The handy people over at HowStuffWorks.com have finally gotten around to writing up something useful, at least to the few dozen Star Wars fans milling about. Who hasn’t wondered exactly how Luke built his lightsaber, and what are they good for, other than killing Sith and chopping off the hands of your dysfunctional family members?

With his tongue firmly in his cheek, HowStuffWorks’ founder Marshall Brain pragmatically breaks down the inner workings of this elegant weapon for a more civilized age, as well as alternate uses for the tool, including lighting your smokes and toasting your bagels.

How Lightsabers Work [howstuffworks.com]