Let’s put aside the fact that the show involves some of the most emotionally draining conflicts among characters this side of a George R.R. Martin novel and focus instead on the science of things. A key factor in Battlestar Galactica’s mass appeal was its creative team’s effort to incorporate real-world science, historical context, and proven psychological principles into a classic sci-fi setting. Like many high-minded sci-fi projects of the past couple decades, the series had a science consultant on its payroll: Kevin Grazier, a planetary scientist who worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory before taking up the mantle of advisor to BSG showrunner Ronald D. Moore. As Grazier put it in 2010, “…To get most of the things you see in the show at a confidence level that’s good enough for science fiction, your goal is to create more ‘Oh, wow’ moments and fewer ‘Oh, please’ moments.” That attitude lent to the show’s accessibility. Viewers who aren’t typically inclined toward sci-fi find Battlestar Galactica more palatable than other genre favorites given its plausibility and resistance to the more fantastical sci-fi tropes—and that accessibility paid off. Battlestar’s finale was the top-rated program in its time slot across both broadcast and cable, and was praised in publications as varied as The New Yorker, TIME, and even National Review. RELATED: How Battlestar Galactica Brought Me Back to Earth “[The creators] expect the viewer to take what is happening as ‘That’s just how it is’—which is great!” says New York City-based “science curator” Crystal Beth. Speaking with me over email, Beth explains that she recreationally researches what influenced the sci-fi she loves as she watches it. That research eventually led to her presentation on tylium ore, a nonrenewable resource used to power the spacecrafts in Battlestar Galactica, at Kevin Geeks Out, a monthly variety show at Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema. “Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars—many shows and movies do that, and it moves the plot[s] forward much faster.”

Along with that “ just how it is” approach, Beth appreciated the care with which the creative team treated basic elements of space travel. A favorite example of hers—an “Oh, wow” moment, to use Grazier’s terminology—is the very first Viper launch. Vipers, the human fleet’s go-to fighter ships, are soundless when they exit the Galactica’s hangar, which Beth found thrilling. “I was so excited,” she says. “When they launched, I turned to no one and yelled, ‘What? That’s awesome! It’s quiet!” Since sound is created from vibrations in the air, the absence of air in space would render such a launch soundless. But, says Beth, “Most television series and movies add in the sound of spaceships zooming around.” That subtle incorporation of hard science—”Even a second of silence”—was enough to get her hooked. RELATED: Ralph McQuarrie: The Artist Who Made Star Wars Shine

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