Star Warsologies: A Podcast About Science and Star Wars

In this episode of Star Warsologies, conflict resolution experts weigh in on the wars, negotiations, and other conflicts in Star Wars!

Jen Reynolds and Noam Ebner authored the book "Star Wars and Conflict Resolution: There Are Alternatives To Fighting" and speak with us about the lessons we can learn from Padme, Obi-Wan, and other characters who fight the good fight. From everything from hiring the Millennium Falcon to galactic wars, negotiations occur throughout the saga and mirror the real world in many ways. Apparently there's four ways people typically react to conflict: avoidance, cooperation, competitiveness, and yielding. Which type are you? Which type are your favorite Star Wars characters?

Show Links:

Buy "Star Wars and Conflict Resolution" on Jen and Noam's website and stay updated about the second book and other offerings.

Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

Subscribe to never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Did you miss an earlier episode? Catch up here!

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Star Warsologies is a podcast about science in a galaxy far, far away. Hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of storytelling in the franchise with their keen interest in all things academic.

In this episode of Star Warsologies, an anatomy professor weighs in on the importance of designing aliens that make sense!

Dr. Elizabeth Rega is an anatomy professor who consults on movies and video games to help creators add an element of realism to their projects. She worked on Mulan, The Emperor's New Groove, and even the Madden series. Melissa and James ask Elizabeth to speculate wildly about what we can tell about some of our favorite aliens based on the traits they share with humans. Is Klaud related to axolotls? Do Gungans breathe through their butts? What does Yoda look like under his Jedi robes? Fun questions for our anatomy expert!

Show Links:

Read Stephen Jay Gould's paper about the evolution of Mickey Mouse.
Check out the Max Rebo maquette showing off his two limbs.
Listen to episode 46 where Elizabeth joined our LA Comic Con panel of science advisors.
Check out Elizabeth's paper about a new species of sloth.

Subscribe to never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Did you miss an earlier episode? Catch up here!

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or join our Facebook fan group!

Star Warsologies is a podcast about science in a galaxy far, far away. Hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of storytelling in the franchise with their keen interest in all things academic.

It's the finale! Lisa and Melissa chat about the physics of the final franchise installment (for now). They're joined by Dr. Erin Macdonald, the science advisor for all the current Star Trek shows. Together, they answer important questions like, is a dam just a vertical road? Do bad guys make good shock absorbers in plummeting elevators? Just how much therapy has Jakob had since the last movie? Is Little B destined for a Nobel Prize in Physics? Will anything come of Little Nobody swiping right on Han's dating profile?

We hope you had as much fun listening to these bonus episodes as we had making them! We'll return once there's a new F&F movie out!

Follow Erin on Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel!

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Follow Lisa @dustchick

Listen to episode 10 here

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss our return once the next movie comes out!

Faaaaaaaacts in Spaaaaaace! Melissa and Lisa welcome NASA JPL systems engineer Bobak Ferdowsi (aka the Mohawk Guy!) to chat about the pros and cons of launching a Pontiac Fiero into space. But that's not the only physics nonsense in this movie - there's also magnets, mines, and more! As Bobak eloquently states, the science of Fast & Furious movies are like La Croix - there may not be any real science in the movie but it seems like the creators saw some science at one point or another. 

Learn more about the NISAR program Bobak is working!

Follow NASA on Twitter and Instagram!

Bobak is also (sometimes) on Twitter and Instagram. 

Learn more about the NASA internship program!

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

Listen to episode 9 here

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Does Brixton's heads-up display actually give him helpful information? Can you really hold a helicopter down with a tow truck? Our resident physicist Lisa weighs in on those questions and more. There's plenty of medical jargon in the spin-off movie Hobbs & Shaw, but it turns out the physics holds up for the most part! Melissa and Lisa also interview Joy Phillips and Parag Katira from San Diego State University about the virus, immunology, and biomedical devices that make up a huge part of the plot. Find out what's realistic and what's pure fantasy!

Check out Parag Katira's website and follow him on Twitter.

And contact Joy Phillips if you have more immunology questions!

And if you haven't recently watched Jason Statham dancing in a leopard print speedo while very oily, you should watch it here. Right now. 

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

Listen to episode 8 here

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Melissa moderates this panel of scientists who consult on everything from books and video games to the MCU and Disney animation! Panelists include paleontologist Stuart Sumida (How To Train Your Dragon, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), registered nurse Toby Wareham (9-1-1: Lone Star, How To Get Away With Murder), physicist Clifford Johnson (Avengers: Infinity War, Paper Girls), biologist Elizabeth Rega (Strange World, The Lion King), and stem cell scientist Ron Coleman (Joe Ledger book series).Thanks to all those who came out!

Show Links

• Follow Clifford Johnson on Instagram
• Follow Stuart Sumida on Twitter
• Listen to Elizabeth Rega and Stuart Sumida talk the science of Disney's Strange World on NPR's podcast Short Wave
• Read Cave 13 and The Werewolf's 15 Minutes to see characters based on Ronald Coleman!
• Watch Code Black and 9-1-1: Lone Star to see Toby Wareham's work!

Here's the images Melissa and Stuart talked about!

Images of Stitch courtesy of Walt Disney Feature Animations, credit: Alex Kuperschmidt. Photo credit of Darwin Sumida: Stuart Sumida.

Images courtesy of DreamWorks Feature Animation.

More relevant screen shots and photos coming soon on YouTube!

Subscribe and never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Join our Facebook fan group!

Did you miss an earlier episode? Catch up here!

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It's a monthly podcast about science and other fields of knowledge and Star Wars!

Melissa moderates this panel of Star Warsologies favorites! Sam Wynns and Gabe Santos share their critter knowledge when it comes to Loth cats and purgill! Lisa Will and Paul Wynns talk navigation from one galaxy to the next! And James brings us up to date with all the Star Wars lore sprinkled throughout the show. We had a great audience with tons of questions for us. Thanks to all those who came out!

Follow Dr. Lisa Will and the Fleet Science Center on Instagram

Follow Paul Wynns and Flex Air on Instagram

Follow Gabe Santos and Cosplay for Science on Instagram

Follow Sam Wynns and Cabrillo National Monument on Instagram

Check out the episode on YouTube with relevant screen shots and photos! (coming soon)

Subscribe and never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Join our Facebook fan group!

Did you miss an earlier episode? Catch up here!

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It's a monthly podcast about science and Star Wars!

Melissa and Lisa talk about the (relatively) toned down physics nonsense in the 8th installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, Fate of the Furious. Lisa and Melissa are also joined by Bea Gandica, a computer scientist, to talk about all the hacking, ghost flights, and of course Cipher and the Gods Eye. Listen in to answers to important questions like: What does hacking look like in real life? Did Tej go to a coding boot camp at some point? Was the wrecking ball a good idea? 

Learn more about the free workshops on coding and cybersecurity from the Nuevo Foundation 

Follow Bea Gandica and Nuevo Foundation on Instagram

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

Listen to episode 7 here

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Melissa and Lisa break down the physics nonsense in Furious 7. Can you jump between skyscrapers in a car? What happens when you drop cars out of an airplane with only a parachute? Clinical psychologist Dr. Drea Letamendi joins for a discussion about grief and forgiveness. How important is found family? Should Dom be in therapy? How does Brian's ending help us process Paul Walker's death?

Check out Dr. Drea's website! Follow her on Instagram!

And listen to her podcast The Arkham Sessions.

Read the psychological profiles Drea writes for Fandom

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

Listen to episode 6 here

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

James and Melissa chat about the megafauna of The Mandalorian with Dr. Stuart Sumida. Stuart is a paleontologist, a teacher, and a science consultant for movies, TV shows, and video games. He answers questions for us, including: Do mythosaurs use echolocation? How many Mandalorians would those raptor babies be able to eat in one sitting? Would riding on a horse-wolf actually be comfortable?

• Follow Stuart on Twitter!
• Hear Stuart's interview on NPR's Short Wave podcast
• Listen back to episode 22 when Stuart joined our Jurassic World panel at SDCC 2022
• Check out the nature documentaries we made for Star Wars Celebration 2022

Subscribe and never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Join our Facebook fan group!

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It's a monthly podcast about science and Star Wars!

Fast & Furious 6 gives us perhaps the most physics-defying hijinks of the franchise. Dom's leap of faith, him taking a bullet, and that epically long runway - there's a lot to discuss. Melissa and Lisa also chat with locations scout Kerry Patten, who worked on the movie. Hear from her about the logistics of filming a car chase in the streets of (not actually) London. 

Here's an article calculating just how long the runway would have to be. And writer Chris Morgan's response is fun too.

Kerry shared some great videos for people who want to learn more about location scouting and management. 

More about location scouting and tech scouting.

Insights from location scout Roger Deakins.

A cinematographer's guide to location scouting. 

Check out the Location Manager's Guild International website. 

You can take a location management course at the National Film and Television School. 

Search the database of international filming locations.

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

Listen to episode 5 here

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Let's look at the music of Star Wars! So much of what we associate with the galaxy far, far away is connected to the soundtracks composed by John Williams. We take a look at the diagetic music of the films, from the cantina band tracks to the celebratory songs by Ewoks and Gungans. We also examine the common musical themes that John Williams built into the audio DNA of the saga, as well as musical pieces that may have influenced Williams in his composition. Our guest expert is Dr. Jason Giachetti, who teaches music at the college and high school level. He has a doctorate in music education, with an emphasis on percussive instruments.

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It's a monthly podcast about science and Star Wars!

To better understand the music, Dr. Giachetti prepared a presentation that showcases the musical notation in the score, and the YouTube version of this episode has his slides synched up to the podcast audio.

You can watch the original Jabba's Palace song on YouTube.

Watch the end of A New Hope without any music!

Here's Darth Vader's scene with a romantic song playing. Redouble our efforts indeed!

Check out the Hans Zimmer Master Class that Jason mentioned. 

And here's the books he recommended:

The Film Music of John Williams by Emilion Audissino

Creative Strategies in Film Scoring by Ben Newhouse

 Musical Composition: Craft and Art by Alan Belkin

Melissa and Lisa welcome two guest experts to cover Fast Five, the movie that really accelerates the franchise into greatness. Prison escapes, train heists, and a bank vault crashing through the streets of Rio make up the action, but the movie is also about family (of course) and reunites some of our favorite characters. A city planner and a visual effects artist who worked on Tokyo Drift join our podcast family in this high speed episode!

Here's a great behind the scenes video about the practical stunts in the bank vault sequence!

And where we got the math about whether Dom and Brian could really tow the vault!

Follow James Floyd on Twitter and Instagram. 

And check out his Star Wars filming location tours, Galaxy Far, Far Away Journeys!

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Listen to episode 4 here

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Melissa and Lisa discuss Fast & Furious, the fourth movie in the Fast saga. The car chases and stakes are finally high! Letty's (maybe) dead! Dom is bulletproof! Lots to discuss. Melissa and Lisa also welcome Dr. Jackson Vane to the show to discuss medical issues throughout the franchise, including the most important question - how are these characters even still alive??! 

Check out Jackson's Hi Everybody! A Bad Medicine podcast including the episode about Hobbs & Shaw!

And follow Jackson's podcast on Twitter.

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Listen to episode 3 here

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

We chat blue food in Star Wars and here on Earth, where's it's not nearly as prevelant. Dr. Changqi Liu from San Diego State University shares his expertise about flowers, berries, and other foods. But does he know why blue raspberry flavoring exists? Cook up some blue noodles, pour yourself a glass of blue milk, and enjoy!

More about butterfly pea flower lemonade!

More about color-changing gin!

Find out more about Changqi's research!

Subscribe and never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Join our Facebook fan group!

Did you miss an earlier episode? Catch up here!

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It's a monthly podcast about science and other fields of knowledge and Star Wars!

In this episode, Melissa and Lisa chat about Tokyo Drift and interview a stunt driver. Lisa explains the physics of drifting and Melissa posits whether the saga takes place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie may feel out of place, but all is forgiven because it introduces Han to the franchise.

Check out the Motion Picture Driving Clinic's website and on Instagram

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Listen to episode 2 here

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Voice actor extraordinaire Vanessa Marshall joins us on this episode of Star Warsologies! She is the voice (and soul) of "space mom" Hera Syndulla from Star Wars: Rebels, among many other credits. We talk about the importance of found family, fandom, and Joseph Campbell's hero's journey template. Vanessa is such a force for good and we are so excited to geek out with her about Star Wars and tons of other topics. Enjoy!

Find Vanessa on Twitch, Instagram, and Twitter!

You can visit her at one of these upcoming convention appearances:

Fairfax Comic Con August 26-27, 2023 in Virginia
Superstar Comic Con September 23-24, 2023 in Savannah, GA

SPOOKALA October 6-8, 2023 in Tampa, FL

uWu Con October 27-29, 2023 in Mesa, AZ

Also, hear her voice as Wonder Woman in season 4 of Harley Quinn now streaming on HBO / MAX!

Here's the link to the Metal Gear Solid event Vanessa mentioned, with ongoing online content.

And you can even take an acting class from her on SkillsHub.

Subscribe and never miss an episode of Star Warsologies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Join our Facebook fan group!

Did you miss an earlier episode? Catch up here!

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It's a monthly podcast about science and other fields of knowledge and Star Wars!

No Dom, no problem! Lisa and Melissa dive into the physics of 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious. Welcome Roman, welcome Tej. Don't let those pesky laws of gravity keep you down. Also weighing in is legal expert Stephen Lee, a former federal prosecutor. Hear what he has to say about Brian's terrible record as an undercover cop, can you earn a "clean record," and other ongoing leagal themes of the saga.

Check out Stephen's Substack for more of his legal analysis of pop culture, including Andor, The Flash, Glass Onion, and more! https://moderndetection.substack.com/

https://www.stephenleelaw.com/

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics come and go, but family is forever!

Listen to episode 1 here

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!

Star Warsologies hosted "Andor: Making a Rebel, Making a Rebellion", a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2023.  The Star Wars series Andor speaks powerfully to today’s audience about fighting oppression. Examining the first season of the Disney+ series, we will explore the motivations and actions of Cassian Andor, Mon Mothma, Luthen Rael and other characters as they put it all on the line to resist and rebel against the Empire. What type of people are drawn to stand up to tyranny? How do individual dissenters start forming movements? When can you fight inside the system, and when do you have to fight from the outside? Why does this show resonate so well at this time? Panelists include Robert A. Dagnall (MA candidate in Rhetoric and Writing Studies / instructor, SDSU), J. Dianne Dotson (sci-fi and fantasy author, producer, science writer, biologist), Dr. Drea Letamendi (psychologist at UCLA, host of the Arkham Sessions podcast), Desmond Hassing (lecturer of American Indian Studies, SDSU), Jake Rowlett (PhD candidate, SDSU/UCSB). Moderated by James Floyd (STEAMpop Network, Star Warsologies podcast, Star Wars Insider contributor). Join us as we tackle the nature of the fight to restore freedom to the galaxy. Show notes for this episode are available on Skywalking Network:

It all begins with this episode of The Facts & The Furious covering the low stakes of the first movie, 2001's The Fast and the Furious. As Melissa and Lisa realize, very few laws of physics are broken but there's still find plenty to talk about. Our guest expert is Maria Romano de Leon, curator of the San Diego Automative Museum. Learn about NOS, car culture, and why a lack of traffic may be the most unrealistic thing that happens in this movie. 

Follow Melissa @melissatruth

Follow Lisa @dustchick

Follow the San Diego Automotive Museum on Facebook and Instagram

The Facts & The Furious is a podcast rewatch of the entire saga with Dr. Lisa Will (physicist) and Melissa Miller (science writer). We break down each movie of the saga with help from special guest experts. Remember, reality-based physics comes and goes, but family is forever!

Subscribe so you won't miss the rest of our rewatch!