Fire, Ice, and Physics: The Science of Game of Thrones (Mit Press) - Softcover

Thompson, Rebecca C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0262539616 ISBN 13: 9780262539616

Publisher: MIT Press, 2020

Synopsis

Game of Thrones is a fantasy that features a lot of made-up science--fabricated climatology (when is winter coming?), astronomy, metallurgy, chemistry, and biology. Most fans of George R. R. Martin's fantastical world accept it all as part of the magic. A trained scientist, watching the fake science in Game of Thrones, might think, "But how would it work?" In Fire, Ice, and Physics, Rebecca Thompson turns a scientist's eye on Game of Thrones, exploring, among other things, the science of an ice wall, the genetics of the Targaryen and Lannister families, and the biology of beheading. Thompson, a PhD in physics and an enthusiastic Game of Thrones fan, uses the fantasy science of the show as a gateway to some interesting real science, introducing GOT fandom to a new dimension of appreciation.

About this title

About the Author

Rebecca Thompson is director of public outreach for the American Physical Society, one of the most prominent physics societies in the world. She is a PhD physicist, and author and creator of the long-running Spectra series of educational comics. She has given several public lectures about the science in Game of Thrones and other TV shows.

Edition details

• Publisher: MIT Press
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0262539616
• ISBN 13: 9780262539616
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296