Game of Thrones science – “Fire, Ice, and Physics” (MIT Press, 2019) – Rebecca Thompson interview
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Rebecca Thompson is a physicist who loves to teach and write about science. She spoke once about the science of Game of Thrones and then turned the idea into a really, cool book. We spoke about the book and what it took to research very different fields of science. Check out the book here.
0:31 – Rebecca mentions that the book is about the Game of Thrones books and movies and she explains how she got into writing it.
2:10 – Rebecca talks about how she applied science to the show but she didn’t want to ruin the story for anyone.
4:00 – Rebecca talks about how she laid the book out in themes.
5:38 – We talk about the power of ranged weapons. Rebecca then talks about the various scientific issues she looks at.
8:34 – Rebecca wanted to talk to someone who knows what it’s like to be athletic in the cold. She spoke to a marathoner about this.
10:14 – Rebecca talks about how much the book is about Game of Thrones versus the science.
11:48 – Rebecca compares the show to the books. The books mention a second moon that was destroyed in the past and that would have changed the weather.
15:30 – Rebecca talks about the genetic mixing issues with brother and sister incest.
23:07 – Rebecca talks about the science behind weaponry and swords.
25:12 – Rebecca talks about Valyrian steel and Damascus steel.
28:27 – Rebecca talks about the buildings in King’s Landing.
30:12 – Rebecca talks about uncovering the methods of making Damascus steel.
33:02 – Rebecca talks about how she researched the strange seasons in GoT.
35:39 – Rebecca talks about navigation at sea versus learning about scurvy.
38:38 – Rebecca mentions guillotine use and what she learned about dinosaurs and dragonflight.
41:54 – Rebecca talks about wild fire and investigating if it could be real.
46:35 – Rebecca talks about researching Shireen’s death.
49:34 – Rebecca talks about how she hopes that people feel okay with asking weird science questions.
54:33 – Rebecca talks about how Matt Smith’s Doctor Who broke his own rules all the time.
58:10 – Rebecca talks about a series of science-focused comics she wrote for young readers.
59:03 – Rebecca is mathlete79 on instagram and twitter.
Links of interest
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fire-ice-and-physics
https://twitter.com/mathlete79?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/mathlete79/
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Guests: Rebecca Thompson
Host: Cris Alvarez
Tags: science fiction, fantasy, game of thrones, physics, dragons, seasons, icewall, marathon, cold, zombies, white walkers, GRR Martin, skulls, weapons, swords, bronze age, iron age, damascus steel, valyrian steel, King’s landing, rabies, dinosaurs, ice fisherman, greek fire, wild fire, napalm, bergship, jon snow, doctor who
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Sean Moreland teaches English at the University of Ottowa. His main field of research is Anglo-American literature from the late 18th century to present. He particularly enjoys Gothic, horror and weird fiction and is involved with various journals and events on the subjects. We spoke about his latest editorial work on Lovecraft’s critical theories on horror.