In The Event That...

You're Heading into Toshi Station to Pick Up Some Power Converters

by Dominic Mercier

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

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King Tut better get that death mask ready, because Darth Vader doesn't mess around. Sure, Tut's little show broke all kinds of Philadelphia attendance records, but can he deflect lasers with his hands or strangle you from across the room with his mind? Didn't think so.

"Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination," opening at the Franklin Institute this Saturday, straddles the line between fandom and learning. The show, developed in conjunction with Lucasfilm, mixes about 100 film and real-world artifacts — like Vader's brain bucket from Return of the Jedi and whiny Luke's landspeeder from A New Hope — with interactive exhibits that examine when we might all have our own overly proper protocol droids or when SEPTA will switch over to hoverbuses.

Opening-day festivities include a trivia contest and costumed characters performing light saber duels. So dust off your Boba Fett costume, but leave your blasters at home as they aren't allowed in the museum. The best part? Visitors can take rides in a replica of the Millennium Falcon that pipes in imagery from the Hubble Telescope for only $5, way cheaper than passage to Alderaan. I wonder if this version can make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, though.