Podcast
Sci Fi / Sci Fact
Hosted by RNZ · EN
MacDiarmid Institute experts talk to Bryan Crump about an idea from science fiction, if it holds up to scientific scrutiny & if it'd work in reality. (Yeah, the Big Bang Theory guys would love this).
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Tinfoil Hats | Faraday Cages
Jul 4, 202400:29:14Tap to summarizeClaims that a tinfoil hat will protect the wearer from electromagnetic fields and mind control have been around for many years but do they actually work? Justin Hodgkiss joins Bryan Crump to answer that question.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Superman | Kryptonite
Jul 2, 202400:19:26Tap to summarizeKryptonite is a green crystal-like material found on Superman's home planet - Krypton. The radiation from the rock weakens Superman. Professor Bill Williams tells us if there are any real life equivalents to Kryptonite.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Black Widow | Pheromones
Jun 30, 202400:21:36Tap to summarizeScarlett Johansson's character in Black Widow has to fight pheromones in order to beat the evil villain. Anindita Sen explains how pheromones work and whether they could control humans.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →MacGyver | Optical Pump
Jun 27, 202400:24:29Tap to summarizeMacGyver was an 80s icon, with his mullet and ability to turn anything into a tool to save the day. Karen Thorn looks at one episode where the action hero turns some historical artifacts into a laser.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Harry Potter | The Philosopher's Stone
Jun 25, 202400:24:08Tap to summarizeThe Philosopher's Stone in the Harry Potter books can change metal into gold and create an elixir of life. Erin Leitao tells Bryan Crump whether either ability is within our reach.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Total Recall | Turbinium
Jun 23, 202400:25:28Tap to summarizeIn Total Recall Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a construction worker who recovers memories as life as secret agent trying to stop the mining of Turbinium on the planet Mars.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Ghostbusters | Proton Packs
Jun 20, 202400:25:59Tap to summarizeThe Ghostbusters would never have caught their prey without proton packs. Emily Kendall talks to Bryan Crump about how they worked in the movies and whether they could work in real life.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Discworld | Octiron
Jun 18, 202400:23:53Tap to summarizeKate Andrew tackles Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books in this episode, with a particular focus on the Octiron, the element of magic which makes up the disc's hub.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →Spiderman | Web
Jun 16, 202400:16:40Tap to summarizeSpiderman swings from the top of New York's high-rises, fighting crime and beating super-villains. But could spider silk really hold up a full-grown man? Dr Paul Hume and Bryan Crump discuss the super qualities of spiderwebs.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Transcribe →The Terminator | Exoskeleton
Jun 13, 202400:22:13Tap to summarizeArnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator is a cyborg sent back in time to change the future. Duncan McGillvray discusses the metal that makes up the murderous robotic endoskeleton.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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