markedasinfernal:

Shoutout to all science and Tolkien fans – have you read this book? 

‘The Science of Middle Earth’ by Henry Gee.

Until a maths professor at the University of Bath mentioned it to a crowd of rabid mathematics and/or Tolkien nerds, I had never heard of it. But friends, if you want to know how some of the science in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Tolkien’s other stories works, THIS BOOK IS THE HOLY GRAIL. 

The biomechanics of Balrog flight. The chemical composition of the Palantiri. The phylogenetics of language. The quantum mechanics of the Silmarils. The biology of elf eyes. The reproductive strategies of orcs. And many other things that made my little nerd heart explode with joy. I cannot scream my love for Henry Gee (who by the way is a senior editor of the science magazine, Nature) loudly enough. 

Read this book. DEVOUR THIS BOOK. IT IS FANTASTIC.