Popcorn Science Podcast

Popcorn Science Podcast

By John E. Moores & Catherine NeishTV & FilmScienceTV ReviewsFilm ReviewsAstronomy
Download on the App Store

Popcorn Science Podcast episodes

  • Tribbles
    References
    • The Trouble with the Tribbles
    • Trials and Tribble-ations
      • Misc

      In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind two Star Trek episodes: "The Trouble with Tribbles" (1967) from

      The Original Series and "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996) from Deep Space Nine. In both episodes, the crews try to grapple with an outbreak of a
      number of fuzzy spheroids known as Tribbles, with the DS9 crew coming from the future to help out Kirk and Spock!

      1 hr 1 min
    • Contact

      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
                • 1 hr 2 min
              • Ender's Game
                References
                • Ender's Game (film)
                • Ender's Game (book)
                  • Misc

                  In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the 2013 movie "Ender's Game".

                  Based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game follows a young boy as he learns to defend the
                  Earth from an invasion by a mysterious alien species known as the Formics.

                  1 hr 2 min
                • Tunguska-Terma
                  Topics
                  • Antarctic Meteorite Survey
                  • Tunguska
                    • References
                    • Tunguska Event
                    • Tunguska Episode
                    • Terma Episode
                      • Misc

                      In our first episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind The X-Files two-parter "Tunguska/Terma".

                      These episodes first aired in November 1996, and follow Mulder and Scully around the world as they try to get their hands on a rock filled with
                      a mysterious alien oil.

                      1 hr

                    About Popcorn Science Podcast

                    From the publisher's feed

                    Popcorn Science is a podcast that takes a critical look at the science portrayed in our favourite movies and television shows.