Star Warsologies
About Star Warsologies
In the podcast 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. Star Warsologies is a monthly podcast about science and Star Wars.
This is a podcast for Star Wars fans looking to connect real world science, technology, and fields of study to the galaxy far, far away. From biology, geology, and cosmology to linguistics, psychology, and even brewing, we examine Star Wars with the insight of our guest experts. If you’ve ever wondered how tauntauns survive on Hoth or how ion engines work or what drives a Sith, this is the podcast for you!
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About the Hosts
Melissa Truth Miller
Hi! I’m the science and technology writer at Nerdist and a Star Wars fan since birth! The very first movie I saw in theaters was Return of the Jedi, I was 7 months old and apparently mesmerized. I loved all things Star Wars and Disney growing up and that has continued into adulthood. I got married on Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland and visit the parks as often as my travels allow. DisneySea in Tokyo is my favorite! I’ve been attending San Diego Comic Con for years. As for my science career, I studied biology in school, worked in a chemistry lab, and have spent years going out to sea as an oceanographer. I now focus on science communication, especially the way scientists are represented in movies and TV shows. I love the overlap of science and science fiction and have written articles for Star Wars Insider speculating on what porgs eat, how purrgils survive in space, and whether Greedo can see the UV spectrum. I’ve moderarted both virtual and in-person panels at ForceFest, Comic Con panels, and Star Wars Celebration. I can’t wait to continue learning what scientists make of the galaxy far, far away and share that with you.
James Floyd
Hi! I’m James Floyd, and I’m also known as James Jawa or jawajames online. I’ve been a huge fan of Star Wars (and Indiana Jones) since as long as I can remember and loved playing with my Greedo and Power Droid action figures as a kid. Wearing out the old VHS tapes, reading and re-reading the books and comics, playing the video games, collecting the toys, I’ve enjoyed it all. I became active in Star Wars fandom online in the days of newsgroups, and as the prequels came out, got involved with local fans in forming our area’s FanForce chapter. I’ve been on and moderated panels at San Diego Comic-Con, Star Wars Celebration, and FanX Salt Lake. Also for Star Wars Celebration, I’ve co-organized the popular set of Bounty Hunt puzzle races, since 2007, combining my love of Star Wars with devising fiendish clue-solving adventures. The best part of Celebrations for me is seeing my Star Wars family from all over the world!
Currently, I’m a freelance writer and stay-at-home parent. I’ve been blogging since the mid-2000s for sites like clubjade.net and bigshinyrobot.com, covering all sorts of news, conducting author interviews, and reviewing The Clone Wars episodes and Star Wars comics. Now, I write for starwars.com and the Star Wars Insider print magazine. I love to combine my Star Wars fandom with other things I enjoy, like travel. I’ve been (and written about) visiting Star Wars filming sites in Norway, Ireland, and more – someday I’ll be as well-traveled as Indiana Jones. I’m also a big fan of LEGO Star Wars, both the toy sets and the awesome animated shows. Besides enjoying sci-fi and adventure, I’m big into learning about history, science, geography, and more. One of the things I enjoy as a parent is sharing my favorite stories with my child, whom I refer to as Little Jawa online. My favorite Star Wars characters are Chewbacca and Hondo Ohnaka. Team Hondo for life!
Social Media and Contact Info
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Got questions or suggestions for an -ology or expert? Email us at starwarsologies@gmail.com