The Science in The Fiction
This is both a science and a science fiction podcast. We dig deep into the biggest ideas in science fiction, using science to elevate the conversation about sci-fi, and sci-fi to promote science education, curiosity and vision. We talk to science fiction authors about the science in their fiction, then talk to scientists about the same topic, and catalyze conversations between the two.
Episodes
43 episodes
Ep 43: Kaitlyn Kuehn on Sci-Fi Fungi on The Flora Funga Podcast
Marty speaks with Kaitlyn Kuehn (KK), creator and host of the Flora Funga Podcast, discussing recent developments in real world applications of fungi, and speculating about the possible roles fungi may play in our science fictional future. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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55:38
Ep 42: Mike Carey on Sci-Fi Fungi in 'The Girl With All The Gifts'
We speak with M. R. Carey about his book 'The Girl With All The Gifts', where the zombie fungus Cordyceps plays a central role in bringing about the end of civilization. We talk about the appeal of a post-apocalyptic story and discuss some of t...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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57:23
Ep 41: Benjamin Percy on Sci-Fi Fungi in 'The Unfamiliar Garden'
Beginning our highly anticipated new topic of Sci-Fi Fungi, we talk to science fiction author Benjamin Percy about the second book of his Comet Cycle, 'The Unfamiliar Garden'. We discuss Ben's writing career in comic books and novels and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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42:00
Ep 40: Marty and Holly on Sci-Fi Fungi and The Multiverse in Upcoming Books and Interviews
Marty and Holly discuss our upcoming theme of Sci-Fi Fungi with interviews of science fiction authors Benjamin Percy and Mike Carey, along with mycologists Dr. Alex Moskaluk from the University of Guelph and Kaitlyn Kuehn (KK) from the Flora Fu...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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37:37
Ep 39: Edward M. Lerner on First Contact in 'On The Shoals of Space-Time'
We talk to a returning guest and friend of the show, science fiction author Edward M. Lerner, about his latest book 'On The Shoals of Space-Time', on the topic of First Contact. Ed is a fount of scientific insight and information on space...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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1:04:00
Ep 38: Mark Milne on Geoengineering in 'The Ministry for the Future'
In this episode we talk to Mark Milne as a follow-up on our interviews with science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson and glaciologist Heidi Sevestre in episodes 21 and 22, on the topic of Geoengineering as portrayed in Kim Stanley Robinson’s...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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1:08:03
Ep 37: Peter Watts in Conversation with Justin Gregg - Part 2
We continue the conversation between science fiction author Peter Watts and scientist Justin Gregg, and now they get down to the tricky business of discussing the nature of consciousness. We discuss Peter's premise of 'Blindsight – that c...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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38:34
Ep 36: Peter Watts in Conversation with Justin Gregg - Part 1
In this episode we present a conversation between science fiction author Peter Watts and scientist Justin Gregg, following up on our individual interviews with each of them on the general theme of intelligence and consciousness. Justin Gr...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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49:29
Ep 35: George Paxinos on Neuroscience and Cloning in 'A River Divided'
Marty and Holly talk to George Paxinos - neuroscientist, environmental activist and author of 'A River Divided', a book that explores neurological determinism - the claim that we have no free will and that our actions are entirely determined by...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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46:04
Ep 34: David Brin on First Contact in 'Existence'
We speak with David Brin, science fiction icon, scientist, futurist and civilizational optimist. We discuss his particular view of first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, as portrayed in his 2012 novel 'Existence', along with hi...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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1:04:12
Ep 33: Avi Loeb on First Contact in 'Extraterrestrial'
We speak with Professor Avi Loeb from the Harvard Astronomy department, and he is one of the most generous, gregarious, kind and thoughtful people we’ve ever spoken with. Not only that, he embodies the spirit of true scientific inquiry and disc...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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1:07:55
Ep 32: Anniversary Special - Marty and Holly on The First Year of The Sci in The Fi
To celebrate the first anniversary of our podcast, Marty and Holly do a little retrospective to discuss their favorite books, people and interviews from the last year. We discuss some of the best science fiction books we read: 'Red Team B...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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41:37
Ep 31: David Curtin on Dark Matter in 'Sunfall' (Part 2)
This is the second part of our interview with Dr. David Curtin, Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Particle Physics at the University of Toronto. In response to the kind of dark matter model found in Jim Al-Khalili's science fiction boo...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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38:20
Ep 30: David Curtin on Dark Matter in 'Sunfall' (Part 1)
Dr. David Curtin is the Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Particle Physics at the University of Toronto, and specializes in exotic theories of dark matter that describe a "dark sector" which may include complex dark matter. These ...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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45:40
Ep 29: Jim Al-Khalili on Dark Matter in 'Sunfall'
Our theme in the next two episodes is dark matter, the kind of far-out science that is stranger than fiction and presents realms of possibility that are both more plausible and more interesting than parallel worlds or extra dimensions or even w...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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51:18
Ep 28: Edward M. Lerner on Planetary Protection in 'Life and Death on Mars'
In this episode we return to the theme of Planetary Protection, continuing the conversation we started in episodes 19 and 20 where we discussed the return of samples from Asteroid Bennu to Earth in NASA’s recent OSIRIS Rex mission. There ...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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55:19
Ep 27: Peter Gorniak and Cydney Nielsen on Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in 'Stealing Worlds'
Marty sits down with his university pals Drs. Peter Gorniak and Cyndey Nielsen, to discuss Karl Schroeder's book 'Stealing Worlds'. As it happens, they both have PhD's and lifelong careers working in their fields of expertise - Peter in ...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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1:08:06
Ep 26: Karl Schroeder on Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in 'Stealing Worlds'
Karl Schroeder is a science fiction author and foresight analyst. His fiction is known for both its scientific rigour and its visionary quality of bearing witness to what we can expect just around the corner – especially with his latest b...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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1:04:15
Ep 25: Peter Watts (Part 2) on Intelligence and Consciousness in 'Blindsight'
In the second part of our interview with Peter Watts, we delve into his ideas about intelligence and consciousness. Does consciousness serve any function, or can all cognitive processes get along just fine without it? In his novel B...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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58:06
Ep 24: Peter Watts (Part 1) on Intelligence and Consciousness in 'If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal'
We talk to acclaimed science fiction author Peter Watts about Justin Gregg's book 'If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal'. We ask if the human flavour of intelligence is maladaptive, and other creatures are smarter because they are so well adapted ...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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51:02
Ep 23: Justin Gregg on Intelligence and Consciousness in 'If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal'
Marty and Holly sit down with zoologist Justin Gregg to discuss his book 'If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity'. We discuss which aspects of human intelligence (and stupidity) are unique in t...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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58:59
Ep 22: Heidi Sevestre on Geoengineering in Kim Stanley Robinson's 'The Ministry For The Future'
Marty and Holly sit down with Dr. Heidi Sevestre for a conversation about climate change and geoengineering, as portrayed in The Ministry For The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. Dr. Sevestre is a glaciologist who is leading the call to ac...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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56:56
Ep 21: Kim Stanley Robinson on Geoengineering in 'The Ministry For The Future'
In this episode we are super excited to present our conversation with Kim Stanley Robinson, one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, whose legacy will surely last deep into our sci-fi future. We discuss his latest book The...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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1:09:19
Ep 20: Tim Swindle on Planetary Protection in the OSIRIS-REx Mission and 'The Andromeda Strain'
This conversation was a great example of what we’re trying to do with this podcast, the perfect balance between Science and Science Fiction. Marty sits down with Dr. Tim Swindle to discuss The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton and The ...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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1:03:30
Ep 19: Thomas Zega on Planetary Protection in the OSIRIS-REx Mission and 'The Andromeda Strain'
NASA's recent OSIRIS-REx mission has returned a sample of asteroid Bennu all the way to Earth for detailed analysis. It is difficult to ignore the tempting similarities of this mission to the plot of Michael Crichton's 'The Andromeda Stra...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:05:17
