From the Town Hall Seattle web site, "How much truth is in science fiction? For everyone who’s ever wanted to say “Beam me up Scotty,” physics professor Chuck Adler can tell you if it’s mathematically possible. He’s studied the world of fantasy and science fiction–from Ursula Le Guin to Harry Potter–and by using simple equations has discovered what is and is not possible. In Wizards, Aliens and Starships: Physics and Math in Fantasy and Science Fiction, he examines time travel, flying cars, shape changing and other aspects of popular science fiction. A professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Adler takes us from the unreal to the very real — a future of space travel and search for life on the outskirts of our universe — and explains why actual spaceships aren’t yet part of our daily lives."