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Because Science

Could a Lightsaber Cut Through Captain America’s Shield?

Avengers vs. the Jedi order? I could do this all day.

In my latest Because Science, it’s time to smash together Star Wars and Marvel universes once again. We’ve already figured out that Kylo Ren could probably lift Thor’s famous hammer (with the Force), but for this week we are pitting Jedi and Stark weapons against each other.

A lightsaber, if it were real, would probably be a tightly coiled ring of unbelievably hot plasma. Captain America’s shield, on the other hand, is an alloy of the mysterious metal known as vibranium, steel, and a pinch of an unknown ingredient. Vibranium is said to be, for all intents and purposes, indestructible. So how would it hold up against a Sith strike?

To find out, we have to make a few concessions. While comic fans will point out that vibranium cannot be melted after it sets, that’s just not how materials work in the real world. In fact, when one material is alloyed with another, the combination’s melting point is often lower than either component’s individually. Steel, for example, has a lower melting point than either iron ore or carbon.

So, which weapon would win? Check out my video above and argue with me in the comments below. A lightsaber would definitely cut through the Winter Soldier’s arm though.

Check out my last video on how acidic Xenomorph blood is, subscribe to this playlist to stay current with the show, buy a Because Science shirt (you know why), and follow me on Twitter to give me a suggestion for the next episode!

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