In this episode, we welcome Dr Catherine Whitby, Senior Chemistry Lecturer at Massey University, and MacDiarmid Institute Associate Investigator, to talk about Mandalorian, the super light and super strong material in Star Wars, and its equivalent in this galaxy, Kevlar.

Mandalorian iron, also known by its Mando'a name of beskar, was an extremely durable iron ore whose only known source was the planet of Mandalore and its moon, Concordia. Mandalore was inhabited by warriors who mined their planet for this rare and valuable metal, using it in the creation of weapons, armor, and starships.

Dr Catherine Whitby, Senior Chemistry Lecturer at Massey University, and MacDiarmid Institute Associate Investigator, to talk about Mandalorian, the super light and super strong material in Star Wars, and its equivalent in this galaxy, Kevlar.

You could wear concrete, and that might protect you from a blaster shot, but you're not going to get very far wearing a suit of concrete. So the beauty of this (Mandalorian) armour is it is so strong and protective but at the same time it's light so you can run and jump and make your next move in the fight.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details