EUSci: Edinburgh University Science Podcast #9 - Science of Science Fiction

In another very special edition of the EUSci podcast, we discuss how science fiction has influenced science, and vice-versa. Look out for references to all of your favourite (and least favourite!) science fiction stories, movies and tv series. Here's our take on spacey effect of science fiction on the science stories that make it into the headlines (or at least the science pages) of newspapers.

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What's in today's show:

Headlines

• Walking Caterpillar Robot


• Lip-reading Computer


• Mind-reading Headset


• Sentient Internet


• Swine Flu (well, we had to cover it)


• Sadistic Spider Sex


• Moon Base Plans Uncertain


• Glow-In-The-Dark Dogs


• Yet Another Invisibility Cloak


• Man vs. Machine


• Obama Vows to spend 3% GDP on Science


• Self-Replicating Robot


• Quantum Cryptography May Not Be Secure

Science of Science Fiction Discussion:

We discussed the following topics:

• Robots: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful.


• Space Travel: Jump gates, warp drives and worm holes.


• Gadgets: Things that have come true (jetpacks!) and things that haven't (where's my holodeck?).


• Biology: Telepathy, genetic engineering and alien life-forms.


• Teleportation and time travel: Because they didn't fit into any other category, and we wanted an excuse to play the quantum leap theme.

EU-What?!

• Alan rants about bad science in movies and... well, mainly in the movie Sunshine really.

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