In this mini-episode, Joe, Nick, and Georgia recap Episode 33’s deep dive into Doctor Who, touching on fan-favorite Doctors, time travel biology, and the show’s philosophical themes. The discussion expands into The Twilight Zone, highlighting the infamous 1961 episode “It’s a Good Life” and its thematic connections to Doctor Who and modern anthology sci-fi. The team also teases the next episode featuring author Christopher Hawkins to discuss his book Downpour and killer rains.

And don’t forget to Pre-order: Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe!

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.

Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!

Future Episodes & Events:

•Next Episode: What’s in that Rain? (with guest Christopher Hawkins)

•Save the date: Maifest (May 10) in Blue Island, IL – join us for live recordings!

Shownotes:

Links, Resources, and Topics Mentioned in mini and/or full episode:

Doctor Who (BBC) – Time travel, TARDIS, regeneration, and trickster mythology

Episode 33 full show – Doctor Who? Time Travel, Science, and Fandom

Science & Fiction Connections in Episode 33:

Time Travel Biology

Circadian rhythm disruption, telomere shortening, radiation stress, and cellular aging from theoretical time travel

Regeneration & Physiology

Time Lord biology: Two hearts, memory retention, energy-based transformation (linked to speculative stem cell science)

Psychic Language Translation

TARDIS enabling automatic understanding of alien languages; compared to Babelfish and neural language models

Weeping Angels & Quantum Mechanics

Observer effect parallels, wavefunction collapse, and the [Double Slit Experiment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment)

Twilight Zone – Mental Reality Manipulation

“It’s a Good Life” explores the power of thought shaping reality—precursor to similar sci-fi horror tropes

Fictional Overlap

Doctor Who, The Twilight Zone, and Black Mirror share roots in morality plays, myth retellings, and speculative ethics

In Episode 32: Unveiling the Mysteries of Godzilla, Joe, Nick, and guest Natalie dive deep into the origins, evolution, and cultural legacy of Godzilla and the Kaiju genre. From post-war allegories and scientific absurdities to Hanna-Barbera cartoons and biomechanical speculation, the episode unpacks why Godzilla remains cinema’s most enduring monster. In this mini recap, the crew revisits the weirdest and wildest bits—from calorie counts to would you rather go up against one Godzilla sized rat or 100 rat sized-Godzillas—and why Kaiju movies are more than just destruction porn.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: Ep 32 – Unveiling the Mysteries of Godzilla

🍕 Check out Natalie’s pizza tours: Pizza City USA

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.

Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!

Episode Art by Laina Joy see more at https://lainajoyart.com

Shownotes:

Links, Resources, and Topics Mentioned in mini and/or full episode:

1. How many Big Macs—or whales—would it take to feed Godzilla?

2. Could Godzilla actually walk, run, or swim like it does in the films?

3. What’s up with Godzilla’s pronouns and offspring—how does reproduction even work?

4. Is Godzilla more metaphor than monster?

5. What are some of your favorite cheesy Godzilla movie moments

Science & Fiction Connections:

1. The Square-Cube Law vs. Giant Monsters:

2. Radiation as a Life Source:

3. Are Blue whales the Real-World Kaiju?

4. Post-War Trauma in Pop Culture:

5. Biomechanical Logic of Kaiju

Future Episodes & Events:

•Next Episode: Dr. Who!

•Save the date: Maifest (May 10) in Blue Island, IL – join us for live recordings!

•Joe’s short story will be a part of the Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories

In this mini recap episode, Joe and Georgia (without Nick this time!) revisit the “How Fast is Too Fast?” episode, responding to listener comments and diving deeper into some fascinating speed-related physics concepts. They discuss realistic and fictional speed effects, the physics of relativistic mass, and the challenges of running at near-light speeds. They also preview upcoming episodes, including an exciting deep dive into Godzillaand a Fantastic Four series!

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.

Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!

Episode Art by Laina Joy see more at https://lainajoyart.com

Shownotes:

Links,Resources, and Topics Mentioned:

•Listener Questions & Comments:

•Alex’s speedster character: Would a force field help with breathing at super speed?

•The physics of relativistic mass – would the Flash’s footsteps cause earthquakes?

•How does speed affect mass vs. how gravity affects weight?

•Science & Fiction Connections:

•Special relativity: Why mass increases at near-light speeds.

•Speedsters in comics: The Speed Force as a fictional workaround for physics.

•Comparing real-world gravity changes (e.g., weight on the Moon vs. Jupiter) to relativistic effects.

•Future Episodes & Events:

•Next Episode: Godzilla!

•Save the date: Maifest (May 10) in Blue Island, IL – join us for live recordings!

•Fantastic Four Deep-Dive: Four upcoming episodes, each focused on a Fantastic Four member’s powers.

Links to Check Out:

•Einstein’s Theory of Relativity & Relativistic Mass

•NASA – How Gravity Affects Your Weight on Other Planets

•The Speed Force Explained (DC Comics’ Hand-Waving Physics)

Joe, Nick, and Georgia dig into a discussion about the nature of speed, starting with the basics of how speed is measured and moving into the fantastical with speedsters from comics and movies like The Flash, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Quicksilver. They explore the scientific concepts behind the speed of sound and light, touching on historical attempts to measure these velocities. The conversation also includes playful banter about fictional portrayals of speed, such as those in the Sonic movies and Superman, while considering the biological and physical implications of moving at extreme speeds.

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.

Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!

Episode Cover Art by Laina Joy see more at https://lainajoyart.com

Show Notes & References

Speed Measurement: Distance traveled per unit of time (e.g., mph, km/h, m/s).

Speed of Sound: ~767 mph (1,235 km/h, Mach 1) in air at sea level.

Speed of Light: 299,792 km/s (~186,282 miles/s), fastest possible speed in the universe.

Mach Number: Speed relative to sound (e.g., Mach 2 = twice the speed of sound).

Speedsters in Fiction & Reality

FASTEST REAL-LIFE CREATURES:

Peregrine Falcon (dive speed of ~240 mph)

Cheetah (~75 mph sprint)

Usain Bolt (~28 mph top sprint speed)

FICTIONAL SPEEDSTERS MENTIONED:

Sonic the Hedgehog (~Mach 1 in games, faster in comics/movies)

The Flash (faster-than-light with Speed Force mechanics)

Quicksilver (Marvel; superhuman, but slower than Flash)

Superman (variable speeds, sometimes FTL in comics)

Roadrunner & Speedy Gonzales (cartoon physics apply!)

The Science of Extreme Speed

Friction & Heat: Moving too fast generates heat, which could burn a speedster without protective gear.

Energy Needs: High-speed movement requires enormous caloric intake (e.g., The Flash’s obsession with food).

Reaction Time & Perception: The human brain processes around 60-75 fps, but speedsters would need far beyond that to react properly.

G-Forces & Acceleration: Sudden starts and stops would cause internal damage unless counteracted.

Breathing would be difficult when running at super fast speeds.

Energy Cost of Speedsters (Estimated in Big Macs):

Human Sprint (~10 m/s) = ~0.09 Big Macs

Subsonic Speed (~100 m/s) = ~1.8 Big Macs

Supersonic Speed (~500 m/s) = ~18 Big Macs

Near-Light Speed (~0.1c) = ~1,818 Big Macs

We want to Hear From You (leave a comment):

If you could have super speed for a day, what would be the first thing you’d do?

If Sonic the Hedgehog and The Flash raced around the Earth, who would win—and how would they deal with things like ocean crossings and mountains?

What’s the weirdest or most creative way you could “break” the laws of physics to achieve faster-than-light travel in real life?

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Join us in this mini teaser episode as we dive into money systems in fictional worlds and their surprising real-world parallels (Go listen to the full Episode 30). We revisit our conversation with guest Amran, who shared insights from his upcoming book Leverage, and explore how wealth, scarcity, and economics shape both imaginary universes and our own.

From Arcane’s class divisions to Die Hard’s gold heist, we discuss the ways in which money, resources, and power play out in stories—and what they reveal about our society. We even touch on water as a commodity, precious metals in space, and fictional payment systems (Amran’s hoping to become a trillionaire soon if paid "one credit every time his daughter rolls her eyes at him" - (Every parent would take this offer!)

Want to support the show? Send us some credits—fictional or otherwise! Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, share the podcast, and let us know what economic systems (fictional or real) fascinate you.

Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!

Episode Art by Laina Joy see more at https://lainajoyart.com

Shownotes:

Links & Resources Mentioned

Amran's upcoming book "Leverage" - Preorder now! Coming August 19th

Amran's review of "Civil War" (movie)

Amran’s Post about asset valuation

Amran’s Post Ironman versus Batman wealth comparison

Amran’s Post Slavery and the Chocolate Industry (satire piece)

Information about Asteroid 16 Psyche and space mining

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: "Human Resources"

Twilight Zone episode: "A Penny for Your Thoughts"(aired February 3, 1961)

In this episode, hosts Joe and Nick, along with special guest Amran Gowani, a former chemist turned Wall Street professional turned novelist, delve into the intricacies of finances and economic systems in fiction. The discussion covers definitions of financial systems, the portrayal of wealth and currency in science fiction and fantasy, and the challenges of world-building accurate economic models in storytelling. The conversation also explores the value of skills, commodities, and digital currencies in both dystopian and utopian settings. Highlights include a look at the wealth of famous fictional characters, the impact of economic collapse, and the potential of decentralized currencies. Amran also discusses his upcoming novel, 'Leverage', which intertwines the thrills of Wall Street with insightful social commentary.

Learn more about our special guest Amran Gowani,

preorder Amran’s upcoming novel Leverage.

Art by Laina Joy see more at https://lainajoyart.com

Question to start you digging your own holes as you listen:

1. If you had to live in a fictional economic system, which one would you choose and why? Would you prefer a post-scarcity economy like Star Trek or a barter-based survival world like Mad Max?

2. What’s the most interesting or realistic fictional economy you’ve encountered? Whether in a book, movie, or game, what made it feel believable or completely absurd?

3. Do you think a decentralized, global digital currency (like cryptocurrency) will ever replace traditional money?Or will governments always maintain control over financial systems?

4. In a barter-based, scarcity economy, what skill or resource would you have to trade? Would you be a hunter, engineer, entertainer, or something else entirely?

5. What topic would you like to see us cover?

To get more insight and see how deep the rabbit hole goes, check out the (timestamped) expanded show notes.

Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFV

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