Rabbit Hole of Research

Jotham Austin, II PhD, Nick Elizalde, and Georgia Geis

Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, and pop-culture. We will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes. jothamaustin.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

    Was E.T really the greatest sci-fi movie of 1982? We go down the rabbit hole of where E.T. fits in the summer that changed sci-fi. In Episode 84 of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, Georgia, and Mary welcome back returning guest and boxing glove artist Chris Guzman (@theboxinggloveartist) to the Basement Studio to talk E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Was it really the greatest sci-fi film of the summer of '82, or just the most sentimental? Previous RHOR Episodes with Chris: Gremlins and Holiday Science Where to Find Chris Online: Art: Instagram: @theboxinggloveartist Food: Instagram: @stupidgoodgrill Facebook: Chris GuzMan Jim and Georgia's Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar — 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; orders open now, with mailing expected in September It’s Science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes. We discussed these questions on the episode and now want to Hear From You (leave a comment): Would you want a data center in your neighborhood? What would they have to offer to make it worth it? Should we train AI with human values or cellular values? What would you like to see AI used for? Are you optimistic that we will get there? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We read them all, and your ideas often shape future episodes. Future Episodes Episode 86: Disability in Horror Guest: Grace Daly (Bram Stoker nominee) Episode 88: Crazies Recorded at Reed’s Local with Melissa and Luc Episode 90: Witch Please Guest: Bill Halliar (@skeletongue) Future Events to Hang with the Crew:Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton RHR Crew on This Podcast Will Change Your Life with Ben Tanzer Events & Conventions to hang with the Crew: Events & Conventions: Joe: Maud’s READINGS at Printer’s Row Wine on Sep 19th 2-4pm Art show Ultrastructure: Science is Fun, with Carol Estes at Promise You Art House in Highland IN, October 10th, 10-3pm Family Day: Seeing the Invisible World to Build a New One; in conjunction with the fall exhibition: teamLab: Everything Exists in Infinite Continuity, at the Smart Museum of Art In Hyde Park, IL, Nov 14th, 11-3pm Art and Science lecture about Zombies: Dec 10th Georgia: The inaugural 4th Street Print Fest at Chesterton Art Center, Saturday, October 3, from 1–4 PM For more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter! Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFV Don’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  2. Sep 9

    The Mini: The Cloud

    In Episode 83: The Mini, Joe, Nick, and Georgia recap Episode 82: Data Centers: Are We Really Blowing Up the Planet for AI Slop and Porn? with confirmed, three-peat returning guest and Friend of the Pod, David Pincus, PhD. The crew follows up on the CoreWeave/Hammond deal, corrects the Tempe Town Lake numbers, and it’s way more than Joe thought. Georgia talks about discovering a massive data center in downtown Chicago. In Science Holes, Joe discusses the fire amoeba and Nvidia claims to reduce data center water use to near zero. Plus the crew takes you down the Media Hole of what they have been watching, reading, and playing. Subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter for more updates and awesomeness. Order the Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar by Jim and Georgia— 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; pre-orders open now, with mailing expected in September Words // Friends with Sara: Replay on YouTube Jump to Joe’s Reading (But you should listen to all the amazing authors) Check out what the RHR crew is creating: Joe: Named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of the 35 Writers to Watch! Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe! Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else? Future Events to Hang with the Crew: Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer's This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine Events & Conventions: Joe: Maud’s READINGS at Printer’s Row Wine on Sep 19th 2-4pm Art show Ultrastructure: Science is Fun, with Carol Estes at Promise You Art House in Highland IN, October 10th, 10-3pm Family Day: Seeing the Invisible World to Build a New One; in conjunction with the fall exhibition: teamLab: Everything Exists in Infinite Continuity, at the Smart Museum of Art In Hyde Park, IL, Nov 14th, 11-3pm Art and Science lecture about Zombies: Dec 10th Georgia: The inaugural 4th Street Print Fest at Chesterton Art Center on Saturday, October 3, from 1–4 PM Upcoming Episodes *The Mini is every other episode! Episode 84: ET Guest: Chris Guzman (@theboxinggloveartist) Episode 86: Disability in Horror Guest: Grace Daly (Bram Stoker nominee) It’s science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. And to see all the content (studio images and artwork) subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter! Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next Rabbit Hole. Love Y'all! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Sep 2

    Data Centers

    In Episode 82 of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, Georgia, and Mary welcome back three-time returning guest (previously on Episodes 13 and 39) and “Friend of the Pod”, David Pincus, PhD, cell biologist at the University of Chicago, to the Basement Studio to talk data centers. We dig into the water costs, why your electric bill is going up, whether space-based cooling is science or Handwavium, what cellular stress can teach us about AI resource allocation, should we use human values or cell behavior to guide AI training, and is there anything good that will come out of these Data Centers. And it wouldn’t be an episode with David if we didn’t go down all the unexpected rabbit holes, we talk lobster farms, “data furnace”, olympic swimming pools, and of course, Extremophiles! Jim and Georgia's Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar — 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; orders open now, with mailing expected in September It’s Science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes. We discussed these questions on the episode and now want to Hear From You (leave a comment): Would you want a data center in your neighborhood? What would they have to offer to make it worth it? Should we train AI with human values or cellular values? What would you like to see AI used for? Are you optimistic that we will get there? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We read them all, and your ideas often shape future episodes. Future Episodes Episode 84: ET Guest: Chris Guzman (@theboxinggloveartist) Episode 86: Disability in Horror Guest: Grace Daly (Bram Stoker nominee) Episode 88: Crazies Recorded at Reed’s Local with Melissa and Luc Episode 90: Witch Please Guest: Bill Halliar (@skeletongue) Future Events to Hang with the Crew:Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton RHR Crew on This Podcast Will Change Your Life with Ben Tanzer Events & Conventions to hang with the Crew: Events & Conventions: Joe: Dragon Con — Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as a Professional on seven panels and Georgia will be around also!! Maud’s READINGS at Printer’s Row Wine on Sep 19th 2-4pm Art show Ultrastructure: Science is Fun, with Carol Estes at Promise You Art House in Highland IN, October 10th, 10-3pm Family Day: Seeing the Invisible World to Build a New One; in conjunction with the fall exhibition: teamLab: Everything Exists in Infinite Continuity, at the Smart Museum of Art In Hyde Park, IL, Nov 14th, 11-3pm Art and Science lecture about Zombies: Dec 10th Georgia: The inaugural 4th Street Print Fest at Chesterton Art Center, Saturday, October 3, from 1–4 PM For more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter! Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFV Don’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    Data Centers
  4. Aug 26

    The Mini: Magic

    In Episode 81: The Mini: Joe, Nick, and Georgia recap Episode 80: Magic — Power and Its Costs with author B.L. Mostyn, talk about the storm that swept through Chicagoland causing a 10-day power outage, and Joe fanboying at Fan Expo Chicago — where John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, and Keith David were all in the building for a The Thing reunion. In Science Holes, the power outage sent Nick down a rabbit hole about the US electrical grid, and could the whole country go dark. Joe talks about the complex and ethical challenges of studying octopus neuroscience, and the science of 3D bioprinted skin for burn trauma victims. In the Media Holes, Joe is reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Georgia just finished the graphic novel My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris, Nick rewatched some classics and started the Marvel RPG Midnight Suns, and Joe and Georgia dive into the Handwavium of The Last House. Upcoming events: Joe has a live Zoom reading event on release day: free link in the show notes. And Dragon Con is right around the corner: Joe’s full panel schedule below. Subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter for more updates and awesomeness. Order the Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar by Jim and Georgia— 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; pre-orders open now, with mailing expected in September Words // Friends Aug 26th at 7pm CST: Joe will be reading with four other authors on a Zoom hangout. Register now! Check out what the RHR crew is creating: Joe: Named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of the 35 Writers to Watch! Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe! Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else? Essay by Joe: From Beyond Press: Specific Knowledge: Jotham Austin, II, PhD on Transformations in Fiction Future Events to Hang with the Crew: Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer's This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine Events & Conventions: Words // Friends Aug 26th at 7pm CST: Joe will be reading with four other authors on a Zoom hangout. Register now! Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as Professional Upcoming Episodes *The Mini is every other episode! Episode 82: Climate Change and Data Centers Guest David Pincus PhD Episode 84: ET Guest: Chris Guzman (@theboxinggloveartist) Episode 86: Disability in Horror Guest: Grace Daly (Bram Stoker nominee) It’s science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. And to see all the content (studio images and artwork) subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter! Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next Rabbit Hole. Love Y'all! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    The Mini: Magic
  5. Aug 19

    Magic: Power and Its Costs

    In Episode 80 of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, Georgia, and Mary welcome author B.L. Mostyn (Heroes of Another Age) to the Basement Studio to discuss the costs of magical systems. We discuss the physics, biology, politics, and ecology behind magic systems, fantastical creatures, and the power structures that sustain them. We ask the questions worldbuilders sometimes skip: How does your magical system really work (is it consistent), how many Big Macs to make fire balls and shape shift, and who’s controlling access and should they? Special Note: The episode is being released during a rough week in NWI and Chicagoland, and the show notes may be shorter than normal. On August 11th, tornadoes and a derecho tore through the area causing major damage. At the Basement Studio: two maple trees were ripped out of the ground in the front parkway, and the cottonwood’s canopy in the back garden was shredded (luckily everything missed the house) but we did lose power. As of this episode's release, the power is still out: latest restoration estimates is between tomorrow and the end of August. The Rabbit Hole family is safe. We appreciate your check-ins, patience and your support, and will keep you updated. Stay safe, stay curious, and we love y'all! Nick, Georgia, and Joe Check out more from B.L. Mostyn: website: blmostyn.com newsletter signup: blmostyn.com/newsletter-signup Heroes of Another Age — Amazon link: a.co/d/0323LFhh (paperback, audiobook & kindle) Jim and Georgia's Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar — 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; orders open now, with mailing expected in September It’s Science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes. We discussed these questions on the episode and now want to Hear From You (leave a comment): If you could have one magical power, what would it be, and what would you be willing to pay for it? Hard magic or soft magic (Hard: systems with strict rules and consequences, or Soft: a little extra splash of Handwavium in your magic? What’s your favorite magic system or creature? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We read them all, and your ideas often shape future episodes. Future Episodes Episode 82: Climate Change and Data Centers Guest: David Pincus, PhD Episode 84: ET Guest: Chris Guzman (@theboxinggloveartist) Episode 86: Disability in Horror Guest: Grace Daly (Bram Stoker nominee) Future Events to Hang with the Crew:Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton RHR Crew on This Podcast Will Change Your Life with Ben Tanzer Events & Conventions to hang with the Crew: Events & Conventions: Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as Professional Joe will be reading on Zoom: Words // Friends Aug 26th @7pm CST / 8pm EST Register for free zoom link here: http://tinyurl.com/wordsfriendsummer For more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter! Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFV Don’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    Magic: Power and Its Costs
  6. Aug 12

    The Mini: Save Trees so Spidey can Swing

    In Episode 79: The Mini, Joe, Nick, and Georgia recap Episode 78: Briar East Woods and Urban Deforestation, featuring guests Anne and TJ of the Save Briar East Woods organization. The crew ties up a few loose ends mentioned on the episode: where does Indiana Dunes rank among national parks, a listener comment about daylighting a buried creek in the Dunes, Alex’s 101-word story, and the ‘70s animal horror environmental movies. Joe quickly covers three Science Holes that caught his eye: a game that lets you try your hand at terraform Mars, sperm whales that have accents (I see you Dory), and what’s a rock. And Nick gets serious with a PSA on science funding. And we skip the Media Holes and jump right into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the story, the team-ups, the Handwavium, why it might be the most Spider-Man comic movie yet and the top 5 MCU movie. (We give a warning before we chat, so we don’t accidentally spoil anything). Check out and support: Save Briar East Woods Subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter for more updates and awesomeness. Order the Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar by Jim and Georgia— 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; pre-orders open now, with mailing expected in September Words // Friends Aug 26th at 7pm CST: Joe will be reading with four other authors on a Zoom hangout. Register now! Check out what the RHR crew is creating: Joe: Named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of the 35 Writers to Watch! Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe! Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else? Essay by Joe: From Beyond Press: Specific Knowledge: Jotham Austin, II, PhD on Transformations in Fiction Future Events to Hang with the Crew: Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer's This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine Events & Conventions: Words // Friends Aug 26th at 7pm CST: Joe will be reading with four other authors on a Zoom hangout. Register now! Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as Professional Upcoming Episodes *The Mini is every other episode! Episode 78 - Briar East Woods - Urban Deforestation Guest: Anne Sedlacek Episode 80: Magic: the Power and Cost of Magic Systems Guest: B.L.Mostyn Episode 82: Climate Change and Data Centers Returning Guest David Pincus PhD (episode 13 climate change and episode 39 on Johnny Storm) It’s science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. And to see all the content (studio images and artwork) subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter! Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next Rabbit Hole. Love Y'all! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    The Mini: Save Trees so Spidey can Swing
  7. Aug 5

    Briar East Woods and Urban Deforestation

    In Episode 78 of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, Georgia, and Mary welcome guests Anne Sedlacek and TJ Gaertig of Save Briar East Woods to explore the 32-acre dune forest in Hammond, Indiana. Briar East is the last sliver of a 4,700-year-old sand ridge, an urban forest sitting just south of steel mills and oil refineries, and it's doing the work of soaking up the stormwater that would otherwise be in somebody's basement. The crew talks about how UChicago's Henry Cowles invented ecology on these very dunes, what Marc Berman's walk-in-the-park research says about nature and your brain, why fiction keeps casting tree defenders like Poison Ivy as the villain, and what the forest might actually say if we could learn to speak tree. Jim and Georgia's Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar — 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; orders open now, with mailing expected in September It’s Science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes. We discussed these questions on the episode and now want to Hear From You (leave a comment): What’s a movie, show, or comic that villainizes nature, and did you catch it while watching? Is there a patch of woods, a park, or a green space that anchors you to where you live? What would you lose if it were gone? When’s the last time you were really out in nature, phone away? Did you feel the difference? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We read them all, and your ideas often shape future episodes. Future Episodes Episode 80: Magic: the Power and Cost of Magic Systems Guest: B.L.Mostyn Episode 82: Climate Change and Data Centers Guest: David Pincus, PhD Episode 84: ET Guest: Chris Guzman (@theboxinggloveartist) Future Events to Hang with the Crew:Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton RHR Crew on This Podcast Will Change Your Life with Ben Tanzer Events & Conventions to hang with the Crew: Events & Conventions: Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as Professional For more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter! Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFV Don’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    Briar East Woods and Urban Deforestation
  8. Jul 29

    The Mini: Spider-man Villains

    In Episode 77: The Mini, Joe, Nick, and Georgia recap Episode 76: Spider-Man: What His Villains Reveal About Him— the third and final part of their Spider-Man villain series featuring guest Alex Hanes of the YouTube channel Hanes for Heroes (@Hanes4Heros). The crew briefly revisits the episode, speculates about which villains might show up in the new MCU Spider-Man: Brand New Day film, and Joe adds a thought that Captain America might have the closest hero origin story and moral struggles to Spider-Man’s. Georgia gives her opinion about Spider-Man’s most memorable moment is the Iron Man embrace in Infinity War. In the Science Holes, Joe talks about: A NYTimes report about ChatGPT near-fatal health advice lawsuit. The idea of prediction betting on drug trial results and FDA decisions. Connecting Doc Ock’s tentacle arms to real brain-machine interface research and a new study revealing how individual neurons build sentences one word at a time. And at the buzzer, Joe sneaks in the SpudCell — the first fully synthetic artificial cell that can feed, grow, and divide. And Georgia thinks conspiracy. Georgia discusses the axolotl, whose skin mucus shows early promise against drug-resistant bacteria and cancer cells. Nick backs up his campfire claims with actual research showing fire lowers blood pressure and reduces stress — a teaser for Episode 78’s dive into the science of nature. In the Media Holes: The crew discusses the media they have been digging: Maximum Pleasure, Trying, Obsession, My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris, Pimp My Airship by Maurice Broaddus, and Palworld’s 1.0 update. Joe and Georgia also talks about the author event at Bucket O’Blood in Avondale with eight horror authors. Order the Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar by Jim and Georgia— 12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; pre-orders open now, with mailing expected in September Words // Friends Aug 26th at 7pm CST: Joe will be reading with four other authors on a Zoom hangout. Register now! Check out what the RHR crew is creating: Joe: Named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of the 35 Writers to Watch! Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe! Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else? Essay by Joe: From Beyond Press: Specific Knowledge: Jotham Austin, II, PhD on Transformations in Fiction Future Events to Hang with the Crew: Podcast Cross-Appearances Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer's This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine Events & Conventions: Words // Friends Aug 26th at 7pm CST: Joe will be reading with four other authors on a Zoom hangout. Register now! Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as Professional Upcoming Episodes *The Mini is every other episode! Episode 78 - Briar East Woods - Urban Deforestation Guest: Anne Sedlacek Episode 80: Magic: the Power and Cost of Magic Systems Guest: B.L.Mostyn Episode 82: Climate Change and Data Centers Returning Guest David Pincus PhD (episode 13 climate change and episode 39 on Johnny Storm) It’s science for Weirdos Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. And to see all the content (studio images and artwork) subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter! Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next Rabbit Hole. Love Y'all! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe

    The Mini: Spider-man Villains

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, and pop-culture. We will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes. jothamaustin.substack.com

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