Popcorn Science Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

• Antarctic Meteorite Survey
• Tunguska

• Tunguska Event
• Tunguska Episode
• Terma Episode

In our first episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind The X-Files two-parter "Tunguska/Terma". These episodes first aired in November 1996, and follow Mulder and Scully around the world as they try to get their hands on a rock filled with a mysterious alien oil.

• Ender's Game (film)
• Ender's Game (book)

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the 2013 movie "Ender's Game". Based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game follows a young boy as he learns to defend the Earth from an invasion by a mysterious alien species known as the Formics.

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the 1997 movie "Contact".

Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Carl Sagan, Contact explores what would happen if humanity were to receive a message from an extraterrestrial civilization.

• Science Gripes (4:37)
  • Headphones? (6:01)
  • Opening Sequence (9:40)
  • Hitler, Messenger of Earth (11:20)
  • Arecibo Message (12:28)
  • Arecibo Geography (16:00)
  • Ellie the Astronaut (17:28)
  • Funding (20:08)
  • Arecibo v. VLA (21:15)
  • Timeline Issue (48:35)
• The Good Things (24:59)
  • On Location (25:05)
  • Science Culture (27:40)
  • Signal from Vega (30:32)
  • Is Space Exploration Worth it? (34:48)
  • Crewed Spaceflight (38:50)
  • Transit Network / Wormholes (#42:25)
• Of Their Time (44:35)
  • Computer Technology (44:53)
  • Bill Clinton (47:00)
  • Space Industrialists (49:56)
  • Science v. Faith (52:52)
  • Fragile Institutions (54:59)
• Accuracy and Significance (56:39)

• Contact (film)
• Contact (book)
• Kent Cullers
• Frank Drake
• Arecibo Message
• Arecibo Telescope (RIP)
• Project Phoenix
• Jill Tarter
• Rendezvous with Rama
• Robert Zemeckis
• Carl Sagan
• The Demon Haunted World
• Cosmos

• The Trouble with the Tribbles
• Trials and Tribble-ations

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind two Star Trek episodes: "The Trouble with Tribbles" (1967) from The Original Series and "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996) from Deep Space Nine. In both episodes, the crews try to grapple with an outbreak of a number of fuzzy spheroids known as Tribbles, with the DS9 crew coming from the future to help out Kirk and Spock!

• The Core
• Stevenson (2003)

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the movie everyone loves to hate: "The Core"! First released in 2003, this movie explores what would happen if the Earth's outer core stopped spinning, and sends a courageous group of "terranauts" down to start it up again.

• Clara (film)
• Clara on YouTube

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the 2018 movie "Clara." Clara tells the sotry of a down-on-his-luck astronomer who succeeds in making a momentous discovery with the help of a mysterious artist. Featured in the Toronto International Film Festival, this movie has a familiar science advisor - Dr. John Moores!

• Thor

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the movie Thor!

Many Bothans died to bring us this episode.

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the movie Rogue One.

• Star Wars: Rogue One

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine hear nothing but the rain while discussing the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries. So grab your gun and bring the cat in.

• Battlestar Galactica (2003)

A new life awaits you in the Popcorn Science Podcast. The chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure!

In this episode of "Popcorn Science," discuss the 1982 cult classic Blade Runner. Catherine and John have seen things you people wouldn't believe. If you don't listen to this episode, all those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

• Blade Runner (1982)