If you only knew the power of the dark side of science: The physics of the Death Star
February 10, 2009
Are you a galactic tyrant whose subjects have grown insolent? Have you built, or are you planning to build, a space station the size of a small moon with which you plan to blow up the home planet of said insolent subjects? Are you a physics teacher familiar with Star Wars? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should read The Physics of the Death Star by Matt Springer from Built on Facts. Using the formula Springer cooks up, you’ll know precisely how much energy it will take to blast a planet to smithereens.
If you happen to be a teacher, your class should appreciate the science behind the Star Wars series. Looking through the comments section should also be worth your while — several commenters pose questions worth bringing up to your students. For example, while the Death Star puts out a lot of energy, what exactly is the energy doing? Heating it up like an ant under a magnifying glass? Put these questions to your class to get a discussion going. These are the sorts of considerations you have to make when planning planetary destruction.
Darth Vader said, “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of The Force.” Good luck coming up with an equation for that one. -BILL FERRIS
