offworld

Offworld: Star Trek: Picard Season 1 Finale Mar 28, 2020

Spoiler alert! Ariel, Norm, and Kishore dive into the questions raised by the season finale of Star Trek: Picard and the resolution of the season-long mystery. What does the Star Trek universe look like now after the events of the show? We discuss the themes of the season, rewarding moments for Star Trek fans, and what we hope to see in Season 2!

Offworld: Moon (2009) Feb 03, 2020

Once a hot topic of popular science, we check in on the science and state of human cloning in our discussion of the 2009 film Moon. Ariel and Norm are joined by Hank Greely, Director of the Center for Law and Biosciences at Stanford to talk biomedical ethics, cloning body parts, and artificial wombs as they relate to the future of human space travel.

Offworld: Star Trek: Picard Jan 25, 2020

Star Trek: Picard is finally released! Ariel, Norm, and Kishore commemorate the show's debut by opening a bottle of Chateau Picard and reviewing the pilot episode. We dive into light spoilers throughout the discussion, so watch the pilot before jumping in! What did you think of the episode and the direction the show is taking?

Offworld: The Wandering Earth (2019) Dec 31, 2019

This week, we take a look at one of the most ambitious space movies of the past year, The Wandering Earth. Joined by Sarafina Nance, astrophysics PhD student at UC Berkeley, we discuss the film's idea of moving the Earth out of our solar system to find a new home four light years away. Would that undertaking be possible?

Offworld: The Expanse Season 4 Premiere Dec 15, 2019

Season 4 of the The Expanse is finally out! Ariel, Norm, and guest Violet Blue discuss the first two episodes of the new season, catching up with the crew of the Rocinante and speculating about the possibilities that lay before them. We do our best to be light on spoilers, too. What do you think of the new season?

Offworld: For All Mankind (2019) Nov 25, 2019

What if the Soviets landed on the Moon before the United States? That's the premise of Apple TV+'s new show, For All Mankind, which explores the consequences of a "red moon" and NASA's response. Ariel is joined by Emily Calandrelli and Shannon Stirone to discuss the details of the show's alternate history, and what the show's writers took from NASA's own history to build their story.

Offworld: Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977) Nov 04, 2019

On Offworld this week, Ariel is joined by guests Rose Eveleth and Laura Welcher to discuss the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. From the culture of UFO obsessives and the idea of music as a communication tool, we look at this science fiction film's legacy in popular media and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Offworld: Apollo 13 (1995) Oct 27, 2019

Ariel and Adam are joined by spacesuit replica maker Ryan Nagata to talk about one of their favorite space movies, Apollo 13. We hear how the 1995 docudrama inspired Ryan to make his own spacesuits, and what the portrayal of the on-screen portrayal of the storied mission got right.

Offworld: Ad Astra Review Oct 07, 2019

We review the new science fiction space film Ad Astra! Ariel and Norm are joined by Dr. Douglas Vakoch, the President of METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) to discuss the film's portrayal of space travel through the solar system, astronaut psychology, and what commercial spaceflight could look like in the near future. Spoiler warning: we discuss many plot details about the film beyond what is shown in the trailers!

Offworld: Asteroid Exploration and Mining Aug 19, 2019

Asteroids have been the subject of numerous science fiction stories, in both destructive and constructive depictions. Joining Ariel to set the record straight on asteroids are Michael Busch of SETI and planetary astronomer Sondy Springmann. They discuss the form and composition of asteroids, the state of asteroid mining, and why there are so many misconceptions about asteroids in pop culture.

Offworld: Gravity (2013) Aug 12, 2019

This week, Ariel is joined by Dr. Christianna Taylor and science youtuber Scott Manley to talk about the movie Gravity! While the 2013 film has been picked apart in popular media, we focus on the topic of orbital debris and how real astronauts and the ISS grapple with its presence in Earth orbit.

Offworld: A Trip to the Moon (1902) Jul 20, 2019

For this very special episode of Offworld, we record from NASA Ames Research Center to talk about the 1902 film 'A Trip to the Moon', which is considered to be the first science fiction film. Ariel chats with NASA scientists about how our understanding of trips to the moon have changed over the past century, and how the moon is still ripe for exploration in both reality and sci-fi storytelling.

Offworld: Frances 'Poppy' Northcutt Jul 07, 2019

We're thrilled this week to be joined by Frances 'Poppy' Northcutt, who was a NASA Return-to-Earth Specialist during the Apollo missions and the first woman to work inside Mission Control! We talk about her experience as an engineer during Apollo, how the public remembers that era, and how media covered the moon landing. Thanks so much to Poppy Northcutt for joining us this week! You can watch APOLLO: Missions to the Moon on National Geographic on July 7th!

Offworld: Forbidden Planet (1956) Jun 24, 2019

Why are exoplanets--those outside our solar system--depicted the way they are in science fiction film? We revisit the 1956 movie Forbidden Planet to examine one of the first representations of exoplanets in cinema, and our expert guests help explain the state of exoplanet imaging and what we know about the planets astronomers have detected so far. What's your favorite exoplanet seen in film?

Offworld: Spacesuits in Science Fiction Film Jun 10, 2019

Ariel is joined by two spapcesuit afficionados: our very own Adam Savage and design professor Nicholas de Monchaux to talk about their favorite science fiction spacesuits, the role of spacesuits in film, and how real-world suits have been inspired by fiction.

Offworld: Isolation and Loneliness in Space Travel Jun 03, 2019

This week on Offworld, we explore the trope of isolation and loneliness in science fiction space travel, and how both fictional and real-world astronauts cope with being away from home for extended missions. Joining us are neuroscientist Indre Viskontas and field geophysicist Mika McKinnon for a lively discussion on how sci-fi depicts the very real challenge of isolation in space!

Offworld: The Black Hole (1979) May 20, 2019

From Disney's The Black Hole to Interstellar, we discuss the portrayal of Black Holes in science fiction films and the misconceptions popular media has spread about this astronomical phenomena. Fatima Abdurrahman from UC Berkeley's Department of Astronomy joins us to explain the science of Black Holes and how storytellers can exploret them in film!

Offworld: Starship Troopers (1997) May 13, 2019

Let's talk about the space bugs in Starship Troopers! Ariel is joined by Dr Brian Fisher and Dr Lauren Esposito from the California Academy of Sciences to discuss the science of insects and whether space bugs could exist as they're depicted in the film. Surprisingly, Starship Troopers gets several things right! Would you like to know more?

Offworld: The Beyond (2017) May 06, 2019

Ariel is joined by Tested science contributor Kishore Hari and cyborg anthropologist Amber Case to discus the 2017 film The Beyond, the traditional sci-fi notion of cyborgs, and what mix of human and machine actually makes sense for the future of space exploration.

Offworld: Wall-E (2008) Apr 29, 2019

This week on Offworld, we revisit the classic Pixar film WALL-E, and chat with roboticists from NASA and Softbank Robotics about the development of robots for use in space. What about the portrayal of space robots in WALL-E did we like, and what would apply to the kind of robots that would work alongside humans in space?

Offworld: The Right Stuff (1983) Apr 23, 2019

This week on Offworld, Ariel is joined by Adam Savage and retired astronaut Jim Newman to talk about the 1983 movie The Right Stuff! The three discuss the film's portrayal of early NASA missions and astronaut culture, and hear some stories about Jim Newman's flights on the Space Shuttle.

Offworld: Life (2017) Apr 15, 2019

If astronauts ever discovered microbial life in space, what would be the procedures for studying it? That's one of the plot points of the 2017 science fiction film Life, which we discuss with Dr. Penny Boston, director of NASA's Astrobiology Institute. Let's talk through the ideas of biological containment onboard the ISS and how a Mars sample return would actually work.

Offworld: Arrival (2016) Apr 08, 2019

This week on Offworld, we look at the science fiction film Arrival and its depiction of communication with alien life! Ariel is joined by cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Teon Brooks and Dr. Douglas Vakoch, President of METI (Messaging Extraterrestial Intelligence) to discuss how we might try to decipher verbal and visual language or alien origin. (Due to popular demand, we're releasing our Offworld show as an audio podcast! Subscribe today to get new episodes and catch up on our show.)

Offworld: Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979) Apr 01, 2019

Star Trek: The Motion Picture features a plot device inspired by NASA's Voyager missions, including the Golden Records that are aboard both spacecraft. Ariel is joined by David Pescovitz and astronomer Frank Drake (of the Drake equation) to talk about the film, the creation of the record, and its function in depicting human life to anyone who might find it.

Offworld: Europa Report (2013) Mar 25, 2019

We're joined by spacecraft engineer Bobak Ferdowsi and marine scientist Vicky Vásquez to talk about the 2013 film Europa Report! There's a lot to like about the film, including how it portrays the challenges of a crewed mission to Jupiter's moon. Is Europa our best bet for finding alien life in our solar system? Let's discuss! (Due to popular demand, we're releasing our Offworld show as an audio podcast! Subscribe today to get new episodes and catch up on our show.)

Offworld: The Potential and Problems of Spaceship A.I. Mar 18, 2019

How realistic are pop culture depictions of artificial intelligence on board spaceships? From Star Trek to 2001: A Space Odyssey, we discuss the potential of spaceship A.I. to assist astronauts, along with what research is being done on board the ISS to incorporate digital assistants.

Offworld: How Would Space Politics Work? Mar 01, 2019

Once humans start colonizing other planets, how will politics work between Earth and those who live offworld? Ariel is joined by author Annalee Newitz and linguist Nick Farmer--who works on the show the Expanse--to discuss science fiction's portrayal of realistic space politics!

Offworld: Star Trek Discovery Season 2 (2019) Jan 21, 2019

Offworld is back for 2019! And we kick off this season with a review and discussion of Star Trek: Discovery second season debut. We're joined by journalist and author Annalee Newitz to recap the episode and talk about our hopes and fears for this season. Spoilers abound!

Offworld: First Man (2018) Oct 23, 2018

For this special episode of Offworld, Ariel is joined by Adam Savage and space historian Megan Prelinger to review and discuss the new film First Man. They answer some questions asked on social media about the film's historical accuracy, its presentation of the Gemini and Apollo programs, and talk about where the film stands in relation to other space films like The Right Stuff and Apollo 13.

Offworld, Episode 4: Moonraker (1979) Oct 01, 2018

Space-minded billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are in the news today, but one of the first space billionaires appeared in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker. Ariel is joined by author Bonnie Burton and science correspondent Emily Calandrelli to talk about pop culture's stylized take on space travel in the late 70s, in the wake of Star Wars and the dawn of NASA's Shuttle program.

Offworld, Episode 3: Sunshine (2007) Oct 01, 2018

On this episode of Offworld, we revisit the Danny Boyle science fiction film Sunshine, in which a crew is sent to reignite the Sun. We're joined by astrophysicist and Professor of Astronomy Gibor Basri to discuss the science of the film and which parts hold up (and the parts that don't). What would the bomb the size of Manhattan do to the Sun?

Offworld, Episode 2: Space Camp (1986) Oct 01, 2018

On this episode of Offworld, Ariel is joined by Tested's own Simone Giertz and guest Trace Dominguez to discuss and dissect the 1986 film Space Camp! Trace relates the film to his own experience attending the real space camp, and we ponder NASA's influence on the making of the movie.

Offworld, Episode 1: Contact (1997) with Dr. Jill Tarter Sep 25, 2018

Due to popular demand, we're releasing our Offworld show as an audio podcast! Subscribe today to get new episodes and catch up on our show. For our inaugural episode, we talk about the 1997 film Contact with special guest Dr. Jill Tarter, whose work at SETI was the inspiration for the main character of the book and film.

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