The Science in The Fiction

Oct 23 2024 41 ep. 55 mins 25
The Science in The Fiction Podcast artwork

This is both a science and a science fiction podcast.  We dig deep into the biggest ideas in science fiction, using science to elevate the conversation about sci-fi, and sci-fi to promote science education, curiosity and vision.  We talk to science fiction authors about the science in their fiction, then talk to scientists about the same topic, and catalyze conversations between the two.  

  Fiction  Science  Arts
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Ep 41: Benjamin Percy on Sci-Fi Fungi in 'The Unfamiliar Garden'

Oct 23 2024 42 mins  
Beginning our highly anticipated new topic of Sci-Fi Fungi, we talk to science fiction author Benjamin Percy about the second book of his Comet Cycle, 'The Unfamiliar Garden'. We discuss Ben's writing career in comic books and novels and soon TV and film, the literary treatment that space fungus gets in this book, as well as the human and emotional stakes that make it a really good

Ep 40: Marty and Holly on Sci-Fi Fungi and The Multiverse in Upcoming Books and Interviews

Oct 09 2024 37 mins  
Marty and Holly discuss our upcoming theme of Sci-Fi Fungi with interviews of science fiction authors Benjamin Percy and Mike Carey, along with mycologists Dr. Alex Moskaluk from the University of Guelph and Kaitlyn Kuehn (KK) from the Flora Funga Podcast. We'll be discussing space fungi from cometary debris in Ben Percy's book 'The Unfamiliar Garden', the zombie fungus Codyceps in

Ep 39: Edward M. Lerner on First Contact in 'On The Shoals of Space-Time'

Sep 25 2024 64 mins  
We talk to a returning guest and friend of the show, science fiction author Edward M. Lerner, about his latest book 'On The Shoals of Space-Time', on the topic of First Contact. Ed is a fount of scientific insight and information on space science and the possibilities for extraterrestrial encounters, having written 25 books – 5 of them with the legendary author Larry Niven, of Ri

Ep 38: Mark Milne on Geoengineering in 'The Ministry for the Future'

Sep 11 2024 68 mins  
In this episode we talk to Mark Milne as a follow-up on our interviews with science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson and glaciologist Heidi Sevestre in episodes 21 and 22, on the topic of Geoengineering as portrayed in Kim Stanley Robinson’s book 'The Ministry for the Future'. Mark speaks about a number of strategies for mitigating climate change by cooling the planet through

Ep 37: Peter Watts in Conversation with Justin Gregg - Part 2

Aug 28 2024 38 mins  
We continue the conversation between science fiction author Peter Watts and scientist Justin Gregg, and now they get down to the tricky business of discussing the nature of consciousness. We discuss Peter's premise of 'Blindsight – that consciousness is an illusory, unnecessary and possibly parasitic phenomenon that will get us all killed when we encounter more efficient, unconsc

Ep 36: Peter Watts in Conversation with Justin Gregg - Part 1

Aug 14 2024 49 mins  
In this episode we present a conversation between science fiction author Peter Watts and scientist Justin Gregg, following up on our individual interviews with each of them on the general theme of intelligence and consciousness. Justin Gregg is the author of ‘If Nietzsche were a Narwhal - What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity’, the book we spoke to him about in

Ep 35: George Paxinos on Neuroscience and Cloning in 'A River Divided'

Jul 31 2024 46 mins  
Marty and Holly talk to George Paxinos - neuroscientist, environmental activist and author of 'A River Divided', a book that explores neurological determinism - the claim that we have no free will and that our actions are entirely determined by our genetics and the neurological consequences imposed on us by the environment which shapes our brain. His book comes with a very interest

Ep 34: David Brin on First Contact in 'Existence'

Jul 19 2024 64 mins  
We speak with David Brin, science fiction icon, scientist, futurist and civilizational optimist. We discuss his particular view of first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, as portrayed in his 2012 novel 'Existence', along with his predictions about how artificial intelligence and virtual reality will change our world in the near future. We discuss the UFO phenomenon (a sop

Ep 33: Avi Loeb on First Contact in 'Extraterrestrial'

Jul 03 2024 67 mins  
We speak with Professor Avi Loeb from the Harvard Astronomy department, and he is one of the most generous, gregarious, kind and thoughtful people we’ve ever spoken with. Not only that, he embodies the spirit of true scientific inquiry and discovery that can be sadly lacking in the scientific culture of our time. Our conversation revolves around the possibility of First Contact w

Ep 32: Anniversary Special - Marty and Holly on The First Year of The Sci in The Fi

Jun 19 2024 41 mins  
To celebrate the first anniversary of our podcast, Marty and Holly do a little retrospective to discuss their favorite books, people and interviews from the last year. We discuss some of the best science fiction books we read: 'Red Team Blues' by Cory Doctorow, 'Semiosis' by Sue Burke, 'Neverness' by David Zindell, 'Night Owls' by Stephen Gay and 'The Ministry for the Future' by Ki