Abstract
This article focuses on artificial gravity in popular culture. We begin with a brief discussion on the mechanics of gravity before giving a critical analysis of the artificial gravity observed in the films “Elysium”, “the Martian” and “Interstellar” as well as the book “Ender’s Game”. Finally, we look at the methods used in the “Star Wars” universe using tractor technology. The first four examples illustrate a rotating toroid with varying degrees of real-world viability. The Star Wars example highlights a more absurd attempt at using a scientific principle to justify a technically impossible scenario.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Steven D. Bloom, The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction, 2016. Accessed on: 2017:02:24.
- 2.
Nikolas Martelaro, “Powering the Stanford Torus,” 2017.
- 3.
“10 Facts About The Elysium Space Station From ‘Elysium: The Art of the Film,’” geeksofdoom, 2013, http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2013/08/09/10-facts-about-the-elysium-space-station-from-elysium-the-art-of-the-film. Accessed on: 2017:02:24.
- 4.
Rhett Allain, “How That Spinning Spacecraft From The Martian Would Work,” Wired, 2015, https://www.wired.com/2015/08/spinning-spacecraft-martian-work/. Accessed on: 2017:02:24
- 5.
Warner Brothers, “Endurance,” 2015, http://endurance.interstellarmovie.net/.
- 6.
Allain Rhett, “The Physics of a Spinning Spacecraft in Interstellar, WIRED,” 2014, https://www.wired.com/2014/10/physics-spinning-spacecraft-interstellar/. Accessed on: 2017:02:24.
- 7.
J.E. Molloy, “Lights, Action : Optical Tweezers” 43, no. 4 (2002): 241–58.
- 8.
Molloy.
- 9.
“Chewbacca, Wookieepedia, FANDOM Powered by Wikia,” accessed February 24, 2017, https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chewbacca. Accessed on: 2017:02:24.
- 10.
Michael Davidson, “China’s Electricity Sector at a Glance: 2013,” The Energy Collective, 2014, http://www.theenergycollective.com/michael-davidson/335271/china-s-electricity-sector-glance-2013. Accessed on: 2017:02:24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Eriksen, C. (2020). Artificial Gravity in Popular Culture. In: Froehlich, A. (eds) Outer Space and Popular Culture. Southern Space Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22656-5_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22656-5_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-22655-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-22656-5
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)