The Science of Fiction

To celebrate the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, serial guest James Grime has taken on the arduous task of re-watching the original series to study the mathematics featured on the screen. He joins us for a podcast-only special to tell us all about it, with audio clips of the relevant episodes. We'll talk about cicadas, morphogenesis (or “waves on cows”), deceiving androids from first principles, and the biggest question of them all: does the redshirt always die? If you want to check James’ working, he's published a series of posts over at The Aperiodical on the same themes: part I, part II, part III. Please enjoy this photograph of Gödel, which we mention towards the end of the show. Please also enjoy further information on the remarkable Valais goat. The short skirt uniform worn by both men and women in early episodes of The Next Generation is called a skant, and it was occasionally worn with trousers. JIM: Science and medics, those are the blue shirts. HOST: Where do mathematicians go? Scientists? JIM: That’s right, yes, science. HOST: You’re safe? JIM: Yes, I am, I’m in the blue shirt category. as quoted by Peter Rowlett in What colour shirt do mathematicians wear? Tracklist Theme from Star Trek Nerf Herder – Mr. Spock Beach House – Zebra Leonard Nimoy – The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins William Shatner – Real Valais Blackneck family by Jos James Grime with a tribble by Andrew Holding Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Oliver Marsh studies science-media interactions at the department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, occasionally performs at Bright Club, and blogs about “the human side of science”. He joins Andy in the studio for the final episode of season 6! Tracklist KT Tunstall – Funnyman David Bowie – Life on Mars Ethel Merman – There's No Business Like Show Business The Smiths – That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore Mother Mother – Infinitesimal Mystery Hunt 2011 Coin - Megaman, Prince and ? Block by Alex Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Picking up where What if… we could all become cyborgs?, a show Andy produced for the BBC World Service, and last week's episode both left off, Andy and Will discuss cyborgs, hive minds, extending the senses, and the alleged emasculating effects of smartphones. Bionic eyes; artificial synæsthesia; lab rats with brain implants sense invisible infrared light; powering an artificial heart; Google Glass; Sergey Brin: Smartphones are ‘emasculating’; Steve Mann (Will mentioned the hit-and-run anecdote in this article but didn't realise it was the same man who was assaulted in McDonald's); the many strands of Ghost in the Shell; brain hacking; typing with twenty fingers; Nigel Shadbolt and AIs for the elderly; the Borg; the Ood; Intercontinental mind-meld unites two rats; Rats ARE like the Borg; faint memories of a Dark Angel plotline; Lab-grown human brains could control robots, says Kevin Warwick; aaaaaaand rat kings. Tracklist The Six Million Dollar Man theme Faded Paper Figures – Information Runs On Scott Matthew – Lithium Flower (from the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack) Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind Kraftwerk – The Robots Rat King: King Rat by Cle0patra Window Color Sound Sculpture 6 by Dennis Skley Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Cam Robinson hosts GameSpot's The What If Machine, where he explores how close the wonder of modern science fact can bring us to gaming science fiction. He joins us to discuss cybernetics, autonomous robots, nanotechnology, and more, with his choice of excellent tunes. Deus Ex: Human Revolution, implants, augmented reality, Call of Duty, Noel Sharkey on The Life Scientific, ethical risks of robotics, Crysis 3, wipE'out", levitation, Punch the Custard (Will misremembered how the hit detection works), space travel, and Cam’s recommendation of the one recent game non-gamers should play. Tracklist Radiohead – Paranoid Android Nine Inch Nails – Discipline AC/DC – TNT Sabrepulse – City at Speed Muse – Space Dementia levitating magnet by Camilla Hoel Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Spoken nerd and songstress Helen Arney lends her voice to the show. Video games, fossils, AIs, cat chat, and almost no ukuleles. Tracklist Buckner & Garcia – Pac-Man Fever They Might Be Giants – I Am A Palaeontologist A.F. Harrold – Science Party Poem Tim Minchin – When I Grow Up (from Matilda) Jonathan Coulton – Good Morning Tucson Helen Arney – The Sun Has Got Its Huff On Cramped up by philip hay Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Political ecologist Ivan Scales—McGrath Lecturer and Director of Studies in Geography at St Catharine's College, Cambridge—joins the show to discuss natural resource use and environmental change. Ivan is the McGrath Lecturer and Director of Studies in Geography at St Catharine's College. Tracklist Villagers – Mercy, Mercy Me R.E.M. – It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) Grandaddy – Broken Household Appliance National Forest Radiohead – Idioteque Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi Pixies – Monkey Gone To Heaven Biofuel project in Iba, Zambales by Trees ForTheFuture Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey of the SENS Foundation joins Will by phone to discuss reversing the effects of ageing, the accurate or counterproductive ways life extension and immortality are presented in fiction, and public perception and acceptance of new medical technology. Repairing the body vs. uploading human consciousness; Buying Time (aka The Long Habit of Living) by Joe Haldeman; whither implants; prosthetics and improving on baseline humans; the state of the art of rejuvenation research. By around 2050, I'm fairly sure that the human-driven automobile will be a specialised race-track toy for gear-heads, much as horse-drawn carriages in the developed world are a quaint hobby or a deliberate affectation. Charles Stross Tracklist Death Cab for Cutie – What Sarah Said Barcelona – Obsoletion 65daysofstatic – When We Were Younger & Better Ume – Pendulum old & young by SriHarsha PVSS Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Andy and Will round off the year with a show on intoxicants: real or fantastical, legal or outlawed, poison or cure (or sometimes both…). James Bond’s heart, curare, Charles Waterton’s donkey- and bellows-based hobbies, counteracting poisons with poisons, deadly beauty treatments, glass swans, penicillin, recycling a policeman's urine, K-Pax, alkaloids, opiates, the works of Jeff Noon, Hofmann, tripping babies, Equilibrium, mood stabilizers, and a surprisingly large number of emails! The claim that Dolophine, a brand name for methadone, was chosen in honour of Hitler was sadly too good to be true. This is a fantastically interesting show! an anonymous listener Tracklist Alice Cooper – Poison The National – All The Wine Skunk Anansie – She’s My Heroine Massive Attack – Rush Minute Plus, if you were listening live: Nirvana – Lithium Belladonna (Atropa Belladonna) (Deadly Nightshade) by Paul Belson Donkey-Face by Rachael Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Alexandra Kamins, a researcher at the University of Cambridge and IOZ, brings us the messy reality behind the spread of disease, everyone's favourite apocalyptic scenario. Pestilence galore! Zoonotic disease, pandemics/epidemics, fruit bats, Contagion, Outbreak, Ebola, badgers, the imposition of quarantine, (not) being a “helping-people doctor”, Good Omens and more. Tracklist Metallica – Four Horsemen Toto – Africa Peter, Paul and Mary – Leaving on a Jet Plane They Might Be Giants - Doctor Worm Colorized Marburg virus particles viewed with a transmission electron microscope by Microbe World Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Serial guest Michael Conterio joins the show to discuss the fiction and fact of technology enabled by quantum mechanics. Michael co-hosts Burst The Bubble—which airs just before The Science of Fiction—and is the ringleader of Sci Cam, a new magazine-style live video show with interviews, beginner's guides and news. 101 Housework Songs, wave-particle duality, A Quantum Murder, A Quantum of Solace, teleportation, lasers, Boeing YAL-1, semiconductors, Qubit Slip, and many other things. Tracklist Katrina and the Waves – Walking on Sunshine Jonny Berliner – Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle Chris Cornell – You Know My Name The Firm – Star Trekkin’ Entangled [19/365] by Thanakrit Gu Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Andy is joined by Sam Gregson—who works on a “very big thing in Geneva”—to discuss public perceptions of scientists, as revealed through fiction and the media. CP violations; sinusoidal need & perception; hypocritical stand-up sets; aliens; Stargate SG-1; destroying the magic; Spock; Brians with Ph.D.s; and more. Santa Dash 2012 Tracklist Red Hot Chili Peppers – Love Rollercoaster Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy Carly Simon – You're So Vain The Flying Lizards – Money (That's What I Want) Pilot – Magic D:Ream – Things Can Only Get Better 130/365:"And they called me mad,mad I tell you!!!!" by Kit Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

James Grime, “resident tamed mathematician” of The Enigma Project and past guest, returns to the show to discuss the cliché of depicting scientists as tormented by their own vast intellects. Can 2 + 2 = 5?; Good Will Hunting; George Dantzig; Walter Pitt; William Sidris; Srinivasa Ramanujan; 21; card counting; savants; Fermat's last theorem; Gauss. Some links from the end of the show: the first episode of Sci Cam. The Science of Fiction podcast, though if you're reading this you may already have noticed. Tracklist Radiohead – 2 + 2 = 5 MGMT – Time to Pretend The Notwist – This Room Frustration by Dez Creates Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

We're joined by Helen Scales—marine biologist, broadcaster and author of Poseidon’s Steed—to discuss watery lairs, submariners, cephalopods and more, with a nautical soundtrack. Eyeball washed up on Florida beach 'probably from large swordfish' A World Without Coral Reefs The Rime of the Modern Mariner Moby Dick Big Read Mind Game The Life Acquatic Leafy seadragon Tracklist Lisa Hannigan – Ocean and a Rock Villagers – The Waves Kings of Convenience – Cayman Islands Sigur Rós – Starálfur The Beatles – Octopus’s Garden Thorny Seahorse by Tom Weilenmann Leafy Sea Dragon by Nathan Rupert Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Nick Crumpton—zoologist, co-editor of BlueSci Films, freelance journalist, occasional beard-haver and ukulelist—joins the show to talk primarily about long-dead mammals. Half-life of DNA 100-Million-Year-Old Spider Attack Found in Amber High morphological variation of vestibular system accompanies slow and infrequent locomotion in three-toed sloths Ice Age's Scrat Discovered Bathtime for Baby Sloths The Mammoth Trilogy Innerspace I Shrink, Therefore I Am The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists Tracklist John Williams – Theme from Jurassic Park David Byrne & St. Vincent – Ice Age PVT – In The Blood Here We Go Magic – Collector Entelodon skull by Ben Sutherland Ancient spider attack by Oregon State University Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Your intrepid hosts have spent their summers in two unfamiliar cities apiece. To kick off the new season, we'll be discussing fiction which deals with the unique characters of different cities and societies. Expect plenty of free marketing for China Miéville. (Also, Andy has been working on a new survival technique in case of the breakdown of society…) Neverwhere London Underground mosquito Divergent American Sign Language (Just like of Montreal are not from Montréal, Architecture in Helsinki are not from Helsinki, as this Venn diagram about Scandinavia illustrates.) Maple syrup heist Andy recommends Tactical Nuclear Penguin A review of Penrose’s Cycles of Time. Angry Minnesotans Take 3D Printer Away From Gunmaker Tesla museum campaign Garuda (Will and two past Science of Fiction guest presenters’ band) on Facebook and SoundCloud Tracklist The Clash – London Calling Kaki King – Montreal They Might Be Giants – Electric Car Buke and Gase – Naked Cities City Uptown View Perspective by ballchaser1 Mosquito by Gravitywave Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Leonard Richardson joins the show from across the Atlantic to talk about games as plot devices, generative content, storytelling, games which exploit the player, and dadaism. You may know Leonard as the creator of Robot Finds Kitten, the maintainer of Beautiful Soup and the author of Constellation Games, among his many other works. Candlemark & Gleam. The Constellation Games Semi-Official Home Page (A production of The Great Hall Of The People And Also Science). Holly's blog post with statistics garnered from her research. The incredible spreadsheet. Wikipedia on Lucky Wander Boy. The generative artworks of Adam Parrish. Spurious, for all your sonnet needs. Since the recording of this episode, Leonard fixed the bug mentioned, so the sonnets are true Queneau Assemblies. Dada Da Dada Da Dum, Leonard's all-new limerick Queneau assembler inspired by Andy's remark. Not mentioned on the show, but Dinosaur Comics fans should take a look at Dadasaurus Rex. Jonathan Whiting on Nethack on Games We Have Known And Loved. @MarkovGuybrush. Speaking of Twitter, @leonardr. We noticed after the recording that Amazon UK lists Constellation Games without any punitive shipping costs. Tracklist Psapp – About Fun Adam Parrish’s Frotzophone Darren Korb – Twisted Streets (from the Bastion soundtrack) Alex Smoke – Anima Jenny's Twitter avatar by Beth Lerman Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Andy and Will discuss the ways people converse in fiction: some archaic, some fantastical. Causality-violating quantum entanglement How the world's travel guides describe America Tracklist El Ten Eleven – Thinking Loudly The Notwist – Pick Up The Phone Lali Puna – Call 1-800-FEAR 65daysofstatic – Radio Protector snake1 (sketch) by Kat Masback Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

Daisy Scholten joins Andy to talk about saintly medical techniques, the afterlife, and absolutely no Dan Brown. Don't forget to get your ticket to see Prometheus on Monday 4th, preceded by an in-the-flesh edition of The Science of Fiction about the science of Alien! (Why not join the Facebook event?) Medieval medicine by Luciana Christante Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

How might the world end? This week, The Science of Fiction investigates the myriad of scenarios for the downfall of humanity. Plus, we introduce a revolutionary new unit of apocalyptic severity… Mushroom Cloud Takeaway Carton by James Clayton Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.

With Andy having fled the country, Will is joined by Trevor Wood to talk about Nash equilibria, reputation-based currency, and the 16th-century tulip bubble. (They will try to avoid discussing Diplomacy too much.) You may remember Trevor from his Season 2 appearance on mathematics and mathematicians. von Neumann John Nash Tulip mania @dcurtis on SpaceX and Instagram 2010 Flash Crash (do not confuse) Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom How Bitcoin works beenz Swatch .beats golden balls. the weirdest split or steal ever! Buy tickets for our screening of Prometheus at the Arts Picturehouse. Come heckle us in the flesh! Tracklist The Hives – Supply and Demand Battles – Wall Street I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues R.E.M. – It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) Hex game by Dvortygirl Bubble Generator by jemsweb Send feedback and comments to show@scienceoffiction.co.uk.