Does It Fly?

This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Terminator Zero, starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero is now streaming only on Netflix.

We’ve got a special episode of Does it Fly? for you this time around. Consider this one a little bonus after our recent episode on The Terminator, because now we’ve got an inside look at Terminator Zero, Netflix’s brand new, lushly animated anime series (with an impressive voice cast, to boot) that adds a previously unseen dimension to the entire Terminator franchise. 

We sent one of our hosts, the brilliant Tamara Krinsky, to talk to Mattson Tomlin (The Batman, Mother/Android). But Tomlin is currently the showrunner of Terminator Zero, and those familiar with the thoughtful, gritty nature of his other screen work won’t be disappointed by the rigorous knowledge and intensity he brought to this show. And with our pop culture expert, Tamara, asking the big questions, Tomlin unpacks a lot of the central themes of the impressive new show. 

Check it out here or on our YouTube page. Oh yeah, and let us know what you think! If you want more interview style episodes of Does it Fly? where your favorite creatives tell us HOW they make your favorite sci-fi, horror, and fantasy projects work, drop us a line in the comments or on our socials!

Check out a few of our favorite points from the interview, which we feel offer a nice parallel to our usual episode structure. But this is a pretty in-depth exploration of Terminator Zero with the showrunner, so don’t take our word for it, listen to the episode!

THE SCIENCE

DOES IT FLY: I'm curious, as you were putting the pieces of this together, did you do any research? Did you talk to scientists so that the audience would watch this and say, “yeah, this flies. This works for us.” 

MATTSON TOMLIN: Yeah. Probably not to the degree that the PhD guy would be happy with me, but definitely a lot of reading about Turing tests today and about what the capabilities [of AI] are. It's kind of one of those things where, as far as we know and what the public facing information is, we're not quite there yet … I think that the jumps [in capability] are exponential. So there was still a level of invention. It's a sci-fi show, so you've got to make some stuff up, but we also made  sure that it never felt like it was fully beyond the bounds of what's actually happening out there today.

THE STORY

DiF: When was the moment during production that you as a writer, as a showrunner, felt like, “yeah, this thing has wings. This thing can fly.” 

MT: There's a couple of different answers to that, because it comes in stages. I feel really proud of the show. I think that there are stages … For me, the first time that that happened was while I was writing, and I got through episode four [and then] once I started writing episode five, it's like, “oh, now the plane has taken off, and now we're at altitude, and now, actually, I have to think about landing.” Having these four episodes, and I can I can read that 100 or so pages and go, “I stand by this, this is working now I just need to land the plane.” It's not that I felt like, “oh, I've got this.” But I felt like there was enough material that there's a story that is being told now that feels worth telling. That was kind of the first time. 

The second time was definitely once art started to come in from [anime studio] Production IG, and seeing the level at which they were executing and [knowing] this is going to look beautiful. I think then the third time was certainly the working on the score and working with [Terminator Zero composers] Michelle Birsky and Kevin Henthorn and finding a sonic identity for the score that felt like Terminator, and at the same time, does its own thing. We didn't just want to be playing the same stuff, it needed to feel inherently its own.

THE VIBE

DiF: Why was the decision made to do this as an anime?

MT: From a creative standpoint, you're just able to do things that haven't been done before, because if you're making a movie and a movie that's in a franchise like Terminator, then there are certain expectations, certain beats that it has to hit. And, you know, those movies are $100-200 million movies. A [movie of that scale] is going to be a certain kind of thing. And this isn't that. Not only because it's animated, but because it's an anime. So it creates these variables … It's an opportunity to kind of breathe a lot of new life into it …it was kind of driven by story and an opportunity to just do something the franchise hadn't done before.

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

We also took a deep scientific look at the paradox that so much of the entire Terminator franchise revolves around. Check it out here.

The Crow remake is in theaters now, so we recently took a look back at some of the science surrounding the magic of the original film. Watch it here.

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This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Terminator Zero, starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero is now streaming only on Netflix.

“Come with me if you want to learn.”

OK, fine, that’s not what anyone says pretty much anywhere in the Terminator franchise. But haven’t you ever wondered just how some of the time travel concepts that set up one of the most successful and beloved sci-fi movie and TV franchises of all time work?

This episode is really only dealing with the “grandfather paradox” as it relates to The Terminator (1984), James Cameron’s original sci-fi horror masterpiece that pretty much strapped a stardom rocket to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s back and helped redefine the boundaries of sci-fi and action storytelling on screen. It also kicked off one of the most sprawling and beloved science fiction franchises of a generation. 

Check it out here or on our YouTube page!

SUGGESTED VIEWING 

While we’re pretty much only focused on that first film for this episode, if you want to expand your Terminator knowledge, it can feel like a lot. When in doubt when you’re navigating a big franchise that occupies different places on its own timeline, we always advise you not overthink it and just watch in release order. So we’ll give you that along with some suggestions to make this as fun and painless as possible.

The Terminator (1984)

If you want a sci-fi action movie that’s filmed with the pacing and sense of dread of a horror movie, you can’t go wrong with the original. A legitimate classic of 1980s genre cinema, it has endured for a reason. If you only watch one movie in the franchise, this is the one!

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

If you only watch one other Terminator movie, make it 1991’s bigger and more technically groundbreaking sequel. For those of you who want a more summer blockbuster action sensibility as opposed to the first film’s horror undertones, you can just go ahead and watch Judgment Day on its own, as it does an excellent job getting you up to speed even if you haven’t seen the original. Bigger action sequences and some eye-popping special effects make this one essential viewing.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Probably not as bad as you’ve heard, but not exactly essential viewing either. This one builds out the lore of how Skynet rose to power and has a few bonkers battle sequences, but if time is of the essence, stick to the first two movies. It’s also the first entry in the franchise that starts messing with the canon in ways that future installments try to smooth out.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

The franchise’s first expansion into TV has a devoted cult following, and with good reason! Still, that’s a lot of viewing hours, and it isn’t strictly faithful to the lore of the series as a whole. This can be viewed as its own self-contained alternate timeline within the Terminator universe.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Terminator Salvation is a direct sequel to the events of Rise of the Machines…and thus a prequel to the first film. And despite starring Christian Bale at the height of his stardom as John Connor, it’s…well, let’s just say it’s not essential viewing. But if you’re keeping track so far, the canonical events of the franchise go from the first three movies to this one…which depicts events prior to the first film. Got it? Good, because it ain’t getting any easier!

Terminator Genisys (2015)

This one is essentially a reboot of the entire franchise and…you know what? You can skip it. Trust us.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Somewhat maligned upon release, but better than you’ve heard! We’re back in alternate timeline territory, though, as this film ignores everything other than the first two movies and instead acts as a direct (if belated) sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Honestly, worth your time, especially if you’re looking to condense the franchise to a more digestible three films (in this case The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Terminator: Dark Fate)

Terminator Zero (2024)

Netflix is the exclusive home of this first animated Terminator outing, made by the same anime studio who brought the classic Ghost in the Shell to screens. Terminator Zero functions both as a self-contained Terminator adventure (meaning you don’t necessarily need knowledge of the rest of the franchise to enjoy and understand it) and also as something that enriches the lore of the films. Lushly animated and boasting a cast that includes Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd, serious fans won’t want to miss this.

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! 

Grandfather Paradox

The central concept of this episode and the one we wanted to explore the most! This article has the most succinct explanation of a rather headache-y concept we’ve ever seen. “...the idea that a cause must precede its effect. The paradox suggests that a cause is eliminated by its own effect, thus preventing its own cause and essentially becoming reverse causation.” It goes on to explain some of the other scientific concepts that inform this pretty well. For a little additional context, you can also check out this piece.

The Bootstrap Paradox

The other paradox that informs our discussion (and pops up often in pop culture time travel stories). Our question is…why is Northrop Grumman writing about this. WHAT DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY AREN’T TELLING US?!?

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

Hey, remember this one from our episode on the transporter from Star Trek? We don’t think you can do any better for quality book-learnin’ on the subject than this article from CalTech.

Relativity Train

In case our animation illustrating Hakeem’s point about viewing actions in a train traveling at a different speed than the observer, Harvard University made a pretty substantial meal out of the experiment which you can read about (and watch) here.

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Just a reminder, if you haven’t watched our exploration of Xenomorph biology as it was explored in the first Alien movie (which also happens to be one of our most popular episodes), now’s a good time to get to it!

Check out our episode on the most infamous moment in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie, not our episode. Oh, you know what we mean!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

Facebook: Roddenberry

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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

Alex Proyas’ 1994 The Crow is a genuinely great film, released at a time when “comic book movies” weren’t an all-encompassing pop culture phenomenon, and one that plays very much like a unique action-horror film (rather than a superhero one). We can’t recommend it, or its unbelievably badass soundtrack album, enough. The Crow has a little of everything: it’s a horror movie, it’s a love story, it’s a twisted superhero origin story and revenge tale, and it’s a unique time capsule of a particular moment in pop culture history.

But all of those things have been discussed to death elsewhere, right? Are we breaking down the unique ways that Eric Draven kills the men who wronged him during his life? Nope. Are we delving into the philosophies surrounding the prospects of life after death? Not this episode! Are we walking about how cool it would be to make friends with a crow? Abso-freakin’-lutely!

An under-discussed part of The Crow is the role that an actual, physical crow seems to play in Eric’s journey of post-life revenge. The bird is somewhat magical, but not a complete manifestation of the supernatural. In fact, it functions very much like the concept of a “familiar” often found in fantasy literature. So that’s the topic we’re taking a birds-eye look at this time around. And believe it or not, there’s a LOT to unpack. Seriously, you have no idea how smart crows are, or just how feasible some aspects of the magical familiar might have roots in real science. 

Want to find out more? Watch it right here or on our YouTube page.

SUGGESTED VIEWING 

Unfortunately, you can’t divorce The Crow from the real life tragedy that surrounds it, notably the untimely accidental death of star Brandon Lee during filming. Shudder’s Cursed Films season 1 episode 4 deals with this, and it’s worth a watch if you want more background on this infamous moment in cinema history.

There are a bunch of mediocre sequels to the original film (and even a TV series!), but we don’t recommend them. Anyway, the only piece of The Crow franchise that we considered for this episode was that original, classic 1994 movie. However, if you want to get a sense of just how great a talent Brandon Lee was, and how this movie SHOULD have kickstarted a new phase of his career that would have brought him a level of mainstream stardom, allow us to recommend 1991’s Showdown in Little Tokyo (co-starring the great Dolph Lundgren!) and 1992’s Rapid Fire. Neither are exactly masterpieces, but they sure do kick some ass and Brandon is a natural.

For some…less friendly…birds, you absolutely should watch Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds if you haven’t already. You’ll be perfectly happy not having any of them as your familiars.

And of course, there’s a new reboot of The Crow in theaters now. 

There’s some crossover with our further readings below, but this New York Times video that asks (and kind of answers) the question of “how smart are crows” is quite a watch!

Oh, and the movie that freaked Hakeem out as a kid? That's a 1975 weird one starring none other than William Shatner in one of his...less memorable...rolls, called The Devil's Rain.

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! 

But before we get into the scientific and mythological readings to go with this episode, allow us to suggest that you give James O’Barr’s original comic series that launched this franchise a read. It’s harrowing, beautiful, violent stuff, and just different enough from the movie that you won’t feel like you know everything that’s gonna happen! 

OK, now back to your regularly scheduled science-y stuff.

Familiars

It will come as no surprise to anyone that there isn’t a ton of serious scientific writing on the subject of familiars. But the more “new age” corners of the internet have done their homework, and the above article is a compelling read.

Crows in Mythology

Crows and ravens are recurring symbols in a number of religious and mythological traditions. Learn up on them in case one decides to quiz you.

Crows and Masks

In case you need proof that you should never wrong a crow, because they WILL remember your face.

How to Befriend a Crow

We’re serious. From no less a source than M.I.T!

Crows use tools!

Not only do crows know how to make and use simple tools to accomplish their goals, it apparently puts them in a really good mood, too!

The Eyes of Jackdaws

No, that isn't the name of another horror movie. But Hakeem talks about this study on how these particular birds can read human expressions.

We’re kicking off our Halloween celebrations early, so go light some candles and read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” for some kicks. “Nevermore.”

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

We recently unpacked three gadgets and concepts for the 60th anniversary of James Bond in Goldfinger. Watch it here!

Ever wonder about how Indiana Jones led to the invention of the PG-13 rating? We’ve got the video for you!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

Love it or hate it, Alien Resurrection won’t be ignored. The final film in the Ripley saga of the Alien franchise (before it branched off into Predators, prequels, and other distractions…more on that below), Alien Resurrection has always been something of a hot-button issue with fans. Maybe not as much as Prometheus, but still! Any movie that deals with cloning a beloved character (who had been granted a heroic death in the previous film), complete with “genetic memories” is bound to push some buttons, but that’s not even the biggest thing this movie adds to the franchise. 

Alien Resurrection heralds the arrival on the scene of a new kind of Xenomorph. Specifically, a human/alien hybrid made via the same shady experiments that helped “bring back” Ripley. As a result, we get a Xenomorph that (among other things) no longer lays eggs and instead can reproduce in a slightly more recognizable/mammalian fashion. And hoo-boy, do Hakeem and Tamara have questions about this one! From the handling of cloning to the hybrid alien itself, this episode of Does it Fly? is for you if the gooier corners of the Alien universe are your cup of acid blood.

Check it out here or on our YouTube page!

SUGGESTED VIEWING 

Before we get into the intricacies of the Alien franchise, allow us to also recommend one of Tamara’s favorite movies, Code 46, an underrated 2003 film from director Michael Winterbottom which deals with a few similar themes of ethics within biotechnology as they regard our discussion about Alien Resurrection. 

Obviously, concepts from Alien Resurrection are what we focus on in this episode, but if you haven’t seen the movies that precede it, too, then you might be a little lost. Those are…

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

Alien 3 (1992)

Alien Resurrection (1997)

Now, the franchise continues on after that, albeit to mixed (and sometimes controversial) results. Those are…

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Both of the above movies are inessential, and take place BEFORE the events of the first film, or even the other prequels. Speaking of which, for the last decade or so, the Alien franchise has been more concerned with exploring the days before the first film, which brings us to…

Prometheus (2012)

Alien: Covenant (2017)

And now, currently in theaters is Alien: Romulus, which takes place between Alien and Aliens. Get watchin’!

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! 

Cloning

Central to our discussion about the Xenomorph/human hybrid in Alien Resurrection is the question of cloning. Granted, this is a tough one to read up on, but this fact sheet from the National Human Genome Research institute is a good start. Also, doesn’t the fact that there’s a National Human Genome Research Institute in the first place make it sound like we’re already living in a sci-fi movie?

Genetic Memory

Hakeem (and science in general) state that when you clone an organism, you’re making a twin of it, you aren’t creating an exact duplicate that also contains memories and learned experiences. That, of course, blows a pretty big hole in Alien Resurrection right out of the gate. That being said, there’s some interesting reading to be done on the subject both here and here, although neither really support the movie’s central premise.

Hybridization

“I find it really interesting that when this baby comes out and Ripley is created, both are hybrids of alien and human. So the question is, can you splice together genes like that.” For this one, we couldn’t resist going back to the National Human Genome Research Institute for some hard information. See also: Retroviruses.

Tuskegee Experiment 26:50

One of the darker chapters of American 20th Century history involved the deliberate infection of African-Americans with syphilis in order to study the disease over a period of time. It’s monstrous that something like this was sanctioned by official government agencies, and we shouldn’t forget that this is part of our recent past so that it never happens again.

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Just a reminder, if you haven’t watched our exploration of Xenomorph biology as it was explored in the first Alien movie (which also happens to be one of our most popular episodes), now’s a good time to get to it!

Check out our episode on the most infamous moment in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie, not our episode. Oh, you know what we mean!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

Facebook: Roddenberry

Twitter: @Roddenberry  

For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

You know the scene. A grisly human sacrifice. A terrified archaeologist looking on in horror from the shadows. A poor religious fanatic has his still-beating heart torn from his chest by a high priest before bursting into flames. While this seems like the kind of scene that would have been perfectly at home in a John Carpenter movie in the 1980s, instead it comes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second entry in the franchise (albeit a prequel to 1980’s Raiders of the Lost Ark), and one which takes a decidedly darker tone than the relatively family-friendly adventure of the previous film. 

That moment is alleged to have given birth to the PG-13 movie rating, for one thing. But it also kickstarted a small but specific subset of pop culture fascination: the concept that someone’s heart could be manually removed from their chest with no tools, using only the skills (sometimes mystical in nature) of an adversary. Fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise take note: long before Kano was rippin’ hearts out, Mola Ram was doing it…and with better fashion sense, to boot!

And while it SEEMS like the realm of pure (if icky) fantasy, it’s still worth breaking down whether any element of this gruesome little party trick has basis in scientific reality. And if that doesn’t quicken your pulse (sorry), we’ve got behind the scenes tidbits on what made it all look so good, how this singular moment helped force the MPAA to institute PG-13, and more!

Now, time for a little heart-to-heart with Tamara and Hakeem…

SUGGESTED VIEWING

While Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is indeed the second Indiana Jones movie, it’s actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. That being said, we always endorse watching big franchises in release order rather than timeline order, because prequels tend to get a little self-referential. Watch Raiders first, then Temple of Doom, then the third film (which takes place after Raiders), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. These are the only Indiana Jones movies!

OK, not really. There are also fourth and fifth films, the generally maligned Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the somewhat better Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (the only film in the franchise not directed by Stephen Spielberg). Your mileage may vary, but if nothing else, Raiders of the Lost Ark is generally considered one of the greatest action/adventure movies of all time!

And for those of you who can sanction Jim Carrey’s buffoonery (sorry, a little Tommy Lee Jones humor there), Hakeem recommends an alternate take on the heart-ripping concept, as seen in Dumb and Dumber.

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations! 

Ancient Heart Extraction Rituals

“You have to appease those gods, so what better way than with human sacrifice! Don’t have a volcano handy? Take out their heart.”

(Hakeem references a scientific paper about heart extraction in Mesoamerica. We generally try not to link to things that aren’t readily and easily available to read, but in this case, the above abstract and this excerpt are the best we could do. But it’s so cool, we couldn’t pass it up.)

Consciousness and Organ Function 

While Hakeem throws cold water (or hot flames) on the idea that the heart itself can continue beating with no additional equipment after separation from the body, he briefly references the extremely grisly speculation that guillotine victims remained conscious after their heads were separated from their bodies. There’s further study on that, but we try not to think about it.

See also: Neuromuscular Junction

Thuggees

“While the Thuggee cult that they drew from was a real thing, they were robbers, they did murder folks, and they did all of this to serve Kali and did it in the name of this particular god, they did not take part in human sacrifice.”

The PG-13 Rating

“At the time this movie came out, it was rated PG…and there were a lot of parents who were taking their kids to see this…and then there’s this heart being ripped out of a chest, which terrified kids!”

See also: The MPAA website that Tamara references which confirms the Temple of Doom connection can be found here.

We also cannot recommend highly enough J.W. Rinzler’s incredible The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Story Behind All Four Films.

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Ever wonder what makes the DeLorean in Back to the Future go? So did we! So we decided to answer those questions once and for all!

Twisters is in theaters now and we took a look at the science of the film, via the lens of the original 1996 movie!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

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Twitter: @Roddenberry  

For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

How realistic is the science of time travel as depicted in Back to the Future?

Back to the Future just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Let’s put that in perspective for you: Back to the Future is now older than the period of time that Marty McFly traveled in that first film, where he rocketed at 88mph from 1985 back to 1955. And while the concept of using a weird, well, concept car as a time machine might seem a little quirky, it certainly didn’t hamper this flick, which is generally considered a pretty timeless classic, despite its ‘80s trappings. For the record, we consider it one of those classics, too!

And while we generally believe that you probably shouldn’t spend too much time thinking about the logistics of time travel (although we already covered a little of that in our episode about the TARDIS from Doctor Who), the specific mechanisms of time travel in Back to the Future are just too cool and appealing (not to mention iconic) to ignore. So in this episode, Hakeem and Tamara tackle it all! What are the specific rules of time travel in the Back to the Future trilogy? What’s the significance of hitting 88mph in order to go back in time? Is there a real world equivalent to the flux capacitor? And, of course, the age old question… “what the hell is a gigawatt?!?”

All this and more in the latest episode of…Does it Fly?

SUGGESTED VIEWING 

At this point it’s hard to imagine any of you haven’t at least seen the original Back to the Future, one of the most beloved movies of the 1980s. But we suppose it’s possible that a few of you might not have watched the entire trilogy. Well, guess what? Those movies rule pretty hard, too and Hakeem and Tamara went through all three films to make sense of the time travel science and story rules. Get going!

There’s also Expedition: Back to the Future which is a fun capstone to the film’s legacy, the DeLorean, and more. Check it out on Max!

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations!

“It ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble. It’s the things we know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Hakeem’s quoting Mark Twain via his friend, Professor Edward W. Kolb, has some additional scientific context in the link above!

The scientific case for time travel.

“It turns out that our speed through space squared plus our speed through time squared is equal to the speed of light squared. So all things in the universe that exist are always moving at the speed of light through spacetime. So if you move more quickly through space, you’ll move more slowly through time…so the higher the energy situation, the more slow the time travel is.”

Tachyons

“These are hypothetical particles that can only travel greater than the speed of light.”

(Look, we know Hakeem was pretty harsh on these hypothetical particles, but they’re pretty darn cool anyway.)

(1.21) gigawatts!

“What the hell is a gigawatt?” (Marty McFly…not Hakeem or Tamara. They’re much more articulate and thoughtful). 

(flux) Capacitors

“A capacitor is something that stores energy. They come in different geometrical configurations…”

The Many Worlds Interpretation

“But when you make a measurement, you can only ever actually see one state at a time. So the ‘many worlds interpretation’ basically just says that when you make an observation, the only thing you’ve discovered is what world you’re in. Every possible outcome actually occurred.”

Scirens

Certainly by now you’ve checked out Tamara’s incredible other project dealing with the intersection of science and storytelling, right? And if not, what are you waiting for? Go now!

And while you’re here, might we suggest making a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation?

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Twisters is in theaters now and we took a look at the science of the film, via the lens of the original 1996 movie!

Star Wars: The Acolyte just completed its inaugural season on Disney+. Time to learn how lightsabers work…and why none of you should have them!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

Facebook: Roddenberry

Twitter: @Roddenberry  

For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

The (air) pressure is on as we dive into some on-set stories, Wizard of Oz references, and barometric gossip as we break down the science and story logic behind a beloved 90s movie: 1996’s Twister.

Alright, buckle up, because we're diving into the whirlwind world of Twister! Picture this: back in '96, director Jan de Bont dropped a disaster thrill ride that had us all glued to the screen, courtesy of writers Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin. It's about a bunch of gutsy storm chasers in Oklahoma, led by the tornado-whisperer Jo (Helen Hunt). Meanwhile, her ex, Bill (Bill Paxton), shows up with divorce papers just in time for a tornado party. But hold onto your weather-predicting prototypes - Jo unveils her brainchild, Dorothy, a cutting-edge weather gadget packed with sensors that could rewrite tornado research, which promises to beef up our tornado warning systems from a measly three minutes to a solid 15. Of course, no good blockbuster is complete without a villain. Enter Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes), a rival chaser with a snazzy device of his own, the DOT 3, which is basically a knockoff Dorothy. Talk about stormy competition! Cue a wild chase through tornado alley, with trucks in ditches, Dorothy prototypes flying, and power lines crashing down faster than you can say "F5!"

And here’s the kicker: amidst all the chaos, Twister isn't just Hollywood blowing hot air. It’s inspired by real-life storm science, like the TOtable Tornado Observatory (TOTO), which paved the way for Dorothy. Sure, TOTO had its quirks (ever heard about its tango with an Oklahoma storm?), but it laid the groundwork for sticking sensors in tornadoes like nobody’s business.

So, while Twister cranks up the drama to eleven (seriously, who drives into an F5 tornado?) it sparked serious conversations about the future of tornado research. Could Dorothy's sensor-packed canisters really hold up in the eye of a twister? The jury’s out, but in this episode, one thing's for sure: whether you're a weather buff or just in it for the flying cows, Twister makes you believe in the power of science, storms, and a good ol' fashioned summer blockbuster. 

SUGGESTED VIEWING 

Unfortunately, the only recommendation you’re going to get here is the film itself! Don’t worry, it’s not a slog – Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a young Alan Ruck are a lot of fun. Buckle up for two hours and come back to us when you’re ready to challenge colleagues to get scientific measurements as fast as you can. You know, the crazy stuff. 

And there’s even a sequel, Twisters, in theaters now! Just note that we hadn’t seen Twisters when we were researching this episode, so we’re only discussing the original movie here, spoilers and all. 

FURTHER READING 

Want to get a little deeper into the science - on set, within the film, and in real life? We got you. Here are some references for all of those hoping to start jumping into tornadoes! 

Tornado Measuring 

“What you’re talking about, about gathering data, can really be looked at like a scientific principle. All the data that is possible to get, that’s what you want to get. Ideally, you’d have satellites. You’d have ground base sensors.” 

See also: Response Times and Intensity   

TOTO 

“Balls in a barrel in windy conditions wouldn’t stay in a barrel. Most would probably stay in as it spinned around!” 

Barometric Pressure 

“They have such low pressure… that homes basically explode. High pressure on the outside, low pressure on the inside, that makes an explosion occur.” 

See also: Pressure Measurements and Intensity Distribution 

The VFX Challenge 

“Visual effects are the effects that are done after you’re done shooting. Special effects, or sometimes referred to as practical effects, are done on set. The origin of this film starts with visual effects.”  

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Star Wars: The Acolyte just completed its inaugural season on Disney+. Time to learn how lightsabers work…and why none of you should have them!

Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work!

A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters now, and we took a look at how those aliens might have evolved their unique (and deadly) powers.

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In the vast galaxy of science fiction, few weapons shine as brightly as Star Wars’ lightsaber. From its classic hum to its array of colors, the lightsaber has captivated generations, transcending its origin to become a timeless artifact of adventure and heroism.

And as a kid, who didn’t have imaginary battles with their lightsabers? Now, imagine if those weapons really existed! We delve into the world of Star Wars and analyze the science behind the lightsabers as well as the importance of this crazy device in the movies but also in our lives…

The lightsaber exists at the nexus of advanced technology and timeless mythology, serving as a powerful symbol of the “Star Wars” universe. Their unique designs, impactful glow, and distinctive sound make them an iconic piece of sci-fi history.  But with this great honor comes a lot of questions. What are lightsabers actually made of? Are there any existing modern technologies that could bring us closer to a real life lightsaber? And just how important is this mystical weapon to the Jedi and Force users in general?

All this and more will be explored in our latest episode…

SUGGESTED VIEWING

The lightsaber and its lore plays an integral role in all nine films of “The Skywalker Saga” and those are the movies that make up the spine of the Star Wars universe. We assume you’ve probably seen them, but if you want a refresher just for this episode, you should consider revisiting Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), all of which have points we referenced in our discussion.

And while the Star Wars universe on television already seems a little overwhelming, our hosts also took a dive into some episodes which specifically expanded and explored lightsaber function and history. If you want to check those out, they are…

Star Wars: The Clone Wars S5E6 “The Gathering”

This one shows Jedi students on a quest to find kyber crystals to complete their lightsabers. 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars S5E16 “The Lawless”

The first glimpse of the mysterious Darksaber in action. 

Star Wars Rebels  S3E15  “Trials of the Darksaber”

More info and context for the Darksaber, arguably the most important lightsaber variant in current Star Wars canon!

The Mandalorian S2E8 “The Rescue” 

If you’re hoping to see the Darksaber in a live action context, this is the episode for you.

For those of you looking to really dive into the entire Star Wars universe and don’t know where to begin, well…good luck! When it comes to viewing orders for big franchises that take place across long periods of time, we generally endorse watching everything in “release order” rather than “timeline order.” For example, that means you watch the original trilogy first, then the prequels, and so on down the line. 

But especially with Star Wars, there’s always the temptation to try and do things in story chronological order. And who are we to say no? So for you brave souls who want to try and “start at the beginning” for the galaxy far, far away, here’s how you’d do it…

Star Wars lore has become so sprawling that it’s now broken up into distinct storytelling eras. 

THE HIGH REPUBLIC

Star Wars: The Acolyte (TV)

Currently the earliest piece of live action Star Wars lore, The Acolyte takes place 100 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga films.

THE FALL OF THE JEDI

These films and TV series detail the period when the Jedi lost influence over the galaxy, the Clone Wars, and Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side. 

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Film)

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (Film)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV)

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Film)

REIGN OF THE EMPIRE

These films and TV series set the stage for the classic, original trilogy of Star Wars films, as the Empire rampages across the galaxy and the seeds of the Rebellion are sown.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (TV)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Film)

Obi-Wan Kenobi ( TV)

Andor (TV)

Star Wars Rebels (TV)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film)

AGE OF REBELLION

The most famous period in Star Wars history! You probably know all about these already.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (Film)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Film)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (Film)

THE NEW REPUBLIC

So far, this era has only been explored on TV and not in film, but it details the “lost years” between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

The Mandalorian (TV) – Seasons 1 & 2

The Book of Boba Fett ( TV)

The Mandalorian (TV) – Season 3

Ahsoka ( TV)

Star Wars Resistance (TV)

RISE OF THE FIRST ORDER

The latest period in Star Wars history thus far explored!

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (Film)

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (Film)

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (Film)

And these anthology shows take place throughout the Star Wars timeline, but are fun additional viewing:

Star Wars: Visions (TV)

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (TV)

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (TV)

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations!

Lightsabers - The Physics of Science Fiction

“It looks like a metal thing. It could be like a sonic screwdriver or something like that. But when it is initiated, a beam of light or a beam of plasma, depending upon who you ask, is emitted. And it's like a weapon. It's like a solid object that's really hot, can cut through metal.” 

How Plasma Cutters Work

“Everybody wants to own a lightsaber, but no one should… That is a dangerous piece of equipment. If it's going to slice through things the way it does. We have technologies that do that. We have lasers that cut metal. A plasma cutter is what it's called.” 

What is a photonic crystal? The reason why photonics-electronics convergence technology is needed, and the details of research

“But if you hit a light beam from the side, it's not a solid thing. Right? So you know what we see with the battles where lightsabers are bouncing off of each other, just pure light of any no wavelength would not be able to do that. When I started looking into could you confine light in such a way, I discovered something that's new and it's called a red Rydberg blockade, where they create what is known as a photonic crystal, where you can make photons sort of bond with each other in a sort of way.”

See also: Creating heralded hyper-entangled photons using Rydberg atoms and Rydberg atoms in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres

Ben Burtt & the Sounds of Star Wars

“I think that one of the reasons that this has become such an iconic thing is in part due to the production design of it, and specifically the sound design of it. Ben Burtt was the sound designer, and he actually has said that the lightsaber sound was the very first thing that he worked on for the Star Wars universe, when the original trilogy was being done.” 

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work!

A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters now, and we took a look at how those aliens might have evolved their unique (and deadly) powers.

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

When it comes to the A Quiet Place franchise we kept coming back to one big question: What are the biological factors that would allow these terrifying aliens who terrorize Earth to hunt via sound alone? The aliens, often referred to as “dark angels” in the films, have a number of distinct characteristics which will inform our questions.

For starters, they're blind but incredibly sensitive to sound, which gives them an instinct to kill everything that emits the slightest noise. They are also incredibly strong and fast and they possess armored skin which protects them from most kinds of weapons, including bombs and fire. The only ways to kill them (so far) are to drop them into deep water (since they can’t swim) or by emitting high-frequency sound which causes the armor on their heads to open and expose their only vulnerable part: their ears.

In this episode we will dive into how this alien echolocation differs from what we see in animals native to our planet, and the environmental factors that might have contributed to how and why these creatures evolved as they did.  And then there are all the story elements to consider, from the sound design (and lack thereof) of the films themselves, the question of childbirth in a world where uttering a sound can get you killed, and much more. Oh yeah, and then you might want to find out who from the film thought this movie should have been called Don’t Fart. It’s all fair game in Does it Fly? episode 12!

SUGGESTED VIEWING

This episode is FULL OF SPOILERS, don’t say we didn’t warn you! So, we’d recommend you watch both A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II. Keep in mind, we recorded this episode without having seen A Quiet Place Day One (in theaters now), so there’s no spoilers for that film. 

And if you’ve seen the entire franchise and still need this creepy itch scratched, when watching A Quiet Place, Hakeem also thought about the 2018 film Bird Box (you can find it on Netflix) starring Sandra Bullock, where the threat is sight instead of sound—if you see the force extinguishing humans, you die. It’s kind of creepy, but definitely a good horror watch before going to bed!

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations!

Echolocation

“Let's talk about the anatomy of these aliens... They are big and strong. Their limbs are incredibly long and at the end they have these claw-like hands... Their heads are made of these plates that open to reveal the fleshy parts underneath. But their exoskeleton and the plates on their head, those things are virtually impenetrable. So, in order to kill it, what they've discovered is, is that with the right high frequency pitch... The monster just freaks out all the plates, opens on his head, making it vulnerable, and then they can take it out.”

See also: Engaging Silence: Behind the Daring Sound of A Quiet Place

Hearing in Cockroaches, Spiders, Elephants and Other Animals

How Cockroaches Experience the World

“There are some animals that use air movements [to listen]. One of my favorites is one of my least favorites… I was a kid in New Orleans. And if you live in New Orleans, especially in the 1970s, you have to deal with a monster even scarier than the one in this movie… They're called roaches.”

See also: Do Cockroaches have ears?

The Earth’s terminator Line

“There's that ring that separates the light side from the dark side, what we call the terminator in astronomy. And at the terminator [on planets that do not rotate] there will always be incredibly strong winds. So you will need something like those big claw hands to just sit there against those winds.”

See also: The Moon's Terminator Line

Project Hail Mary

“Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian which then became a movie with Matt Damon, also wrote Project Hail Mary, which I don't want to give too much of it away, but… a big part of the book is trying to figure out and understand the aliens' background [and] the kind of world that they come from.” 

How A Quiet Place Sound Designers Made Audiences Afraid of Their Own Noise

“Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, who were actually nominated for an Oscar for sound editing for the first film… said:  ”By working on scary films as sound designers, we can become the puppet masters of the audience's emotions in an invisible way as opposed to the image. A great picture editor, Walter Marsh, had this wonderful saying along the lines of ‘images come in through the front door, but sound comes in through the back door’.” 

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

Facebook: Roddenberry

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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

“Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave, with a bunch of scraps!”

Yes, Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane is both furious and incredulous when he delivers that line in 2008’s blockbuster and zeitgeist-defining Iron Man movie. If we’re being real, we’ve often wondered about that, as well. Never mind the less than ideal circumstances under which Tony Stark designed and built the power source for the Iron Man armor, not to mention its dual nature as a lifesaving device and an incredibly efficient fusion-type power generator. Oh, and then there’s the fact that its basis is an entirely new element, known as palladium in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Yes, despite the MCU’s admirable commitment to internal consistency and logic, we admit that the ARC Reactor is a lot to swallow. But that doesn’t mean we love it any less! And when we love something at Does it Fly? that’s our cue to dig into both the science and story logic behind it to see if it flies…just like some repulsor-powered jet boots.

In this episode we look at everything from the elemental nature of the power source to the amount of force the reactor might constantly be generating (not to mention how that would function when surgically embedded in a human body) to the philosophical and ethical questions raised around superhero-level technology in the real world. Want to find out if Iron Man really flies? This episode is for you!

SUGGESTED VIEWING

At minimum, to understand this episode, you should probably have watched the first Iron Man (2008) movie, which is also the very first movie in what would later become known as the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’re assuming that if you’re on this page and you’ve read this far, you’ve already done that. But limiting us to that would be no fun at all, so Does it Fly? is proud to present (in the tradition of our Planet of the Apes saga complete and correct viewing order) the complete and official guide to Tony Stark’s entire saga on screen in the MCU.

If you’ve never watched a single MCU flick and just want to follow Iron Man’s adventures, this is the way to do it in the correct order. We promise you’ll see every imaginable use of the ARC Reactor by the end of it. And just for fun, we’re even including a guide to all the different ARC Reactors used in each of these films!

Iron Man (2008)

• Palladium Arc Reactor Mark I
• Palladium Arc Reactor Mark II

Iron Man 2 (2010)

• Palladium Arc Reactor Mark III
• Ivan Vanko’s Arc Reactor (Mark I Whiplash Armor)
• Ivan Vanko’s Arc Reactor (Mark II Whiplash Armor)
• The New Element Arc Reactor Mark I (this is also used in The Avengers)

The Avengers (2012)

Iron Man 3 (2013)

• The New Element Arc Reactor Mark II

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

• The New Element Arc Reactor Mark III (also seen in Captain America: Civil War)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

• The New Element Arc Reactor Mark IV

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

• The New Element Arc Reactor Mark V

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

• The New Element Arc Reactor Mark VI

FURTHER READING 

Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations!

Tokamak Fusion Reactor

“An ARC reactor is something that actually exists, we call it a tokamak reactor. It probably weighs thousands of tons, and they’ve barely solved the big problem of plasma crashes. These things…have been in development for decades and they’re notorious for these plasma instabilities. It must generate a plasma in order to generate fusion…”

Deuterium

“The issue is the byproducts, like radiation. Fusion has less radiation than fission does. But you still want to avoid as many byproducts as possible.”

See also: Tritium

Quantum Tunneling

“You have to have a lot of energy, high intensity, and high temperature.”

See also: Net positive fusion and Cyclotron

“The Intersection Between Genius and Access”

“It’s scientifically proven…they used who gets a patent as the metric for scientific success. And guess who gets a patent? Those who in their childhood were exposed to patent-getters.”

WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?

Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work!

And in case you missed it, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes still in theaters, don’t miss our deep dive into whether that movie series might be an unsettling depiction of our actual future!

FOLLOW US!

Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! 

And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:

Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial 

Facebook: Roddenberry

Twitter: @Roddenberry  

*Roddenberry Entertainment participates in affiliate programs and may receive a small commission for links on this page*

For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]