Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Two Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers will discuss the science behind “Star Wars” films live online Friday during a Google+ Hangout https://youtu.be/8JptUU6yleg hosted by the Department of Energy (DOE). They will join scientists from Los Alamos and Idaho national laboratories during the live video event to field questions such as, “How much energy would it take to run a Death Star?”

The public is invited to ask questions leading up to and during the event on social media using #StarWarsEnergy.

Who:

Chris Ebbers, an LLNL physicist, uses lasers to study crystals. Peter Thelin, a master optician at LLNL, is one of the few people on Earth who can polish precision optics for lasers by hand. Cathy Plesco, an applied physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory, uses supercomputers to model what happens when an asteroid hits a planet. Vishal Patel, a researcher from Idaho National Laboratory’s Center for Space Nuclear Research, studies how new forms of nuclear power could fueltomorrow’s spacecraft.

What:

“The Energy of ‘Star Wars:’ A Google+ Hangout”

When:

Friday, June 12, 2015, at 2 p.m. ET

Watch at energy.gov/starwars or on the DOE Google+ page.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (www.llnl.gov) provides solutions to our nation’s most important national security challenges through innovative science, engineering and technology. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.