Cinema Science Podcast: Scientists Chat About Their Favorite Movies and Shows

Because our first season is all about the brain, it's no surprise that we would ultimately watch Lucy. This movie stems from the myth that living creatures use 10% of their brain, and unlocking the rest of the brain results in reality-altering abilities. Neuroscientist Danielle Giangrasso helps us understand how much of our brain we use, whether we can manipulate our "brain capacity," and whether or not Morgan Freeman actually knows how to apply the scientific method. 

To learn more, check out our website: cinemasciencepodcast.com

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach, @krbreitenbach

Edited by Eli Ramsey, @TheVikingBear__

Co-Hosted by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

We watched Alien, a movie about parasitic Xenomorphs that can use anything and anyone as their host. Jaycie Loewen joins us to discuss the various parasites that are searching for a home. Could you be their next host? 

To learn more, check out our website: cinemasciencepodcast.com

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach, @krbreitenbach

Edited by Eli Ramsey, @TheVikingBear__

Co-Hosted by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

Christopher Nolan’s Inception ignited a worldwide debate on spinning tops and made us question our dream security. Neuroscience graduate student Kyle Jenks joins us to reveal what our brain is doing while we sleep, why we dream, how we study sleep in the laboratory, and who he would incept, given the chance. 

To learn more, check out our website: cinemasciencepodcast.com

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach, @krbreitenbach

Edited by Eli Ramsey, @TheVikingBear__

Co-Hosted by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

We watched Men in Black, an unforgettable movie that caused 90s kids everywhere to question whether or not their parents are aliens. Graduate student Ariadne Penalva teaches us how we store and retrieve memories, why it's hard to forget that embarrassing thing you did 10 years ago, and whether or not neurolyzers can erase your memory of an alien. 

Check out our website for more information: cinemasciencepodcast.com

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach, @krbreitenbach

Co-Hosted and Edited by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

Aliens (Xenomorphs) and Predators (Yautjas) have been battling each other for thousands of years, resulting in an evolutionary arms race. For whatever reason, humans find themselves in the middle of this war and are the clear loser. Special guest Andrew Moran joins us to explore the sensory biology of these species and we debate which alien reigns supreme in the Alien vs Predator (AVP) franchise! 

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach, @krbreitenbach

Edited by Eli Ramsey, @TheVikingBear__

Co-Hosted by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

In this episode of Cinema Science, we watched Gattaca, a science fiction movie from 1997 that asks the question: what if we could alter our destiny with a little genetic engineering? Sasha Luks-Morgan helps us understand how exactly genetic editing works, what the heck CRISPR stands for, and whether or not we can actually splice super powers into our DNA.

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach @krbreitenbach

Edited by Eli Ramsey, @TheVikingBear__

Co-Hosted by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

We watched Drunken Master, and worshiped Jackie Chan’s comedic kung fu youthfulness. In this episode of Cinema Science, Andrew Taibi demonstrates that he is not only the biggest kung fu fan in the world, but he’s also incredibly knowledgeable in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and alcohol. How do they affect your fighting technique and your brain? Listen to find out! 

Follow us on Twitter: @CinemaSciCast

Theme Music by Kagan Breitenbach @krbreitenbach

Edited and Co-Hosted by Heidi Febinger, @PandaBumHah

Co-Hosted by Anne Gibson, @HubbleGibson

Interested in SciComm science writing? Contact Ari on Twitter @endairatena or email us at [email protected]!

Cinema Science was graciously funded by the University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative. 

Welcome to Cinema Science!! Neuroscience graduate students Heidi Febinger and Anne Gibson chat with their grad school buddies about their favorite movies, games, and tv shows in this podcast. The show is sprinkled with science, but it's mostly just a rare moment of relaxation for these scientists. New episodes will be released every other Tuesday. Season 1 is all about the brain!