Aerospace Cookies - SciTech in Popular Culture

Adelaide and Mark discuss the science fiction short story “Runaway,” written in 1941 by Isaac Asimov. They discuss Asimov’s three laws of robotics and how the story’s robot SPD-13, “Speedy” encounters a conundrum between two of the laws. They also examine how Asimov’s robot story relates to modern-day artificial intelligence.

Adelaide and Mark discuss the short story “The Machine Stops”, written in 1909. E. M. Forster wrote “The Machine Stops” partly as a response to growing anxiety about overreliance on technology and the way modern systems can isolate people from one another. The story is also widely read as a warning against a society that worships efficiency while losing direct human connection and contact with the natural world. How timely these themes are today!

Adelaide and Mark read the Declaration of Independence. To not distract from the revolutionary nature of this document, they offer no commentary. Happy 250th birthday! God Bless America

Kristen and Mark talk about the movie Disclosure Day, staring Emily Blunt, how Steven Spielberg portrays aliens, and the recently released government files of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAPs) better known as UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects).

Mark and Iliana discuss the latest Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu. Is its bad box office performance because of the movie, or something else?

Mark and Kristen discuss the Artemis II landing, how Astronauts get safely home from space, and the perspective that comes from looking back at "tiny Earth". They are visited by a couple of cats.

Iliana and Mark talk about the science behind Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary—both the book and the movie. They discuss astrophage, the human body in space, the temperature of the sun changing, relativity and gravity, and— everybody's favorite—Rocky.

Mark and Kristen discuss the April 2026 Artemis Moon Launch.