A Writer asked Google

Nathan McGrath

In researching for my Sci-Fi and Urban Fantasy novels, I often ask difficult or crazy questions and get profoundly thought provoking or just plain bonkers answers . Like they say, you don't know until you ask. These podcasts give you an insight into the research that went into my current and upcoming novels.

  1. 23 MARS

    Understanding Spurs slide into a relegation battle - Follow the money.

    Being a Spurs supporter, I wondered what Google NotebookLM would make of the team's slide into a relegation battle. The deep dive response surprised me. Spurs are in the top 5 globally wealthiest clubs, the 9th highest earning club in the world, bringing in £582 million a year, The spectacular stadium brings in £55 million in non-football events. What is going on? How did we get here

    22 min

  2. 20 MARS

    The Geometric Heart of a Timeless Universe

    These academic sources examine the $\Lambda$CDM model, the current standard for understanding the universe's expansion and structure. While this framework has been remarkably successful, researchers are identifying significant inconsistencies, most notably the Hubble tension regarding the cosmic expansion rate. Recent data from the DESI survey and the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that the "dark sector" of the universe is likely more complex than once thought. Proposed solutions include dynamical dark energy, which changes over time, and negative cosmological constants found in cyclic or bouncing universe theories. Furthermore, identifying the true nature of dark matter remains a critical priority for resolving these architectural flaws in modern physics. Ultimately, the papers argue that the scientific community must prepare for a post-$\Lambda$CDM era by adopting more collaborative practices and exploring sophisticated mathematical models.

    14 min

  3. 19 MARS

    Why the Universe might bounce.

    Our virtual couple explore the enigmatic nature of dark energy and its role in the accelerating expansion of our universe. They contrast the standard cosmological model, where vacuum energy remains constant, against modern theories suggesting this force may evolve or weaken over time. This scientific tension reveals a "vacuum catastrophe", highlighting a massive mathematical mismatch between General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory.

    25 min

  4. 14 MARS

    The Passenger. Attack on Free Will. How AI Weaponises your Survival Instincts

    If we look at all levels of from the quantum to the biological, to the social, psychological, natural, all the physical and space sciences  from the point of view of 'causal mechanics' or 'functionalism, can free will emerge from the recognition and understanding of one field? Or would the choices one makes from that position of understanding not be free will because the choices made would themselves be constrained by the limits of the conditions? And if those limits are recognised and the person attempts to push, explore ways to go beyond the rules governing the system, then is that attempt to expand, or gho beyond, the only sign of free will. Or is that also constrained within the mechanism. If a person was able to map out every cause of their current mood, would that knowledge make that person more in control or simply like a spectator of their life. And would either of those positions put the person in a mode of conscious awareness unaffected by what was being observed?

    22 min

  5. 11 MARS

    Radical Mutual Aid and Community Power

    Explore the intersection between anarchist theory and community power. These fields share a fundamental commitment to human liberation and the dismantling of authoritarian hierarchies. Dr Mark Baldwin argues that while social work is often embedded within the capitalist state, it can adopt prefigurative practices such as mutual aid, direct democracy, and decentralisation. The author contrasts this perspective with traditional Marxist or radical models, emphasizing individual autonomy and collective self-organisation as superior alternatives to state-controlled welfare. By rejecting coercive power, an anarchist approach encourages practitioners to build egalitarian relationships that prioritise the self-defined needs of service users. Ultimately, the source calls for a politically engaged and disobedient form of practice to challenge the oppressive structures of modern austerity.

    20 min

  6. 7 JANV.

    The Interstellar Spies

    Super-intelligent aliens could easily disguise their intergalactic spacecraft to mimic natural space phenomena - almost but not quite. Astronomers and scientists have performed theoretical actobatics to normalise the strange behaviour of our recent intergalactic visitors; 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017, followed by 2I/Borisov in 2019 and the highly anomalous 3I/ATLAS in 2025.The detection and subsequent analysis of interstellar objects (ISOs) traversing the inner Solar System has precipitated a quiet crisis within the planetary science community. For centuries, the astronomical paradigm has been predicated on a clear dichotomy: the Solar System is populated by indigenous bodies—asteroids and comets—whose dynamical histories are bound to the Sun, and the interstellar medium is a void, traversed only by gas, dust, and cosmic rays. The arrival of 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017, followed by 2I/Borisov in 2019 and the highly anomalous 3I/ATLAS in 2025, has shattered this isolationist framework.

    12 min

  7. 07/10/2025

    The Rise, Fall and Rise of Omniscient POV

    I needed a bit of help writing from an Omniscient POV and asked Google Gemini for some guidance, do's and don'ts. It gave me a comprehensive discussion on narrative perspective, particularly focusing on the third-person omniscient point of view (POV) and the challenges associated with it. Sources explain that omniscient narration, where an all-knowing voice can access any character's thoughts and comment on the story, offers unlimited scope and scale for storytelling, often incorporating elements like foreshadowing or social commentary. A significant concern raised is "head hopping," which occurs when writers jump between limited character perspectives without a proper omniscient guide, leading to a jarring or disorienting experience for the reader. Furthermore, the texts explore how authors manipulate narrative distance to achieve specific effects, such as increasing intimacy with a character or illustrating chaos, and discuss how modern writing often favours closer POVs over the traditionally challenging omniscient technique. Finally, Out two unreal presenters introduce the concept of "gritty" writing, arguing that modern honesty and realism are valid artistic choices that intersect with narrative voice. For Writer's notes: https://softmachine.net/a-writers-guide-to-point-of-view-third-person-limited-vs-omniscient/

    16 min

  8. 07/10/2025

    The Poverty of Experience: How did we come to this?

    So you think you're in control of who you are, can really explain the choices you make, the things you're into and the things that just turn you off? I asked Gemini a question about Art, Cultures, identity, and Capitalism: Gemini took on a riff about memes. You may wonder, as I did 'What the hell?" But this is what Wikipedia says: "The term meme was originally introduced by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene to describe the concept of cultural transmission. The term Internet meme was coined by Mike Godwin in 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early online communities, including message boards, Usenet groups, and email. " For sources and text: https://softmachine.net/briefing-on-cultural-theory-key-concepts-and-debates/

    15 min
Tout afficher (28)

À propos

In researching for my Sci-Fi and Urban Fantasy novels, I often ask difficult or crazy questions and get profoundly thought provoking or just plain bonkers answers . Like they say, you don't know until you ask. These podcasts give you an insight into the research that went into my current and upcoming novels.

Informations

  • Création
    Nathan McGrath
  • Années d’activité
    2025 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    28
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Nathan McGrath
  • Site web de l’émission
    A Writer asked Google