Fiction Science

Latest Episodes:

Thriller explores Florida's flooded future Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Tim Chawaga, the author of a climate-fiction thriller titled "Salvagia," weaves the implications of future sea-level rise and other high-tech twists into a Florida murder mystery.

Dinosaur facts vs. fiction in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Tech pioneer Nathan Myhrvold and paleontologist Thomas Holtz discuss how dinosaur science has evolved over the past three decades - and do a reality check on the latest "Jurassic World" dino-movie.

How the Rubin Observatory will change astronomy Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Mario Juric, director of the University of Washington's DiRAC Institute, explains why astronomers are celebrating the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's "First Look" at the cosmos - and tells you how to join the party.

Get a reality check on AI hype May 19, 2025

Show notes

Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna, authors of "The AI Con," say the benefits of AI are being played up while the costs are being played down — and they lay out strategies for fighting the hype.

How dictators use tech in fact and fiction Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Science-fiction author Ray Nayler talks about his latest book, "Where the Axe Is Buried," a chilling tale of AI-powered repression and resistance that was inspired by current events as well as Nayler's familiarity with authoritarianism.

How humans will be reinvented for life in space Mar 08, 2025

Show notes

Copies of human bodies can't be printed out, as shown in the space-based satire "Mickey 17," but biomedical researcher Christopher Mason says it should be possible to re-engineer humans to make them more suited for living in space.

Mary Roach on the science of space sex Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

In a Valentine's Day episode, Mary Roach, the author of "Packing for Mars," brings us up to date on one of the big questions about living in space: What would zero-G sex be like?

Scientists dream up solar system adventures Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Planetary scientist John E. Moores and astrophysicist Jesse Rogerson weave tales about interplanetary adventures that are like nothing on Earth in a book titled "Daydreaming in the Solar System."

Will AI cross the line into personhood? Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

Law professor James Boyle, author of "The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood," explains why he thinks intelligent machines will eventually be considered persons.

How to defend against disinformation Oct 22, 2024

Show notes

TrueMedia.org founder Oren Etzioni and Annalee Newitz, author of "Stories Are Weapons," discuss the escalating arms race between the purveyors of political disinformation and those who are trying to defend against it.

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