6 episodes
Science Fantasy Science Rosie Nagele
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- Arts
Two siblings talk about cool science in science fiction, fantasy, and science fantasy books. Chris is working on a PhD in astrophysics at the University of Tokyo. Rosie loves all things related to biology and the environment.
This is not a spoiler-free experience; we recommend reading the books before listening.
For additional thoughts on the topics we cover and links to further reading, check out the episode extras at sciencefantasyscience.wordpress.com.
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Hints of science in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy
In this episode, we cover Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy: "The Golden Compass," "The Subtle Knife," and "The Amber Spyglass." Chris describes moments that fed his interest in physics when first reading the books some 20 years ago. Rosie ponders developments in consciousness at the species and individual scales.
This episode contains spoilers for all three books.
Music - Freeze my soul by DreamHaven -
Sonar and shape shifting in "Lagoon"
In this episode, we talk about Nnedi Okorador's "Lagoon." Rosie talks about the biology of shape shifting, and Chris discusses the use of sonar for mapping environments.
As always, this episode contains spoilers for the book!
Music - Freeze my soul by DreamHaven -
Wormholes and Personality Development in "All Systems Red"
In this episode, we talk about All Systems Red, the first novella in the Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells. Chris explains what wormholes are and how they relate to blackholes, then proposes a scheme for characterizing the travel speed of matter and signals in fictional worlds. Rosie talks about the development of personality in a human-robot construct.
This episode contains minor spoilers for All Systems Red, but really, the book is short; just read it already!
Later books tell us more about the topics discussed in this episode, so if you find this conversation interesting, you have a lot to look forward to in the series! Once you're caught up, check out the episode extra at sciencefantasyscience.com.
Music - Freeze my soul by DreamHaven -
Metabolizing metals and seeing the future in "The Final Empire"
In this episode, we talk about The Final Empire, the first book in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy. Rosie compares how allomancers burn metals to how food is metabolized. Then, Chris wonders what the existence of atium tells us about whether the Mistborn universe is deterministic or probabilistic.
This podcast contains spoilers! Please proceed with caution. For extra reading on metabolism, alloys, hormones, and homeostasis, check out the episode extra at sciencefantasyscience.com.
Music - Freeze my soul by DreamHeaven -
The Speed of Light and Banshee Evolution in “Going Postal”
In this episode, we talk about “Going Postal” by Terry Pratchett. Chris explores the question, what if the speed of light weren’t quite so fast? Then, Rosie imagines under what circumstances a banshee could evolve.
Once again, this podcast contains spoilers; proceed with caution.
For more on banshees and the evolution of flight in mammals, check out the Episode Extra at sciencefantasyscience.com.
Music - Freeze my soul by DreamHeaven -
Starlight and Resurrection in "Three Parts Dead"
Welcome to the first episode of Science Fantasy Science! We are launching the podcast with a discussion of "Three Parts Dead" by Max Gladstone. Chris talks about the use of starlight to power Craft. Then, Rosie muses about the biology of resurrection.
This podcast contains spoilers! Please read the book (it’s awesome) before listening.
For more of Rosie’s thoughts on how Craft is used to reverse death, check out the episode extra at sciencefantasyscience.wordpress.com.
Music - Freeze my soul by DreamHeaven