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.
