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Science of Star Wars

In 1999, astrophysicist and mathematician Jeanne Cavelos wrote a book titled The Science of Star Wars: An Astrophysicist's Independent Examination of Space Travel, Aliens, Planets, and Robots as Portrayed in the Star Wars Films and Books. Timed with the release of The Clone Wars, Scientific American has posted excerpts from Cavelos's book, including bits about the power of the Death Star, light speed travel, and Darth Vader's bionics. From SciAm: The Death Star: Could It Destroy A Planet? The Death Star's planet-destroying weapon is said in the Star Wars Encyclopedia to be a super-laser. While a laser is basically just light, it is light that can be focused onto a precise spot and can have high, extremely concentrated power. Lasers can produce a steady beam for long periods, or they can produce a very intense beam in short pulses, occurring thousands or millions of times per second. The amplified light of lasers can also be very powerful. A series of pulses can drill through hard materials like titanium or diamond. A megawatt laser can burn a hole through a jet up to six miles away?though it needs to maintain contact with the aircraft for one to two seconds. In a 1998 test, MlRACL, a 2.2-megawatt laser, was able to hit a satellite in Earth orbit. MlRACL purposely did not destroy the satellite, since the test was designed merely to show that the laser could target and hit the satellite. But researchers say the laser could just as easily have melted it. Thus it seems the lasers we have today would be capable of doing many of the things we see in Star Wars. We could injure or kill people; we could burn structures or melt holes in walls; we could destroy targeted areas of spaceships, assuming we could keep a beam on them for long enough. The main difference between Star Wars lasers and ours is the size. While we can create lasers that emit extremely powerful energies, we need to pump great energies into them to make them work. That energy source takes space, which the Death Star, at least, provides. Science of Star Wars (SciAm), Buy Science of Star Wars (Amazon)...

Science GCSE for 10-year-old boy

A 10-year-old boy gets his first GCSE in science after studying with his mother at a college in Manchester.

Science Weekly: Music and the brain

Is music just "auditory cheesecake" or can it provide deep insights into the workings of the brain and the evolution of language. From the New Zealand haka to raves and dancing birds, James Randerson investigates

Bibliography of Europe's largest, private collection of Science Fiction novels.

Ralf says: Heinz-Jürgen Ehrig, a German Science Fiction fan, has collected about 130.000 Science Fiction books, magazines, fanzines, etc. Since his death in 2003, his widow, the SciFi author Marianne Sydow has spend gazillions of hours cataloguing his collection and is now publishing the bibliographical data on a monthly basis in a paperback + CD outfit for a small fee. Unfortunately she finds it hard to get any subscribers, which is a shame really. It would be a shame if this project dies. More here - I think I'm the only one who brought this more or less to the attention of the "outside Germany" world. Villa Galactica needs your help Part 1 | Villa Galactica needs your help Part 2...

Does U.S. Have Enough Science Savvy?

Ordinary Americans may not know enough about science to make informed decisions.

Science Weekly podcast

James Randerson and the team ask Prof Bill McGuire if it's already too late to save the planet. Plus, a switch-on date for the LHC. And the woman who cloned her pet pit bull

After-school Science Instructor - Wednesdays (oakland east)

Afterschool Science Instructor Want to work with kids? Are you passionate about teaching science? Why not combine the two? Learning for Life is looking for people who want to share their talents and ideas and enrich the lives of kids. We are actively seeking people with high energy, strong interpersonal skills and a teamwork attitude who want to be a positive role model to students. Science instructors will be part of developing their own curriculum and will have the chance to combine their talents, experience and passions to give students new and exciting experiences. Learning for Life is a non-profit organization that works to provide support to our local schools. Our mission is to enable young people to become responsible, successful individuals by providing accessible programs that teach positive character traits, provide new learning experiences and develop academic abilities that will enable them to reach their full potential. We desire to help students improve their academic skill and have access to new experiences as well as develop strong character and positive social skills. WE ARE HIRING FOR POSITIONS AT THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS: Burckhalter and Horace Mann Elementary Hours: Wednesdays between 1:30 and 6:00, 3-4 hours/week. Hours vary depending on school. Where: Burckhalter Elementary 3994 Burckhalter Ave. Oakland Horace Mann Elementary 5222 Ygnacio Ave. Oakland *Please be aware of the locations of the schools before applying. Start Date: August 18, 2008 End Date: June 12, 2009 You will have school vacations off (unpaid) Grades: Kindergarten-5th grade Rate: $15-$17 depending on experience The overall goal of our program is to use fun, interactive lessons as a tool to teach children new skills as they learn more about being part of a community. Training, materials, paid prep time, and on-going support are provided. Responsibilities: • Develop class curriculum in coordination with site coordinator • Teach science class (12-15 students per class in rotating age groups) according to grade level standards • Incorporate youth development into lessons – teamwork, community, leadership, etc. • Communicate student progress with parents and after-school coordinator • Provide lesson plans • Attend monthly staff meetings Qualifications: • Positive attitude and desire to make a difference in the lives of children. • Experience working with children in large or small group setting. • Self-sufficient team player • Proven classroom management skills. • Experience in subject area • Must be dedicated and able to commit for the entire school year. • Ability to work in a culturally diverse setting • Reliable transportation • Reimbursed-TB test and Fingerprinting REQUIRED. • Access to college transcripts or willing to take a certification test To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Marie Olson at marieo@sflfl.org with “Science Instructor” in the subject line. Send resume and cover letter as an attached WORD document or paste into the body of the email.

Science Fiction Search Engine

Xenite.Org has created a custom search interface for fans of science fiction and fantasy. We have favored the best resources on the Web for popular topics such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Stargate, and more.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Forums

New forum entry pages have been created for most of the Xenite.Org forums. Browse new pictures and introductory text or view discussion headlines from the forums.

SF-Fandom Science Fiction and Fantasy Forums

Science fiction and fantasy discussion forums, moderated by science fiction and fantasy fans. Join in SciFi forum discussions for scifi television shows and scifi movies.