Unobtainium Podcast
By Adam Sigel & Dr. Amy Mainzer
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Image by Adam Sigel & Dr. Amy Mainzer
Category: Science Fiction
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Subscribers: 6
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Episodes: 21
Description
The Unobtainium Podcast is hosted by Adam Sigel, a Hollywood writer-producer, and Dr. Amy Mainzer, an astrophysicist. Together, they explore the science in science fiction. Each episode unpacks the Unobtainium behind movies—what’s real, what’s cinematic, and why filmmakers bend reality. This is for the nerds, sci-fi fans, film junkies, and anyone curious about the science behind the story.
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| Episode | Date |
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Could You ACTUALLY Survive on Mars? Planetary Scientist Dave Paige Breaks Down Ridley Scott's blockbuster film The Martian, breaking down what the film got right, what was exaggerated, and what real NASA missions face when exploring the Red Planet.
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Oct 06, 2026 |
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We came for Star Wars. We found something much bigger. Inside the Lucas Museum: Star Wars, Narrative Art, and the Power of Myth
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Sep 22, 2026 |
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Neil deGrasse Tyson on Superheroes, Time Travel, Aliens, Bad Movie Science and growing up in the geekosphere.
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Sep 15, 2026 |
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What’s lurking in the unexplored deep? Liquid Breathing, Decompression Issues, & Alien Sea Life in James Cameron’s mysterious film The Abyss with marine geomicrobiologist Dr. Tina Treude
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Sep 08, 2026 |
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Could a Snake Robot Find Alien Life? | Mars, Enceladus & the Future of Space Robotics
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Sep 01, 2026 |
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Could the Rage Virus in 28 Days Later actually happen? Dr. Seema Yasmin joins us to unpack the terrifying real science of viruses, outbreaks, R-naught, and why this horror classic hits very differently after COVID.
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Aug 25, 2026 |
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More on Astrobiology with Dr. Betül Kaçar
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Aug 18, 2026 |
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Why We Deny Scientific Warnings? A Deep Dive into the Science of Climate Change, Searching for Hope, and the Art of Integrating Science into Emotional and Evocative Storytelling
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Aug 11, 2026 |
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What’s our plan for a planet-killer comet? The facts about NASA’s Planetary Defense (Kinetic Impactors vs Armageddon Nukes) and more in Adam McKay’s film "Don’t Look Up."
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Aug 04, 2026 |
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How Real is the Science in Star Trek? Amy and Adam Talk Terraforming, Genetic Engineering, and Trekkie Love for the Wrath of Khan
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Jul 28, 2026 |
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Is a “Severance” Split Brain possible? How Are Memories Formed? Can Different Aspects of Personality Be Isolated Inside the Brain? Memory, Identity, and Neuroplasticity with David Eagleman
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Jul 21, 2026 |
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Mining on the Moon? Explore the possibilities of Fusion Using Helium-3, a New AI Computer in Space, and the Ethics of Reaching Humanity's Next Frontier with Lunar Expert Dave Paige
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Jul 14, 2026 |
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Why is a parasitic alien so terrifying? From Facehuggers to Xenomorphs, we dissect Space Travel, Exoplanets, and the Enduring Nightmares Implanted Within This Sci-Fi Masterpiece .
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Jul 07, 2026 |
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Is Godzilla Fission or Fusion? From Radiation Mutation to Blue Atomic Breath, Nuclear Physicist Stephanie Diem Unpacks This Superb Homage Monster Movie.
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Jun 30, 2026 |
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Can Robots Feel? Roboticist Hiro Ono joins us to explore consciousness, mortality, AI Robots, and what it means to be human as we discuss Ridley Scott’s thought-provoking sci-fi film Blade Runner.
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Jun 23, 2026 |
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Alien Intelligence, Physics of Space, a Homicidal AI, and More with UCLA planetary scientist (and discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) Dave Jewitt on Kubrick’s Masterpiece
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Jun 16, 2026 |
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Is the Force real? From hyperspace to parsecs, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson joins us to discuss the science of Star Wars.
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Jun 09, 2026 |
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Is It Actually Possible to Bring Back Dinosaurs? Unearthing Ancient DNA, CRISPR, Chaos Theory in Jurassic Park with Astrobiologist Betül Kaçar
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Jun 02, 2026 |
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Lucid Dreaming Is Real, but Is Shared Dreaming Also Possible? David Eagleman Discusses Neuroscience of Dreams, Memory, Consciousness in Christopher Nolan's Inception
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May 26, 2026 |
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What Is the Science of Time Travel? In their first episode, Amy and Adam Go “Back to the Future” on Einstein, Paradoxes, and an Iconic DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor
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May 26, 2026 |
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Unobtainium Podcast Trailer (Meet the Hosts)
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May 12, 2026 |