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EP 101 - BACK TO THE FUTURE
What if the greatest time travel device in movie history is just a glowing Y-shaped excuse to ask bigger questions about science, storytelling, and human imagination? In the premiere episode of Unobtainium, Hollywood veteran Adam Sigel and rocket scientist Amy Mainzer unpack the science — and glorious nonsense — behind the flux capacitor in Back to the Future. Episode Summary In the debut episode of Unobtainium, Hollywood writer/producer Adam Sigel and rocket scientist Amy Ma
unobtainiumshow
May 221 min read


EP 102 - INCEPTION
Can dreams be hacked, shared, manipulated — or even weaponized? In this episode of Unobtainium, Adam, Amy and neuroscientist David Eagleman dive into Inception to explore the real science of dreams, memory, consciousness, and the fragile nature of reality itself. Episode Summary In this mind-bending episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam and Amy are joined by neuroscientist and bestselling author David Eagleman to unpack the science behind Inception. Together, they explor
unobtainiumshow
May 211 min read


ep 103 - Jurassic Park
Is It Actually Possible to Bring Back Dinosaurs? Unearthing Ancient DNA, CRISPR, Chaos Theory in Jurassic Park with Astrobiologist Betül Kaçar Description: In this episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam Sigel and Amy Mainzer are joined by astrobiologist and evolutionary scientist Betül Kaçar to explore the real science beneath Jurassic Park. Could dinosaur DNA really survive inside amber for 65 million years? How close are modern scientists to resurrecting extinct species
unobtainiumshow
May 201 min read


Ep 104 - Star Wars with Neil Degrasse Tyson
Is the Force real? From Hyperspace to Parsecs, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson joins us to discuss the science of Star Wars. Is the Force science or spirituality— or both? In this episode of Unobtainium, Adam, Amy, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explore the science, philosophy, and enduring mythology behind Star Wars and its most iconic idea: the Force. Episode Summary: In this episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam and Amy sit down with astrophysicist Neil
unobtainiumshow
May 191 min read


Ep 105 - 2001: A Space Odyssey
In this episode of Unobtainium, Amy, Adam, and UCLA planetary scientist Dave Jewitt explore Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey—a film that remains one of the most scientifically realistic depictions of space travel ever put on screen. From artificial gravity and the silence of the vacuum to HAL 9000, alien intelligence, human evolution, and the search for life beyond Earth, the conversation examines what the movie gets right, where it bends the rules, and why
unobtainiumshow
May 161 min read


ep 106 - blade runner
What makes us human? More than forty years after its release, Blade Runner remains one of the most influential and thought-provoking science fiction films ever made. Ridley Scott's cyberpunk masterpiece continues to shape conversations about artificial intelligence, robotics, consciousness, memory, identity, and the future relationship between humans and machines. In this episode of Unobtainium, Adam and Amy are joined by roboticist Hiro Ono of Georgia Tech and the former Jet
unobtainiumshow
May 142 min read


ep 107 - godzilla minus one
What makes Godzilla such an enduring icon? In this episode of Unobtainium, Adam and Amy dive into the science, history, and emotional power of Godzilla Minus One with Professor Stephanie Diem, a nuclear engineer and professor of Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Godzilla films ever made, Minus One returns the King of the Monsters to his roots as a terrifying symbol of nuclear destruction while telling a deeply h
unobtainiumshow
May 122 min read
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