Star Wars fans, get ready to see one of your fondest dreams come true. Scientists have finally figured out how to make lightsabers a reality. The science behind the lightsaber was previously thought to be the fanciful dream of an imaginative screenwriter, but researchers at the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms have figured out how to make individual photons react with one another and come together to create solid structures. This photon reaction essentially represents the discovery of an entirely new state of matter.

The researchers figured out how to make light – previously thought of as unable to bind itself into any kind of solid state – act like molecules. They did this by super-cooling atoms of rubidium and using a laser to shoot individual photons through the frozen atom cloud. As the photons came out on the other side of the cloud, they were bound together and able to form physical structures. Although the researchers aren’t entirely sure what to do with this groundbreaking discovery, they say that it could be used to build quantum computers and to improve the performance of traditional computers. But of course, the most exciting prospect is seeing the world’s first actual working light saber come to life.

The post Never-Before-Seen Matter State Makes Lightsabers Possible first appeared on Gajitz.

Some artists stretch their artistic muscles and try to develop new skills by taking a stab at recreating classic paintings. Others, like the artists who created these fabulous sci-fi versions of well-known paintings, do it for the fun of it. The above C3PO Descending a Staircase was derived from Marchel Duchamp’s classic Nude Descending a Staircase. Artist John Mattos took on the famous painting, replacing the nude with the equally-attractive droid.

Mattos inserted Star Wars imagery into another classic by substituting the musicians in Picasso’s Three Musicians for crazy sci-fi figures from the Cantina.

Finally, Cyril van der Haegen recreates N.C. Wyeth’s The Giant with a special kind of unspeakable horror: a massive, mist-shrouded Cthulhu stomping across the shoreline.

The post Art History Goes Sci-Fi: Classic Paintings Hilariously Recast first appeared on Gajitz.

George Lucas famously made a bunch of prequels to the original Star Wars trilogy that were widely regarded as terrible, terrible films. But the below pre-prequel is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe. The spoof film recreates one of the most dramatic moments in the entire Star Wars franchise…but it does it in the style of a silent movie from more than a century ago.

While a little absurd thanks to the sped-up motion, the short clip manages to convey as much suspense and emotion as the original – maybe even more. You have to love the low-tech approach to the futuristic scene that most of us have watched over and over.

The post Use the Farce: Star Wars Goes Retro With Silent Fight Scene first appeared on Gajitz.

We’ve seen just about everything branded with Star Wars at one time or another. From a Chewbacca backpack to a Darth Vader toaster to a tauntaun sleeping bag, people have been cashing in on the franchise since it began. And don’t even get us started on the fan art, most of which is hilariously dreadful. But these Star Wars crayon sculptures from Steve Thompson are actually really, really cool.

Steve must be a big Star Wars fan because these itty-bitty sculptures are perfectly and intricately carved. The Storm Trooper is our fave. But like any good geeks, we have to ask: where are the Ewoks?

The post Use the Forest Green, Luke: Remarkable Star Wars Crayons first appeared on Gajitz.

The magic of the Star Wars galaxy didn’t just come together haphazardly; all six films got their distinct and memorable looks thanks to the tireless work of a huge team of creative types. But have you ever really thought about how those movies came to life? A new book called Star Wars: The Blueprints shows the technical drawings that made all of those detailed sets and amazing characters to life.

Technical drawings lay out the details and specifications of movie components. From the size and shape of a whole planet down to the smallest button inside a vehicle, these drawings are the blueprints of a galaxy far, far away.

The technical drawings of this book are somewhat similar to concept art, but they are far closer to reality than those fantastical renderings. These are actual plans drawn up by draftsmen and used in the construction of sets, characters, vehicles and scenery.

Inside the book are more than 200 drawings and over 500 photographs. Everything from X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters to the Ewok Forest to the Death Star and the Millennium Falcon is laid out in captivating detail – sort of like seeing everything with X-ray vision.

Star Wars: The Blueprints was released in the Fall of 2011. Only 5000 English language copies were printed, and each massive 35-pound book carries a staggering $500 price tag. Needless today, if you ever see this particular book on someone’s coffee table you can assume that person is a through-and-through Star Wars fan.

The post How to Engineer a Galaxy: Incredible Star Wars Blueprints first appeared on Gajitz.