Episodios

  • ARRIVAL: The SECRETS of a CLASSIC Sci-Fi Movie!

    ARRIVAL: The SECRETS of a CLASSIC Sci-Fi Movie!
    May 2 2025
    “Incomprehensible guttural noises”The HeptapodsArrival is as difficult a movie to discuss in the limited space of our show notes as it is a truly great work of modern science fiction filmmaking. It’s also virtually impossible to discuss without spoilers. Heck, we had trouble cramming our discussion of the central concepts of the film into One of director Denis Villeneuve’s crowning cinematic achievements (and almost certainly the thing that made us all realize that he might be the only director who would be able to get Dune right on screen), Arrival is an alien invasion movie unlike any other, one in which the humans don’t cope with our new and strange looking neighbors with aggression, but rather by using science and reasoning to understand and communicate with them. Imagine that!You might fancy yourself a wiseacre and suggest the very notion of science and reasoning “does not fly” given the state of the world these days, but let’s set that cynicism aside for the moment and get at the heart of this week’s topic. Because in order to understand the way these aliens (the heptapods, not to be confused with Hakeem’s ongoing Planet of the Cephalopods pitch) communicate via bizarre and smoky glyphs, humans are able to change their perception of time itself. You’ve heard of “perception determines reality” so get ready for “language affects perception which thus helps determine reality.” And if that sounds confusing, don’t worry, because you’ve got Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky to hold your smoky hand (limb?) and walk you through it (forwards, backwards, and perhaps both at once). All of this and more is explored on a special, extra-sized episode of Does it Fly?...https://youtu.be/K_Duabt4f1s?si=9MGhHmj22EatyFQ8SUGGESTED VIEWING You mean you haven’t seen Arrival? And you’re watching and/or listening to this show? What’s wrong with you! Go watch one of the most beautiful sci-fi movies of the last 25 years and THEN come back and hang out with us.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do!Story of Your LifeArrival is based on a short story by Ted Chiang, called “Story of Your Life” which won the 1999 Hugo Award for Best Novella. It’s available in a collection of Chiang’s short stories, Stories of Your Life and Others.Relativity in ArrivalAlso known as the Sapir-Worf Hypothesis, based on the work of Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, but actually first stated as such Harry Hoijer in 1954. To quote Hoijer (via the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy who have the most comprehensive explanation of this that we’ve been able to find): “language functions, not simply as a device for reporting experience, but also, and more significantly, as a way of defining experience for its speakers.” Arrival takes that to the next level by showing how it could define how we experience time itself! It also incorporates elements of the Many-Worlds theory, which we discussed in our Back to the Future episode!For extra credit, read up on Presentism, which postulates that only the current moment we live in is actual existence vs Eternalism, which states that our past AND future are equally real at all times. Then go take an Advil or something.The End of TimeNo, we’re not talking about whatever horrors have you doomscrolling at the moment. It’s Julian Barbour’s book The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe, which argues that time as we know/perceive it, isn’t really a thing.Speaking of time being an illusion…PsilocybinWe aren’t endorsing anything, but…WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Speaking of some of the greatest sci-fi movies of the 21st Century, we’d like to remind you that Children of Men also exists and we dug into the disturbing real world implications of that movie right here.Andor season 2 is currently reminding people how good Star Wars can be when it actually has a conscience, so we took a look at the Star Wars franchise’s most powerful and iconic megaweapon, the Death Star in one of our best episodes ever! FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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    54 m
  • STAR WARS: How Much Would a DEATH STAR Actually COST?!?

    STAR WARS: How Much Would a DEATH STAR Actually COST?!?
    Apr 25 2025
    “Now witness the power of this fully armed and operational battlestation!”Emperor Palpatine, shortly before nothing goes wrong for him whatsoever.Say it with us, “that’s no moon…that’s a space station.” One of the most quotable lines in the Star Wars saga actually tells you quite a bit about the central threat of the original film (now officially known as Episode IV: A New Hope but to anyone who grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, it will forever be known simply as Star Wars). The Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate planet-destroying superweapon is the size of a small moon (or a large asteroid, as we’ll get to in the episode) but is actually a mobile space station that can house and deploy thousands of troops, hundreds of small ships, and packs enough firepower to turn your home planet into multiple orders of space McNuggets.You’d probably assume that something like the Death Star would be completely out of the realm of scientific plausibility. And you might also make assumptions about the story logic or the vibes of the Death Star, especially since the entire Star Wars franchise essentially lives or dies by its vibes. Unlike, say, Star Trek (please don’t make assumptions that we are biased simply because this is a Roddenberry production), which tries to lean heavily on the “science” part of science fiction, the Star Wars brand of sci-fi has always had a healthy dose of fantasy. Fortunately, we have Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky to explain how it all works for you…and also how much it might cost to actually build one of these things. We took a look at the entire history of the Death Star, from what we see in Episode IV, Return of the Jedi, the “Starkiller Base” evolution in The Force Awakens, and even the gritty military realism of Andor and Rogue One to find our answers, which might just surprise you.Don’t believe us? (“That…is why you fail!”) Well, padawans, watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here and you might just be surprised at what we found!Watch the video version here:https://youtu.be/aE4vkGo-QfkSUGGESTED VIEWING Everything you really need to know about the Death Star (but were afraid to ask) is pretty much contained in Episode IV: A New Hope (we’re still calling it Star Wars), Return of the Jedi, and the truly great Rogue One. But it’s worth checking out The Force Awakens to see how the Death Star evolved into Starkiller Base. And while Rogue One prequel, Andor on Disney Plus has yet to tap into Death Star mythology…you really, really, really need to be watching that show.But Tamara also recommends the original The Making of Star Wars documentary which has some wonderful looks at how the movie magic of the Death Star was pulled off. Track it down!Tamara also points out a couple of classic war movies that were key inspirations for George Lucas for the assault on the Death Star: 1955’s The Dam Busters and 1964’s 633 Squadron.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do!MimasNo, not orange juice and prosecco! Saturn’s seventh largest moon does look suspiciously like the Death Star, doesn’t it? It’s also about 1/10th the size of The Moon, which makes it much closer in actual size to the Death Star.Asteroid PsycheGiven the absurd cost it would take to actually build a Death Star, we’re going to need to raise some capital. Fortunately, there’s an asteroid in our solar system that may be composed entirely of materials “worth more than the entire world economy.”Dyson SpheresIn case you’re wondering what it would take to power something like a Death Star, let’s start with a Dyson Sphere, which could potentially channel the power of an entire sun. Hey, if you’re looking to blow up a planet, do it right. Do they exist? Maybe!It Costs HOW Much?Never mind the price of steel and other building materials, get a load of how much firing a weapons grade laser costs. Now imagine that multiplied by how much it would take to destroy a planet!How Star Wars Almost Didn’t Happen“I believe it was said at the time that no science fiction picture grossed more than $10 million dollars, and no picture with War in the title ever grossed more than six or seven million. So the idea of a sci-fi film with War in the title was a pretty deadly combination.”The article that Tamara quotes from can be found in full here, and it’s full of fascinating info!Operation Plumbbob We can’t explain it any better than the Atomic Heritage Foundation: “Operation Plumbbob was a series of 29 nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. military between May 28 and October 7, 1957, at the Nevada Test Site. It was one of the longest and most comprehensive test series in the continental United States, and became controversial after much of the operation was declassified. There were several objectives during Operation Plumbbob, including improving...
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    47 m
  • The Terrifying Science of The Last of Us

    The Terrifying Science of The Last of Us
    Apr 20 2025
    The cordyceps brain infection that turns humans into terrifying monsters in The Last of Us is something that already exists in our world. So is it time to start worrying about Clickers and other fungus zombies?We are going to cut right to the chase on this one: Cordyceps, the brain infecting fungus that causes people to mutate into increasingly grotesque zombies in The Last of Us video games and the HBO TV adaptation, is very real. Of this, there is no doubt, as you’ll see in our episode and read below. But like any good sci-fi, horror, or fantasy storytelling, the secret isn’t so much in how realistic something is, but in how it obeys its own rules in-story.After all, who the heck needs a story about a devastating pandemic that was exacerbated by global warming these days, right? It’s not like sci-fi and horror have ever been used to illustrate real world issues before. Why not just let escapism be escapism and leave all this uncomfortable real world stuff out of it?In case you couldn’t sense the sarcasm (Does it Fly? is a Roddenberry podcast after all, and it’s not like Star Trek has ever been shy about taking our present moment to task via the denizens of the 23rd, 24th, and 25th centuries), the inherent realism of The Last of Us is an integral part of what makes it work. But it’s far from the only reason we’re so enamored with this disturbing sci-fi and horror hybrid. And that’s where Hakeem and Tamara come inWatch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here (and try not to eat any infected grain)...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8141JQ_kesSUGGESTED VIEWING One of the best things about The Last of Us is that the show is 100% accessible for folks who have never played the video games. It’s also, perhaps not coincidentally, one of the only truly great video game to screen adaptations we’ve ever seen. We based our conversation for this episode on the first season of the show, but if you’ve even watched the first two episodes, you can probably keep up. Oh, just watch the entire first season!For some additional fungus-induced “fun” we also recommend the brilliant 2016 sci-fi horror movie The Girl With All the Gifts, which mines some similarly terrifying themes as The Last of Us.And don’t forget, The Last of Us season 2 just kicked off on HBO and MAX so what are you waiting for? Go get caught up! Who knows? This could just be something in our future…FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! The Zombie Ants Are Already HereThe intricately orchestrated way this fungus takes over insect brains and makes them do their bidding sure does give us something to think about. Read more at National Geographic! Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like we have to worry too much about this becoming a human issue…just yet.Fungal PathogensIt even sounds gross when we put it that way. The Last of Us is so dead-on with its depiction of global-warming induced fungal infections that no less than the Yale School of Medicine wrote about it.Respiratory vs. Fungal InfectionsWe usually don’t associate the usual respiratory viruses with fungal infections. But this article asks…why not both?A Guide to Knowing and Loving Your Infected Fungus ZombiesProper care and feeding for their lifecycle is important. Not really…run! Read more here.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Black Mirror is back with a brand new season on Netflix. Check out our episode on one of its most iconic episodes, “San Junipero” right here!Whether fungus zombies or otherwise, we do occasionally take a look at the scarier side of genre entertainment from time to time. Like our episode on werewolves, for example.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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    45 m
  • Is Big Hero 6 Actually the Most Realistic Marvel Movie?!?

    Is Big Hero 6 Actually the Most Realistic Marvel Movie?!?
    Apr 4 2025
    We’re looking at the science of the microbots from Disney and Marvel’s Big Hero 6 in our latest episode.“Are you satisfied with your care?”BaymaxConsidering how the entire mission statement of our show involves the intersection of science and story, and how we love the thought of getting younger people excited about STEM, it’s something of a wonder that we didn’t get to Disney’s Big Hero 6 sooner. While technically a superhero story and loosely based on a Marvel property, Big Hero 6 is uniquely original and as wonderfully wholesome as it is action-packed. But best of all (for our purposes, at least), it’s got a central concept and plot device that absolutely beg to be unpacked from every imaginable angle.No, sadly, it’s not about what makes Baymax so adorably huggable. The piece we’re focusing on for today’s episode is microbots and the attendant neural transmitter which controls them. This is what kicks off virtually all the action in the film, the one with the most real world parallels, and the one that we feel is the best fodder for discussion…for now. We’ll get to our beloved Baymax in a future episode if enough of you ask for him!Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…https://youtu.be/Whc6qcMG1FUSUGGESTED VIEWING While there’s some additional Big Hero 6 media and lore out there, we based our discussion on this episode solely on the events that take place in that movie…which is plenty good enough as it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2015. But if you (like us) can’t get enough of Baymax, there’s also a Disney+ animated series focused solely on the big cuddly robot titled, appropriately, Baymax!. There’s also a Big Hero 6 animated series that picks up directly after the events of the film. We’re still hoping for a big screen sequel, though!FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Nanobots vs. MicrobotsHakeem said it best if you’re trying to understand the difference: “A nanobot is a thousand times smaller than a microbot,” although some sources seem to continue to use them interchangeably. But to give you an idea of some of the more exciting developments, there are those that can manipulate a single cell and we are inching (sorry) closer to clinical trials to deploy nano and microbots in human health care. There are reasons to believe this could end up getting us closer to a cure for cancer (yes, that’s a video, but it fit better here than in our “suggested viewing” section).Brain Computer Interfaces + Nanobots = Coolness!We also covered the topic of Brain Computer Interfaces a little bit in our episodes on RoboCop and 3 Body Problem, but it’s just as relevant here. Here’s a refresher/overview for you.And while we’re at it, this paper on the intersection of BCI’s and actual nanobots for real world purposes reads like something that would actually exist in the fictional world of Big Hero 6, but it’s actually real!Collective BehaviorSure, the microbots in Big Hero 6 behave in intensely coordinated ways, but you know what else already does that really well in our world? Drone shows!And The Oscar Goes To…Who says that Marvel movies aren’t Academy Award worthy? This one sure was!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Big Hero 6 isn’t the only Disney animated movie to tackle superheroes. Check out our episode on The Incredibles for more!Don’t forget, Big Hero 6 is also technically a Marvel movie! We took a look at the similarly tech-centric science of Iron Man here.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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    48 m
  • The Abyss and the Science of Breathing Underwater

    The Abyss and the Science of Breathing Underwater
    Mar 28 2025
    It’s been welcoming to see the re-evaluation of James Cameron’s 1989 underwater sci-fi opus The Abyss in the last few years. While sometimes lost in the shuffle alongside his other blockbuster credits (including the similarly aquatic megahits Titanic and Avatar), The Abyss has been undergoing something of a renaissance, fueled in part by a gorgeous 4K restoration and a director’s cut that adds new elements to the story. And while Cameron is known for insisting on a certain amount of verisimilitude in the technological workings of his films, The Abyss in particular utilizes one seemingly science fiction concept that is actually science fact to such an effective degree that they actually demonstrate it in the movie for real.And that’s the science of breathing underwater. We don’t mean with scuba gear. We mean actually allowing your lungs to fill with liquid and extracting the oxygen and expelling the carbon dioxide. And if that sentence doesn’t make you nervous enough, we’re also going to get into what an elaborate and arduous experience filming The Abyss was for its cast and crew.All this and more on the latest waterlogged episode of Does it Fly?…https://youtu.be/kki6j_LsBHo?si=fe4yKP7dGxmhxZKxSUGGESTED VIEWING Believe it or not, there are two versions of The Abyss. There’s the original theatrical cut which runs at about two hours and 15 minutes, and it’s the one that most of you are probably the most familiar with. But there’s also a director’s cut which came a little later that adds about a half hour of additional story and detail to the already packed film. Normally, we tend to find that theatrical cuts are edited the way they are with good reason, but when James Cameron decides he wants to get nerdier and more in-depth (sorry) with a story like this, we give him the benefit of the doubt.Not only that, if you get a chance to watch that director’s cut in its 4K restoration, well, you’re really in for a truly immersive (sorry, sorry) experience. Never mind the additional story beats and background details about a world on the brink of war, The Abyss is just a stunning visual and technical achievement, and having this restoration lovingly overseen by Cameron makes it a must watch, even if you’re already familiar with the original.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! In With the Good Air…To get your head around the science of breathing underwater, you first might want to have a better understanding of how your lungs function for their generally intended purpose.Breath of WaterThe science of “liquid ventilation” is indeed very real and there are scientific studies and practices surrounding it. You can read an overview of that here. In particular you might want to check out information on perfluorocarbon which is what they’re using and studying to make this happen. Even more info can be found here. (And yes, as you’ll see, the scene with the rat in The Abyss was absolutely real).Filming The Abyss Was No Sea CruiseSome details on the physically arduous process of filming an underwater movie of this scale can be found here.About That ResponseThe folks making this movie took its science so seriously that they wouldn’t let a critic’s accusation that they were scientifically inaccurate stand. The fun response Tamara cites can be found here.DragonflySomehow, Hakeem seems to have undersold just how cool this space exploration program really is. More details here!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t the first James Cameron movie we’ve covered here. Check out our episode on The Terminator for more fun!Disney’s new take on Snow White is in theaters now and we took a look at the science behind that story’s most iconic moment. Watch it here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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    44 m
  • The Horrifying Reality of THE MATRIX

    The Horrifying Reality of THE MATRIX
    Mar 21 2025
    Released in 1999, The Matrix has become a timeless sci-fi classic. Whether it’s the groundbreaking visual effects, the positively bonkers action sequences, or the disturbing looks at a world that has been consumed by AI and virtual experiences, there’s something that will resonate with just about any member of the audience, even a quarter century after its initial box office success. But there’s one moment in particular that perfectly illustrates the true horror at the heart of The Matrix. Since the titular concept of the film can only exist because humans have all been placed in a form of stasis, with their very bodies used to power the machines that now rule the world and create their shared reality, the big reveal of how that works needs to be suitably disturbing. And boy, does it deliver. When Neo (Keanu Reeves) chooses to wake up to actual reality, he’s revealed as a hairless body, covered in goo, with feeding and breathing tubes stuffed down his throat. While not quite the iconic moment that the bullet time fights and martial arts sequences are, it might very well be the most powerful moment in the film or its sequels.It’s a moment that has stayed with us for over 25 years, which is why today we’re asking the question: does the human body really generate enough electrical power to essentially serve as a battery?Take the red pill in the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers…https://youtu.be/9e-CZiFpd6oSUGGESTED VIEWING We based the majority of today’s discussion just on the first film in the franchise, which is, of course, 1999’s The Matrix. If you need a viewing order, it’s followed by The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003. But we’ve gotta say, you’re missing out if you don’t check out the bizarre and cool The Animatrix, which fills in a lot of backstory. And count us among the folks who think 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections is a much sharper movie than it gets credit for.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! The Simulation ArgumentEver wonder if you’re living in a computer simulation? The roots of that argument come from Nick Bostrum and the details on it can be found here.How Much Power Output From Humans?Believe it or not, there have been respectable studies about the potential for the human body to generate power for small devices from everyday activities. A summary can be found here with some more in depth information here. Somewhat related, it’s worth considering the difference between the efficiency of solar energy power and the use of power from biofuels.The Matrix Starter PackThere are three books that are key to understanding the themes of The Matrix, and it seems they were required reading on set of the film. They are: Jean Baudrillard’s 1981 philosophical treatise Simulacra and Simulation, William Gibson’s seminal work of cyberpunk fiction Neuromancer (which has yet to get the screen adaptation it deserves), and 1995’s Out of Control by Kevin Kelly.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For a more recent take on a sci-fi dystopia, allow us to recommend our Squid Game episode!The disturbing practical effects of the Neo awakening scene does recall some of the more unsettling cyberpunk aspects of RoboCop, which we covered here.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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    42 m
  • FINAL DESTINATION - Can You Really Cheat DEATH?!?

    FINAL DESTINATION - Can You Really Cheat DEATH?!?
    Mar 14 2025
    “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”Han Solo (wait…wrong franchise!)Ever just get one of those feelings? A faint chill, a little crawling of the skin that tells you that maybe the path you’re currently on is the wrong one and that something terrible is about to happen. You’ve heard the saying “like someone just walked over my grave,” right? Well, some Hollywood genius decided to build an entire film franchise around this concept with Final Destination and the franchise is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary and gearing up to release its sixth film (Final Destination Bloodlines) later this year!That first Final Destination movie is packed with memorable moments. And gruesome as some of them are, most of the deaths in Final Destination are things we’ve all lost sleep over, whether it’s a mid-air disaster, a bus accident, and others. But unlike other horror movies, it isn’t about the deaths so much as it is about Death…the very personification of Death, who isn’t amused when someone sees what’s coming and escapes their fate. And while you probably don’t have to worry too much about Death itself taking revenge on you, the concept of precognition, the ability to see or sense events before they happen, isn’t as far-fetched as you might think. We have a scientist to dig into that, and a pop culture expert to make sure that Death’s plans all vibe on screen. What have our hosts foreseen? Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? to find out!https://youtu.be/fOHjYRr4S_ISUGGESTED VIEWING There are five (currently released) Final Destination movies, but we focused our discussion this episode on the first film, 2000’s Final Destination from director James Wong who also had a hand in the screenplay with Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Clairvoyance and PrecognitionJust like Hakeem says about his own experiences, scientific study of these phenomena isn’t getting laughed out of the room in academia these days. Will that continue? Well, we’ve got a feeling…Cognition + Time = ?To be fair, Hakeem didn’t present this exactly as an equation, but these are the two key components of precognition. Key to this is “the relativity of simultaneity” which has weirdly come up in other episodes, but is particularly relevant here. See also: The Andromeda ParadoxQuantum EntanglementWe’re not entirely sure we follow Hakeem here, but it seems to involve both you and your future self. Which isn’t strictly the definition of quantum entanglement, but it’s still pretty awesome!The True Story of Final Destination Well…sorta! But as Tamara pointed out, one of the writers did indeed have this movie percolating for a while because of an allegedly real event. Imagine how different things would have been had this movie only ended up as an episode of The X-Files. It could have happened!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?We try not to do TOO many horror movie episodes, lest we incur Tamara’s wrath, but check out our episodes on Smile (for some more weird modern horror) and The Wolf Man (for some classic monster action)!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DOES IT FLY? on:♦ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1♦ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doesitflypodAnd don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment for more sci-fi insights:♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roddenberryofficial/♦ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roddenberry♦ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
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    48 m
  • The Real RoboCop is Much Closer Than You Think

    The Real RoboCop is Much Closer Than You Think
    Feb 28 2025
    RoboCop may be “the future of law enforcement” but he might also be much closer to reality than anyone ever dreamed or feared. Join us as we unpack this classic 1987 movie and the central concept that drives it.“Come quietly or there will be…trouble.”Officer Alex J. Murphy (R.I.P.)This episode of Does it Fly? is brought to you by our friends at Omni Consumer Products, who would like to encourage you to visit beautiful Delta City, Michigan, America’s safest place to live…or else!Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop (1987) is genuinely one of the finest science fiction films of the 1980s. Its unique blend of biting satire and over-the-top violence and gore set it apart from the endless parade of Reagan-era hyper violent action movies and the unique “media breaks” and corporate culture feel remarkably (perhaps disturbingly prescient) almost 40 years after release. Hell, we might even argue that the cynical vision of the future on display in RoboCop was too optimistic given the state of the world these days, but that’s neither here nor there.Because the central conceit of RoboCop, using cybernetics to enhance a human for the specific purpose of perfecting law enforcement, may have seemed like the stuff of science fiction in 1987, but it’s a little closer to the realm of science fact today. Just how close is another story, but that’s for our hosts, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky, to decide. With that in mind, we’d like to remind everyone of the Prime Directives of our show (not to be confused with Starfleet General Order 1…we are a Roddenberry Entertainment production, after all):Explain the Science of RoboCopUnpack the Story Logic of RoboCopDiscuss the Vibes and Questions that RoboCop RaisesUphold the Law(Wait, no! That last one isn’t ours).Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers to these questions and more!https://youtu.be/uBbq29Tu7_cSUGGESTED VIEWING The RoboCop franchise is…well, let’s pretend that it isn’t a franchise. There is one perfect movie from director Paul Verhoeven and then there are fainter and fainter echoes in the form of two big screen sequels (and one reboot), a pair of live action TV series, one average (if bizarre) animated series and one truly unwatchable one. Seriously, the 1987 movie is an all-time genre classic and is not to be missed, and that’s the crux of our discussion in this episode.But there’s also a truly amazing four part documentary about the making of that film called, appropriately, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, which somehow manages to be every bit as compelling as the movie itself. Highly recommended for those who want to get an almost Tamara-like deep knowledge of this brilliant film.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! The Future of Law EnforcementTo build a cybernetic police officer, you require three key ingredients: powered exoskeletons, general robotics, and BCIs (brain-computer interfaces). All of these are pretty broad subjects, but the links will take you to what we believe are the easiest (and coolest!) overviews for the layperson.Robot Police Dogs“Woof, woof, you #@&*$!” Ted TalkMy Stroke of InsightGiven how much of Robo’s origin story revolves around a traumatic brain injury and his essential recovery from that, Tamara recommends My Stroke of Insight, which you can find anywhere, but we recommend purchasing from here if you can.“OCP Runs the Cops!”We also recommend Radley Balko’s Rise of the Warrior Cop for further insight on the militarization of police. It was written back in 2013 but like RoboCop, it’s still incredibly relevant today.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For a more recent take on a sci-fi dystopia, allow us to recommend our Squid Game episode!Just for comparison with another hero who uses robotics and cybernetics, we took a look at the science of Iron Man, as well!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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