In one of the most iconic moments in the Star Wars saga, Darth Vader froze Han Solo in carbonite, creating a wall-mounted trophy for Jabba the Hutt, because the smuggler wanted to date his precious baby girl. Ever since The Empire Strikes Back premiered in theaters, countless Star Wars fans have been waiting for technology to enable them to imprison their enemies in a state of statuesque limbo.
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No? Is that just our perverse revenge fantasies?
Regardless, Lucasfilm heard our cries and attempted to replicate the process of carbonite freezing on the latest episode of Science and Star Wars. Check out the clip above to see how they try to get the job done.
Though true carbonite freezing is impossible with current technology, Star Wars Show hosts And Gutierrez and Anthony Carboni attempted their own version of the process by filling a tank with sodium polyacrylate, an absorbent compound used in ice packs and diapers.
The crew filled a fiberglass tank with the compound and mixed it with water, attempting a homemade version of carbonite freezing.
Of course it didn’t go so well as the expansion from water absorption ended up bursting through the case after filling up halfway, but hey, they should be commended for their effort.
The episode also touched on healing technology similar to bacta tanks, talking about artificial skin grafts and bacteria used to help aid in restoration.
Though true bacta tanks are a long way from being made a reality, they seem to be in closer reach than true carbonite freezing. Especially if the crew behind Science and Star Wars are involved.
Overall, their efforts aren’t as successful as their droid or lightsaber creations, but they aren’t going to win them all. Going two-for-three is a pretty decent track record.
