offworld

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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.

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