Popcorn Science Podcast

Contact

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In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the

science behind the 1997 movie "Contact".

Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Carl Sagan, Contact

explores what would happen if humanity were to receive a message from
an extraterrestrial civilization.

Topics
  • Science Gripes (4:37)
    • Headphones? (6:01)
    • Opening Sequence (9:40)
    • Hitler, Messenger of Earth (11:20)
    • Arecibo Message (12:28)
    • Arecibo Geography (16:00)
    • Ellie the Astronaut (17:28)
    • Funding (20:08)
    • Arecibo v. VLA (21:15)
    • Timeline Issue (48:35)
    • The Good Things (24:59)
      • On Location (25:05)
      • Science Culture (27:40)
      • Signal from Vega (30:32)
      • Is Space Exploration Worth it? (34:48)
      • Crewed Spaceflight (38:50)
      • Transit Network / Wormholes (#42:25)
      • Of Their Time (44:35)
        • Computer Technology (44:53)
        • Bill Clinton (47:00)
        • Space Industrialists (49:56)
        • Science v. Faith (52:52)
        • Fragile Institutions (54:59)
        • Accuracy and Significance (56:39)
          • References
          • Contact (film)
          • Contact (book)
          • Kent Cullers
          • Frank Drake
          • Arecibo Message
          • Arecibo Telescope (RIP)
          • Project Phoenix
          • Jill Tarter
          • Rendezvous with Rama
          • Robert Zemeckis
          • Carl Sagan
          • The Demon Haunted World
          • Cosmos
            • ...more
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            Popcorn Science PodcastBy John E. Moores & Catherine Neish