Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

---

Building a Death Star is beyond the capabilities of present day humans, but could the galactic empire in Star Wars have done it? In this video, we answer that to the best of our ability.
________________________________
VIDEO ANNOTATIONS

The Kessel Run in 12 Parsecs:
youtu.be/-AyCNNcN3bM

Magnetic Force Does NOT Exist!
youtu.be/p4gCTmlm5RQ
________________________________
SCIENCE ASYLUM STUFF

Support us on Patreon:
patreon.com/ScienceAsylum

Advanced Theoretical Physics (eBook):
gumroad.com/l/ubSc

Merchandise:
scienceasylum.com

More videos at:
youtube.com/TheScienceAsylum

Facebook: facebook.com/ScienceAsylum
Twitter: @nicklucid twitter.com/nicklucid
Instagram: @nicklucid instagram.com/nicklucid

Vlog: youtube.com/TheNickLucid
________________________________
EXTRA INFO LINKS

2012 Centives Blog:
centives.net/S/2012/how-much-would-it-cost-to-build-the-death-star

Star Wars Wiki:
starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Death_Star
starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Death_Star_Owner%27s_Technical_Manual
starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kyber_crystal
starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_galactic_history

Kurzgesagt on Space Elevators:
youtu.be/qPQQwqGWktE

PBS Spacetime on Round vs Flat:
youtu.be/Aj6Kc1mvsdo

Steel Statistics:
steel.org/about-aisi/statistics.aspx
worldsteel.org/statistics/crude-steel-production.html
worldsteelprices.com

World Economics:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_world_product
databank.worldbank.org/data/download/GDP.pdf

World Energy Use:
iea.org/publications/freepublications
iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/KeyWorld_Statistics_2015.pdf
treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/world-energy-use-over-last-200-years-graphs.html
theoildrum.com/node/9023
google.com/search?q=how+many+humans+have+lived&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population_estimates
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_(energy)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNT_equivalent

Asteroids:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet
http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~charley/papers/Potato%20Radiusv8.pdf
spaceanswers.com/deep-space/what-is-the-minimum-size-a-celestial-body-can-become-a-sphere

Black Holes:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole_starship
livescience.com/27811-creating-mini-black-holes.html
science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast23oct_1

Miscellaneous Data:
google.com/#q=volume+of+a+school+bus
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Illustrious_(R06)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_planets_and_moons
________________________________
IMAGE CREDITS

Logo designed by: Ben Sharef

Stock Photos and Clipart
- Wikimedia Commons commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
- Openclipart openclipart.org
- or I made them myself...

Aircraft Carriers:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_John_C._Stennis_(CVN-74)_%26_HMS_Illustrious_(R_06).jpg

Eros, Vesta, and Ceres:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eros,_Vesta_and_Ceres_size_comparison.jpg

Eros Closeup:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eros_-_PIA02923.jpg

View from ISS:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ISS-40_Thunderheads_near_Borneo.jpg

Rudolf Ernst - Reading A Book:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ernst_Rudolph_Reading_A_Book.jpg