Disney Breaks Down The ‘Science Of Star Wars’ In Its New Web Series

Star Wars may be set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but its fantastical elements can be recreated in our world, and a new web series is doing exactly that. Disney and Lucasfilm have launched the first episode of Science of Star Wars, which engineers real-life versions of iconic Star Wars items.

The first episode of Science of Star Wars deals with the gadget that is arguably Star Wars‘ most legendary creation: the lightsaber. Host Anthony Carboni, who we used to see over at Revision3 back in the day, leads viewers through a science lesson that ultimately likens the destructive power of the Jedi weapon to that of a modern-day plasma cutter. With some help from his guests, including actor Taylor Gray of the Star Wars Rebels TV series, YouTube b of Sufficiently Advanced, and the computer Watson (who represents series sponsor IBM), Carboni conducts an experiment that ultimately produces a lab-made lightsaber, which Gray takes for a test run.

Science of Star Wars episodes will premiere on the Star Wars Facebook page before they arrive anywhere else, though they will eventually end up on YouTube as well. They are displayed as vertical videos, making them ideal choices for mobile viewership.

“For more than 40 years, the science fantasy of Star Wars has pushed the limits of science fact in the real world,” said Mickey Capoferri, Senior Director of Content and Programming at Lucasfilm, in a press release. “We know that there’s a strong overlap between Star Wars fans and people who are interested in science. ‘Science and Star Wars’ explores this inspiration and overlap.”

Science of Star Wars joins the other Star Wars web series Disney has produced, including the fan-friendly Star Wars Show and the girl-power animation Star Wars: Forces of Destiny. The next theatrical installment in the franchise, The Last Jedi, is due out on December 15.