Today (May 4) — also known as Star Wars Day — Live Science is debuting a new movie-themed column and video series, where we'll be looking at how feature films represent science and scientists. We'll review Hollywood's interpretations of genetic mutations, natural disasters, artificial intelligence, infectious diseases, space travel and more, and judge whether the science behind the fiction is impressively accurate or wildly implausible.
For Star Wars Day, Live Science will be taking on some of the fictional animals of the most recent Star Wars movie, "The Last Jedi," to see how the appearance and habits of "alien" animal species in the film might be explained by evolution and biology in the real world.
May the Fourth be with you! [Meet 7 Versions of BB-8, the Lovable 'Star Wars' Droid]
In the Star Wars universe, floppy-eared fathiers are trained (and likely bred) to be speedy runners, much like thoroughbred racehorses. Credit: Lucasfilm
Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and Finn (John Boyega) introduced us to the creatures called fathiers during their mission to the casino world Canto Bight, where jockeys steer galloping fathier steeds around a track for the amusement of rich patrons. Fathiers' bodies resemble those of horses — they have powerful legs and large chests, suggesting that they might be similarly adapted for fast running (their shortened skulls and long, floppy ears are definitely not horselike, though they do make fathier faces highly expressive).
Wild horses once roamed North America but are long extinct — the so-called "wild horses" in the American West are not a native species, but are descendants of feral horses released by Spanish colonizers centuries ago. The domesticated fathiers of Canto Bight were likely selectively bred for speed and endurance as thoroughbred horses are, and domesticated fathiers may look somewhat different from their wild kin — if they still survive in the wild at all.
If you need camouflage for a salt-encrusted habitat, what could be better than a crystal coat? Credit: Lucasfilm
As the last remnants of the Rebellion fought for their lives in a desperate last stand on the planet Crait, a graceful four-legged species of local wildlife sheltered with them in the Rebel base. This crystal-coated animal is called the vulptex, and it looks like a long-legged, big-eared white fox. But instead of fur, it wears a coat of shimmering spikes that chime musically when the animal moves.
The crystal foxes seem to be mammals, and mammals are usually covered with fur — but not all the time. Pangolins, for example, wear a coat of scales made of keratin, the same substance in our fingernails and hair, while an armadillo's protective covering is made of bony plates.
A vulptex's crystal coat may camouflage it against Crait's salt-encrusted landscape, just as an Arctic fox's white fur helps it to disappear against ice and snow. But while Arctic foxes have small ears that are adapted for a cold environment — smaller extremities mean less heat loss — the vulptex has large ears, a feature that can be seen in some animals that live in warm climates, to help them keep cool. However, large ears may also signify a highly developed sense of hearing, which can be an important adaptation for an animal's survival.
There's a very good reason why the tubby, adorable porgs in "The Last Jedi" resemble the equally endearing puffin. Credit: Lucasfilm
Finally, we have the porgs, arguably the cuddliest-looking animals of the bunch. Porgs are small, portly creatures with bulbous, oversized eyes and snub noses. But they also have many bird-like features — densely feathered bodies, sleek wings and webbed feet. They inhabit a remote, rocky island on the planet Ahch-To, where Rey (Daisy Ridley) confronted Luke (Mark Hamill) about abandoning his responsibilities to his family, friends and the Jedi order.
The scene-stealing porgs resemble birds for a good reason: They were actually created as a way of incorporating the puffins that lived on the protected island of Skellig Michael in Ireland, where those scenes were filmed. Since the production team couldn't move the endangered birds out of the way when they were shooting, they decided to convert them into alien animal characters, modeling the porgs from the puffins' bodies, Jake Lunt Davies, the film's creature concept designer, told the official Star Wars website.
Puffins have earned the name "clowns of the sea" for their colorful faces and beaks; their color intensifies in the spring as mating season approaches, according to the puffin conservation site Audubon Project Puffin. Porgs retained those trademark splashes of color, perhaps similarly used for species identification or mating displays.
Original article on Live Science.
May the fourth be with Daisy Ridley (Picture: Star Wars Lucasfilm/Bad Robot/Walt Disney Studios/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
If you’ve ever had someone say ‘May The 4th Be With You’ on, er, 4 May, and you’ve had no clue what it means, buckle up.
Happy Star Wars Day – May The 4th Be With You memes, images, gifs and quotes to celebrate
As soon as 4 May hits, Star Wars fans around the world will start greeting their friends and loved ones by saying ‘May the fourth be with you’.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s a clever play on the Star Wars mantra ‘May the force be with you’.
But what the heck does it actually mean?
‘May the Force be with you’ is a phrase used to wish an individual or group good luck or good will.
The speaker is effectively saying that they wish the Force to work in favour of the addressee.
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It was often used as people parted ways, or in the face of an upcoming challenge.
The phrase originated in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and has continued to be a classic part of Star Wars stories ever since.
Queen Amidala played by actress Natalie Portman (Picture: Lucasfilm)
Some believe the line originated from the Latin phrase ‘dominus vobiscum’, which means ‘The Lord be with you’.
The ancient salutation and blessing is traditionally used by the clergy in the Roman Catholic Mass, and is often translated in modern services as ‘may the Lord be with you.’
Although ‘May the force be with you’ obviously originates in science fiction, many use the phrase in everyday life, as it is seen as a nice way of saying goodbye, good luck, ‘may you be protected’ or ‘come back safely’.
So what do you say when someone says this phrase to you?
The answer varies across the Star Wars franchise, but it’s generally accepted that a traditional reply is ‘And also with you’ or ‘May the force be with us all’.
Given the similar sound to May The Force With You, May 4th is now widely known as Star Wars Day around the world.
The holiday was never decided by George Lucas, who created the original trilogy, or LucasFilm, but fans adopted it as their day to celebrate all things Star Wars because of the pun.
It’s widely understood Star Wars Day first kicked off in 1979 as that year, 4 May was also the day Margaret Thatcher came into power.
Star Wars Day was adopted by Star Wars fans (Picture: Lucasfilm via AP)
The Conservatives took an advert out in The London Evening News, with the headline reading: ‘May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations’.
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It’s not just May 4th that’s celebrated though – May 5th and May 6th are also as they play on the Star Wars: Episode III film Revenge Of The Sith – Revenge Of The Fifth or Revenge Of The Sixth are celebrated.
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Chewbacca and Harrison Ford couldn’t believe it was 4th May again either (Picture: Lucasfilm via AP)
Happy Star Wars Day! It’s 4 May which means you need to prepare yourselves for hearing ‘May The 4th Be With You’ a LOT.
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The annual holiday is celebrated on 4 May due to the similar sound the day has to May The Force With You, the Star Wars mantra.
And it’s now celebrated worldwide with fans coming out in Force (geddit?) to pay homage to their favourite movie franchise.
The holiday was never decided by George Lucas, who created the original trilogy, or LucasFilm, but fans adopted it as their day to celebrate all things Star Wars because of the pun.
It’s widely understood Star Wars Day first kicked off in 1979 as that year, 4 May was also the day Margaret Thatcher came into power.
Star Wars Day was adopted by Star Wars fans (Picture: Lucasfilm via AP)
The Conservatives took an advert out in The London Evening News, with the headline reading: ‘May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations’.
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So here, without further ado, are some memes, images, gifs and quotes to see you on your merry way celebrating Star Wars Day…
It’s officially midnight so HAPPY STAR WARS DAY ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #MayTheFourthBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/vQLkR1xOw2 — ㅤㅤㅤ (@REYSBENSOLOS) May 4, 2018
Feliz #MayTheFourthBeWithYou a toda la Galaxia ( y Multiversos paralelos…)
De chico, todos hemos querido ser Han Solo de mayor… @pedroaznarruiz #MeToo pic.twitter.com/0XipVzLTTy — Chus Esteban (@chusesteban4) May 4, 2018
Happy #StarWars Day to all the glorious Star Wars fans worldwide, in the Outer Rim and at the far reaches of the galaxy. #MayTheFourthBeWithYou! pic.twitter.com/ajRgkkzbqm — Star Wars (@StarWarsPR) May 4, 2018
Not sure who to credit for this, but it’s ace. #MayTheFourthBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/fWF4NBemXL — Dorian Gray 🇪🇺 (@DanielMRussell) May 4, 2018
Good morning from D Unit!
Had a little extra help with our vehicle checks this morning.
Whatever intergalactic travels you are undertaking today, please drive safely.
5103YF #MayTheFourthBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/IaGMpxpzVa — CMPG (@CMPG) May 4, 2018
All people wanted to see was a dance off battle between Stormtroopers and the Avatars but no we're getting a Han Solo movie. #MayTheFourthBeWithYou #starwarsday pic.twitter.com/6EQCkJcuw5 — Parth Shah (@TheTweetingBat) May 4, 2018
It’s not just May 4th that’s celebrated though – May 5th and May 6th are also as they play on the Star Wars: Episode III film Revenge Of The Sith – Revenge Of The Fifth or Revenge Of The Sixth are celebrated.
What does May The 4th Be With You mean? ‘May the Force be with you’ is a phrase used to wish an individual or group good luck or good will. The speaker is effectively saying that they wish the Force to work in favour of the addressee. It was often used as people parted ways, or in the face of an upcoming challenge. The phrase originated in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and has continued to be a classic part of Star Wars stories ever since. Queen Amidala played by actress Natalie Portman (Picture: Lucasfilm) Some believe the line originated from the Latin phrase ‘dominus vobiscum’, which means ‘The Lord be with you’. The ancient salutation and blessing is traditionally used by the clergy in the Roman Catholic Mass, and is often translated in modern services as ‘may the Lord be with you.’ Although ‘May the force be with you’ obviously originates in science fiction, many use the phrase in everyday life, as it is seen as a nice way of saying goodbye, good luck, ‘may you be protected’ or ‘come back safely’. So what do you say when someone says this phrase to you? The answer varies across the Star Wars franchise, but it’s generally accepted that a traditional reply is ‘And also with you’ or ‘May the force be with us all’.
MORE: What does May The 4th Be With You mean and what is Star Wars Day?
