The Spinal Frontier: A Star Trek Physiology Podcast

The Spinal Frontier: A Star Trek Physiology Podcast

By Kelley and ErynScienceNatural Sciences
Download on the App Store

The Spinal Frontier: A Star Trek Physiology Podcast episodes

  • KLINGONS: Who do we seek?

    Kelley and Eryn have thought a lot about Klingon parts in past episodes, but here we focus on them as a species. While they have a lot of variation, they have a few things in common: vestigial (?) foot horns, big ol' bones, blood as a food group, and two of… well, apparently, just about everything.

    IG: @spinalfrontierpod 

    Tumblr: @spinalfrontierpod

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spinalfrontierpod


    30 min
  • COMMUNICATION: Talaxians Can’t Sing Jazz

    Kelley and Eryn stay completely on-topic talking about physiological adaptations for humanoid communication: squeaky toys, the color of magic, and CRYSTALS. Baby not learning to communicate fast enough? Take a lesson from the Bynar and plug it into your computer. Enjoy this longer-than-usual episode!

    Also, we’ve been making the rounds lately: Check us out on the Treksperts Quiz, and Eryn’s scorekeeper role in the Strange New Pod x Treksperts Quiz livestream for Picard Week II!

    IG: @spinalfrontierpod

    Tumblr: @spinalfrontierpod

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spinalfrontierpod

    39 min
  • BIOSHIPS: Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew?

    Kelley and Eryn bring themselves closer to Actually Good Sound quality in their bedroom closet, where they explore one of Eryn’s favorite topics: Star Trek ships. Highlights include biomimicry, Breen brine, space pinecones, meaty walls, Borg queen conspiracy theories, rearranging one’s “inside goop,” wall masseuses, and genetically modified jelly furniture. Also, in case you didn’t know, we like it when we’re filled with soup. Listen after the credits for a very special explanation.

    28 min
  • TEETH: What’s in Rok-Tahk’s Mouth?

    Kelley and Eryn resume Season 2 after a holiday break to talk about jawless fish, vampires, ALL the filter feeders, and where Klingons go to buy their shoes. Enjoy an ad-free 2023, and check out our new socials!

    IG: @spinalfrontierpod

    Tumblr: @spinalfrontierpod

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spinalfrontierpod

    27 min
  • SPECIAL EPISODE: Go-Gurt Hands

    On this very special episode of the Spinal Frontier, Kelley and Eryn watch along with Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Episode 15, Masquerade, to finally answer the question: What the hal is Dal?

    Edited by Eryn and Kelley, hokey theme song by Kelley

    Contact information:

    Instagram @spinalfrontierpod

    YouTube channel coming soon :)

    23 min
  • TELLARITES: How can you even tell...arite?

    Kelley and Eryn do their best to figure out what, exactly, a Tellarite looks like. Turns out, "How many fingers am I holding up?" might depend on which franchise (or starship) you're in!

    Edited by Eryn and Kelley, hokey theme song by Kelley.

    Contact information: 

    Instagram @spinalfrontierpod 

    YouTube channel coming soon :)

    24 min
  • EXTREMOPHILES: Some like it hot.

    This week Kelley and Eryn are still talking about extreme organisms, but this time, we’re talking about aliens that survive and thrive in extreme temperatures. What's going on with Tholians? What the heck is happening under a Breen's suit? How big is a tubeworm? Can Eryn remember the word hemocyanin? Let's find out!

    Edited by Eryn, hokey theme song by Kelley.

    Contact information: Instagram @spinalfrontierpod, email [email protected]

    27 min
  • LIFE IN SPACE 2: Residents of the vacuum

    This week Kelley and Eryn piggyback off of the hazards of space travel to talk about Trek’s various aliens that live in its vacuum! Are gormaganders the pandas of the 24th century? How does Species 8472 feel about Mountain Dew and what are they even made of anyways? Let’s find out!

    A note on temperature figures: the sun-side of the James Webb Space Telescope gets up to 400 degrees Celsius while the instruments on the opposite side need to be -266 degrees Celsius for optimal operation.

    Edited by Eryn, hokey theme song by Kelley.

    Contact information: Instagram @spinalfrontierpod, email [email protected]

    27 min
  • LIFE IN SPACE: Why aren't they just puddles of goop?

    Kelley and Eryn discuss some of the challenges of dealing with gravity and radiation in space: fried nervous systems, improbable evolutionary events, and melting faces. Enjoy Kelley's rant about how nerves work, because you're getting the same lecture she's been giving her students for free!

    In case you missed it: Listen to our guest episode of Where's Beverly!

    Editing by Eryn and hokey theme song by Kelley.

    Contact information: Instagram @spinalfrontierpod, Twitter @spinalfrontier, email [email protected].

    28 min
  • DISEASES: They stole his lungs?!

    Kelley and Eryn are married, moved, and minorly late in their return for season 2! We're talking phage homunculuses (homunculi?), the 90's band Hanson's contributions to science, mad cow disease, and other ways Julian Bashir likes to spend his time. We're so excited to be back-- stay tuned for the rest of the season!

    Editing by Eryn, hoke theme music by Kelley.

    Talk to us: IG @spinalfrontierpod, Twitter@spinalfrontier, [email protected]

    28 min

About The Spinal Frontier: A Star Trek Physiology Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Ever pause your millionth watch-through of your favorite version of Star Trek to wonder, "How is Klingon blood pink?" or, "Would hologram lungs even work?" or even, "Wait, do Ferengi ears fall off?!" Hosts Kelley (she/her), a marine biologist, and Eryn (they/them), a huge Star Trek fan, share the conversations they were already having at their house about the physiology of Star Trek aliens.