Fiction Science
5 Favorites
Cosmic Log's podcast from the place where science and technology intersect with science fiction and popular culture, hosted by science writer Alan Boyle and science-fiction writer Dominica Phetteplace. Become a supporter for less than (or more than) a dollar a month. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fiction-science/support
Location:
United States
Description:
Cosmic Log's podcast from the place where science and technology intersect with science fiction and popular culture, hosted by science writer Alan Boyle and science-fiction writer Dominica Phetteplace. Become a supporter for less than (or more than) a dollar a month. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fiction-science/support
Language:
English
Website:
https://www.cosmiclog.com
Episodes
How de-extinction could change our destiny
4/22/2024
Douglas Preston, author of a techno-thriller titled "Extinction," talks about his fictional murder mystery as well as his concerns about the real-world quest to revive the woolly mammoth and other extinct species.
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Duration:00:31:46
Get a reality check on the search for aliens
3/21/2024
Pete Worden, chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, talks about the real-world search for extraterrestrial civilizations and how it's different from Netflix's "3 Body Problem" series.
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Duration:00:43:37
Bonus: Talking fiction with Nathaniel Rich
3/13/2024
Nathaniel Rich, author of "Second Nature," "Losing Earth" and the sci-fi novel "Odds Against Tomorrow," discusses the state of contemporary fiction with Fiction Science co-hosts Dominica Phetteplace and Alan Boyle.
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Duration:00:17:23
Exploring 'The New World on Mars'
2/29/2024
Mars Society President Robert Zubrin, author of "The New World on Mars," talks about the life that future settlers are likely to create on the Red Planet — and why they should go.
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Duration:00:41:22
What's so mesmerizing about the multiverse?
1/15/2024
Physicist Paul Halpern, author of "The Allure of the Multiverse," traces the history of the scientific quest to detect parallel universes and alternate cosmic timelines.
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Duration:00:35:09
Rowing tech picks up the pace
12/22/2023
John Tytus, the president of Pocock Racing Shells, talks about how the technology of rowing has changed since "The Boys in the Boat" won Olympic gold in 1936.
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Duration:00:22:01
Can AI become conscious?
11/25/2023
Veteran science writer George Musser addresses the connections between artificial intelligence, quantum physics and the quest to understand the nature of consciousness in a new book, "Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation."
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Duration:00:55:52
What's wrong with a city on Mars?
11/6/2023
Zach Weinersmith, co-author of "A City on Mars," explains why humanity isn't ready to have people settle down and raise a family on Mars or in any other off-Earth locale.
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Duration:00:39:33
Why women scientists missed out on fame
10/24/2023
Quantum physicist Shohini Ghose, author of "Her Space, Her Time," throws a spotlight on more than a dozen women physicists and astronomers who didn't get the recognition they deserved.
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Duration:00:29:35
'The Creator' gets an AI reality check
9/29/2023
How much real-world AI research is reflected in "The Creator," Hollywood's latest cinematic tale about the rise of the machines? We turn to a panel of experts on artificial intelligence and its portrayal at the movies for an in-depth reality check.
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Duration:00:37:06
John Scalzi sizes up billionaires and supervillains
9/19/2023
John Scalzi talks about his latest satirical science-fiction novel, "Starter Villain," and the parallels to the antics of real-world tech billionaires.
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Duration:00:39:06
Searching for alien worlds and life
7/28/2023
Astronomer Chris Impey, author of the book "Worlds Without End," discusses the study of planets beyond our solar system, the search for alien life, and the long-term prospects for humanity's progress on the final frontier.
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Duration:00:34:00
Indiana Jones vs. actual archaeologists
6/28/2023
Archaeologists Chris Begley and Brittany Brown discuss how times have changed since the fictional heyday of Indiana Jones when it comes to the technologies - and people skills - that they rely on.
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Duration:00:58:47
Celebrating 'the original X-File' ... in Seattle?
6/21/2023
Steve Edmiston, a Seattle lawyer and film writer, fills us in on the Maury Island Incident - a UFO sighting that marked the first mention of the mysterious Men in Black and has now inspired a celebration called the Men in Black Birthday Bash.
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Duration:00:39:18
The roots of the spaceflight revolution
6/14/2023
Jeffrey Manber, one of the pioneers on the frontier of space commercialization, talks about his effort to document the rise of private-sector spaceflight in a series of books he calls "From the Earth to Mars."
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Duration:00:52:56
Get a reality check on space startups
5/8/2023
Ashlee Vance, the author of "When the Heavens Went On Sale," talks about the romance, the risk and the ridiculousness surrounding four space ventures that were created in the wake of Elon Musk's SpaceX success.
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Duration:00:35:03
Michio Kaku explains quantum computing
4/26/2023
Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, the author of a new book titled "Quantum Supremacy" explains how quantum computing works and why it could revolutionize energy, medicine and virtually everything everywhere.
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Duration:00:34:54
Meet the woman who's updating the 007 saga
4/10/2023
Kim Sherwood talks about writing "Double or Nothing," a James Bond novel that includes 21st-century technologies including quantum computers and climate geoengineering — but leaves out James Bond.
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Duration:00:34:00
'Critical Mass' charts the space frontier
3/7/2023
Science-fiction author Daniel Suarez talks about his latest novel, "Critical Mass," which picks up on the vision for space development laid out by physicist Gerard K. O'Neill and the billionaire he inspired, Jeff Bezos.
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Duration:00:46:32
Reality check on 'Quantumania'
2/16/2023
Quantum physicist Chris Ferrie, author of the book "Quantum Bullsh*t," separates the reality from the B.S. in sci-fi tales including "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
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Duration:00:36:50