Exploring the science in George R. R. Martin's fantastical world,
from the physics of an ice wall to the genetics of the Targaryens
and Lannisters.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. Thompson starts at the
beginning, with winter, explaining seasons and the very elliptical
orbit of the Earth that might cause winter to come (or not come).
She tells us that ice can behave like ketchup, compares regular
steel to Valyrian steel, explains that dragons are "bats, but with
fire," and considers Targaryen inbreeding. Finally she offers
scientific explanations of the various types of fatal justice meted
out, including beheading, hanging, poisoning (reporting that the
effects of "the Strangler," administered to Joffrey at the Purple
Wedding, resemble the effects of strychnine), skull crushing, and
burning at the stake. Even the most faithful Game of Thrones fans
will learn new and interesting things about the show from
Thompson's entertaining and engaging account. Fire, Ice, and
Physics is an essential companion for all future bingeing.
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