Title: The science of Battlestar Galactica /
Authors: Di Justo, Patrick, 1964-; Grazier, Kevin R. 1961-
Publisher: Wiley,
Year: 2011
Subjects: Battlestar Galactica (Television program : 1978-1979); Battlestar Galactica (Television program : 2003); Battlestar Galactica (Television program : 2004-2009); Technology Popular works; Science Popular works; Astronomy Popular works; Science fiction, American.
Abstract: "Battlestar Galactica (BSG) has been called the best show on television, and as real as science fiction gets. It has dealt with issues of religious freedom, patriotism, terrorism, genetic engineering, and the ultimate science fiction question: what does it mean to be human? While the re-imagined BSG may not be packed with cool techie tools (the bad guys don't even have laser guns for frak's sake!), this book shows that the science in the series has a lot to say about the use of science and technology in our lives today"--
Contents: Life here began out there (Are you alive? ; Cylons : man or machine? ; Are we creating our own Cylons? ; Cylon intelligence and the society of mind ; How can Cylons download their memories? ; A dialogue betwen a smartass fanboy and a real scientist, viz : the "Silica pathways" into the Cylon head ; Colonial + Cylon + Natives = Human? ; Colonial pharmacopeia) -- Physics of Battlestar Galactica (Energy matters ; E = mc2 ; Special relativity ; General relativity and real gravity (or the lack thereof) ; Wonderful world of radiation ; The effects of nuclear weapons, or how the Cylons can reoccupy Caprica after a few days but not dead Earth after two thousand years) -- The twelve colonies and the rest of space (Our galaxy ; A star is born ; The many different types of planets ; Black holes ; There's no sound in space, and no color, either ; Water) -- Battlestar tech (The Rocket's blue glare : sublight propulsion ; Faster than light : Galactica's jump drive ; Artificial gravity ; Navigation ; Battlestars, vipers, and raptors ; Toasters and jam : the complexities of electronic warfare ; How did the Cylons infiltrate the colonial computer infrastructure? ; So where are they?)