The Conversion of Han Solo

For many of us who grew up in the 1970s and early 80s, those words need no explanation. They're from the first "Star Wars" movie, spoken as the Millennium Falcon hurdles through hyperspace. Han Solo, the ship's world-weary captain (or "worlds-weary," in this case) shares his jaded cynicism with Luke Skywalker, a callow youth from a backwater desert planet. At issue: The Force, a mystical energy field that gives Jedi knights their powers.