A scene from The Acolyte with flames in space caused some stir on social networks. Normally fire is not supposed to be depicted this way. But wait: we’re talking about Star Wars!
This is a scene that may have shocked you if you have a minimum of scientific background. In any case, it has been noted multiple times on social networks since June 5, the date on which the first two episodes of The Acolytethe brand new series Star Warswere released for streaming on Disney+.
For those who have not yet seen the series, this is the scene that caused a certain stir – let us describe it, since it is completely innocuous. A young woman, Osha, is commissioned to carry out a spacewalk on a spaceship. Her task ? Carry out a maintenance operation.
Things, however, go badly. Excess pressure triggers an explosion on a safety valve, causing a fire. We see a gas leak, as well as flames swirling nearby. On a planet like Earth, this representation would be credible. But in space? Can it really look like a campfire?
On X, several Internet users obviously reacted. “ Fire in space…with the sound of a campfire…in space. This is the new Star Wars series, The Acolyte », laments one of them. “ You can’t have fire in space, writers, there’s no air. If she wears a helmet you should understand the science and this fact », agrees another.
Other reactions of the same type can be found on the social network. “ Verdict: The Acolyte sucks. Major error: fire cannot exist in space », Launches this Internet user, before pointing out other points that upset him. “ Lol there are real firewood crackling sounds hahahahahahaha », laughs this one.
Yes, fire is not supposed to behave like this
On a strictly scientific level, it is correct to find the way in which this scene unfolds problematic. We know, for example, that in a micro-gravity situation, flames take a very different form from a classic campfire – which is shown by experiments carried out by China or in the International Space Station.
In these tests, combustion operates thanks to the supply of oxygen on board the ISS or the Chinese station. There is also a suitable temperature and atmospheric pressure. In space, there is no air, no pressure and temperatures can experience extreme variations depending on where you are.
Star Wars tells stories. This is not a scientific presentation
Of course, the scene of The Acolyte should not have happened this way to respect the rules of physics. But The Acolyte is not a documentary, nor a scientific presentation. It’s fiction — science fiction even. Star Warsmoreover, does not claim to be hard SF, where scientific plausibility is a cardinal value.
These liberties with science are not new. Concerning the flames, we find many similar scenes in Star Wars. The most iconic, perhaps, is the destruction of the Executor, an Empire ship. As he falls, we see the command bridge in flames. But these should not appear – at least, not like this.
This scene from the film Return of the Jedi, in 1983, is the tree that hides the forest. There are many more sequences showing flames in action, with inappropriate physics. We can cite the battle which opens Revenge of the Sith (2005), with ships burning and exploding. Moreover, Internet users point this out in the responses.
The agitation around this particular scene, in particular to criticize more broadly the quality of The Acolyteis all the more incomprehensible as Star Wars has always leaned towards myth and fantasy rather than science and reality. Many have pointed out the other deviations that the saga allows with physics.
Without claiming to provide a complete inventory of choices that are implausible for science, we can cite:
- strength ;
- sound propagating in space;
- the blade of a lightsaber;
- the parsec;
- superluminal travel, faster than light;
- midichlorians;
- cryogenics;
- laser shots;
- mental control through the Force;
- all powers with the Force, moreover;
- instant communications throughout the galaxy;
- the considerable number of aliens with humanoid morphology;
- the construction of a protocol droid mastering 6 million languages by a 9-year-old boy;
- And so on.
“ Can we agree that Star Wars, in general, has never been scientifically accurate? », Points out an Internet user, who finds that all this sounds like a storm in a glass of water. “ Star Wars never used science » adds another. “ This is called telling stories, not scientific facts », concludes a third.
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