RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. A galaxy far, far away is now just a teeny bit closer. Last week, YouTuber James Hobson finished the world's first retractable plasma-based lightsaber. Hobson has made other versions using heated titanium blades. Close, but no saber, said his fans.

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JAMES HOBSON: (Reading) That's just a red-hot piece of metal. Your lightsaber sucks, and you should feel bad, too.

MARTIN: But James didn't let the haters stop him, and his new saber is a force to be reckoned with. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.