Star Warsologies: A Podcast About Science and Star Wars

part of the Skywalking Network

From archeology to zoology, real-world science is everywhere in Star Wars! Every episode includes an interview with an expert discussing how Star Wars relates to their field of study. Explore the many ways science is represented in a galaxy far, far away with hosts Melissa Miller and James Floyd, both freelance writers for Star Wars Insider magazine. Part of the Skywalking Network read less
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Episodes

46: Science Advisors in Science Fiction LA Comic Con panel
19-12-2023
46: Science Advisors in Science Fiction LA Comic Con panel
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 InstagramFollow Stuart Sumida on TwitterListen to Elizabeth Rega and Stuart Sumida talk the science of Disney's Strange World on NPR's podcast Short WaveRead 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!
43: Music and Melodies
17-10-2023
43: Music and Melodies
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
41: Voice acting and storytelling with Vanessa Marshall
22-08-2023
41: Voice acting and storytelling with Vanessa Marshall
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!