrreiches und unterhaltsames Buch voller Überraschungen.

Magische Phänomene naturwissenschaftlich erklärt

Die Wissenschaft hinter Harry Potter

C’est l'univers incroyable et magique que se proposent de décortiquer les deux auteurs de l’ouvrage en offrant la possibilité à tous ceux qui ont été bercés par le monde ensorcelant de J.K. Rowling de le (re)découvrir sous un prisme nouveau : celui de la science. « Mr. Et Mrs Dursley, qui habitaient au 4, Privet Drive, avaient toujours affirmé avec la plus grande fierté qu'ils étaient parfaitement normaux, merci pour eux. » Voici l’incipit de la célèbre saga Harry Potter il y a 20 ans maintenant. Et pourtant, tout ce qui suit ces mots ne relève pas de la normalité, bien au contraire, merci pour nous ! C’est justement cet univers incroyable et magique que se proposent de décortiquer les deux auteurs de l’ouvrage en offrant la possibilité à tous ceux qui ont été bercés par le monde ensorcelant de J.K. Rowling de le (re)découvrir sous un prisme nouveau : celui de la science. La rencontre entre la magie de Harry Potter et la science des moldus que nous sommes met en perspective les deux univers de façon originale, pertinente et toujours empreinte de l’esprit vif et malicieux de Rowling. Organisé en quatre grandes thématiques (Philosophie magique / Ruse et attirail techniques / Herbologie, Zoologie et Potions / Pot-pourri magique), cet ouvrage permet de revenir sur les éléments qui font la particularité de l’univers du sorcier et de mettre en lumière la science qui se cache derrière. Avec humour, les auteurs proposent aussi aux lecteurs de laisser libre cours à leur imagination et à leurs rêves les plus fous : Pourrions-nous recréer l’horloge de la famille Weasley ? Est-il possible de fabriquer une Carte du Maraudeur pour sécher les cours ? Verrons-nous un jour une cape d’invisibilité ? etc.

Harry Potter, science ou sorcellerie ?

Spy-Fi Culture with a License to Kill From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, James Bond is the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time. Out-grossing Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the world’s most iconic and international secret agent has a shelf life of almost six decades, from Dr. No to Spectre. As nuclear missile threats are replaced by a series of subtler threats in a globalized and digital world, Bond is with us still. In The Science of James Bond, we recognize the Bond franchise as a unique genre: spy-fi. A genre of film and fiction that fuses spy fiction with science fiction. We look at Bond’s obsessions with super-villains, the future, and world domination or destruction. And we take a peek under the hood of trends in science and tech, often in the form of gadgets and spy devices in chapters such as: Goldfinger: Man Has Achieved Miracles in All Fields but Crime! You Only Live Twice: The Race to Conquer Space Live and Let Die: Full Throttle: Bond and the Car Skyfall: The Science of Cyberterrorism And more! This is the only James Bond companion that looks at the film and fiction in such a spy-fi way, taking in weapon wizards, the chemistry of death, threads of nuclear paranoia, and Bond baddies’ obsession with the master race!

The Super-Villains, Tech, and Spy-Craft Behind the Film and Fiction

The Science of James Bond

A caccia di alieni. Guida galattica per futuri astrobiologi

Discover the science behind the abilities of your favorite superheroes—the physics, chemistry, and biology of Superman, Iron Man, Captain Americam, Aquaman, Spiderman, Cyborg, and more! The concept of the superhero has permeated our culture. They fascinate their fans with their incredible superhuman abilities and impressive technology. But do you ever wonder if any of it is plausible or rooted in fact? Enter The Science of Superheroes, which address more than fifty topics that span the worlds of your favorite superheroes and villains. Explore and examine their amazing abilities and fantastic gadgets with a detailed scientific lens. The scientific questions examined within this book include: Can an Iron Man suit be made? How does Thor's hammer work? Could any known forms of radiation cause superpowers? How many calories does Superman need each day? Could you cross a Lamborghini and a hummer to make the Batmobile Tumbler? And many more! Whether you're a movie or comic buff, this book is certain to entertain and open your eyes to the truth behind these amazing characters.

Mark Brake

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