Science Strikes Back

Listen 48:48

To celebrate the newest sequel in the space opera saga, we’re searching for the science in “Star Wars.” Along way, we discover that, while the movies feel futuristic, “Star Wars” isn’t really science fiction at all, it’s magic  — you’re not supposed to question how a spaceship travels faster than the speed of light, or how The Force works. Still, we found lots of science that feels “Star Wars” inspired: a bionic hand, a water generator, and America’s Cold War nuclear-defense aspirations.

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