Explore the meaning of science fiction, and how it's relevant to real-life science and society. Your hosts are Annalee Newitz, a science journalist who writes science fiction, and Charlie Jane Anders, a science fiction writer who is obsessed with science. Every two weeks, we take deep dives into science fiction books, movies, television, and comics that will expand your mind -- and maybe change your life
http://www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 5 days 4 hours 31 minutes
episode 88: How gender essentialism warped our view of science
Gender essentialism is the idea that there is something eternal and innate about people's gender identities, and nothing can change that. Popularized during the 1970s, it affected how science fiction stories represented gender -- and it spawned new...
episode 89: Do you suffer from historical amnesia?
Have you noticed how hard it is to remember the past 18 months? You might be dealing with historical amnesia, the process by which we collectively forget traumatic events in the past. Storytelling is a major driver of historical amnesia -- in science...
episode 90: How To Use Research To Make Your Fiction Even More Irresistible
Even when you're making up your own story, you still need to do tons of research. But the good news is, research is super fun. We talk about how to bring a dose of reality to your imaginary people and places. And we also discuss Charlie Jane's brand...
episode 91: Three Simple Tests That Reveal A.I. Consciousness
One question has plagued both scientists and science fiction authors for centuries: Will humanity ever build artificial beings who are conscious the same way we are? Spoiler alert: No. But we may one day work alongside sentient robots. In this...
episode 92: How to imagine the next political uprising
Science fiction and fantasy are the perfect genres for exploring what political uprisings might look like in the future, or an alternate present. We discuss Blake’s 7, a subversive 1980s TV series from the UK, and how it offers us a realistic...
episode 93: Lucifer Is Our Therapist Now
Lucifer just came to an end after six seasons, and to celebrate we're talking to showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson about all the ways this Satanic procedural was really all about therapy. Are you ready to self-actualize and embrace your...
episode 94: Big biotech is watching you
Why do healthcare and medical devices bring up so many fears about surveillance? We dive into the history of a scientific nightmare, and explore what early 20th century eugenics has to do with stories like Brave New World, Gattaca, and Made for Love....
episode 95: Science Fiction Keeps Trying To "Fix" Disabled People
Science fiction and fantasy are full of portrayals of disabled bodies, some of which are nuanced and positive, and many of which... aren't. Join us as we talk about disability tropes and the realities of disabled life with Elsa Sjunneson, author of...
episode 96: Nationalism is science fiction, with Wajahat Ali
A lot of science fiction takes place on other worlds, or deep in the future, and yet still contains recognizable nations and national stereotypes. In this episode, we talk about how science fiction stories are used to promote American nationalism --...
episode 97: The internet is still weird, with Vinny Thomas
Sometimes the internet feels like a bubbling cauldron of scum, but it can still make us laugh. Joining us to talk about humor in the social media age is comedian Vinny Thomas, whose video bits skewering science fiction and animal biology are wildly...