Alienating the Audience
Episodes
The Future of Humanity Involves Gene Upgrades and Cyborgs
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lord Martin Rees is a cosmologist, mathematician, and the Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom. When he's not busy running the Centre for The Study ...
The Alternate History Where Nazis Won
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We beat Hitler. Whew! But what if we hadn't? What if the Nazi regime had prevailed? Science fiction repeatedly approaches the topic, either to guess g...
Vagabonding: The Voyage Home (for Ska)
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Confronted by an alien probe which can only speak the language of an extinct species, Nick and Heaton must journey back in time to save Earth.
The Last Policeman
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If an asteroid were poised to wipe out all life on Earth, would you still go to work? In Ben Winters' novel, a detective investigates a homicide in th...
The Philosophy of "The Matrix"
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Matrix is actually quite a lot deeper than simulation theory and some cool fight scenes with black trench coats. The Wachowski sisters put a moder...
"The Road" is the Ultimate Dystopia
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is simultaneously the most beautiful and hideous post-apocalyptic prose ever written. It follows a father and his son as ...
A Million Steve Jobs and the Future of AI
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Robin Hanson is an economist and the author of "The Age of Em: Work, Love and Life when Robots Rule the Earth." He joins the show to discuss his theor...
Gays in Starfleet
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does Star Trek handle gay characters, and what's the balance between representation and tokenism? Andrew Young rejoins the show to discuss homosex...
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What would happen if you were reincarnated. . . to the exact same life you just lived? What would happen when you were reborn to the exact same life f...
The Black Hole - Movie Club
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The Black Hole" is Disney's 1979 answer to Star Wars--which didn't work out quite as well. It's a fun romp, involving telepaths, snarky robots, and a...
Assemble Your Own Star Trek Series
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you could put together a new series, drawing on characters from across the Star Trek franchise, what would you make? Paul Mattingly and Nick Sperdu...
Vagabonding: The Lizard Man of Staten Island
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nick and Heaton must journey to the mysterious "Staten Island" as part of their quest, where they encounter a degenerate lizard man. Cast: Paul Matt...
Philip K. Dick Is About Broken People (And Robots)
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Will Hines joins to discuss the themes and work of Philip K. Dick, the genius (and unstable) mind behind films like "Minority Report" and "Bl...
Vagabonding: Return to the Fembot Homeworld
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nick and Heaton must journey to the Replicant Homeworld in hopes of tracking down their Netflix password. Cast: Nick Sperdute, Andrew Heaton, and Kour...
How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
First, Jennings and Heaton compare their plans to beat the undead in their respective cities of Los Angeles and Wichita. Then, author Daniel Kraus com...
Vagabonding: The Return of Nick
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out, rumors of Nick's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Cast: Andrew Heaton, Nick Sperdute, and Jared Berman as Joeblobe
How They Made Mystery Science Theater 3000
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Jo Pehl wrote and acted in MST3K, a comedy show which dug up old (terrible) sci fi flicks and then pelted jokes at it. Over the course of its run...
Vagabonding: The Wrath of Nick (Comedy)
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nick selflessly enters a deadly chamber in order to save the other inhabitants of the apartment from radiation. Cast: Andrew Heaton, Nick Sperdute, ...
Vagabonding: Nick and Heaton meet the Spacehead god (Comedy)
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nick and Heaton travel through an inter-dimensional portal they found, and emerge on a planet strikingly similar to the one from Star Trek: The Final ...
Vagabonding: Nick and Heaton go to Narnia
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Nick and Heaton discovered an inter-dimensional doorway in the back of their refrigerator, they're able to step through and visit the winter worl...
Vagabonding: Heaton Gets Totally Recalled (Comedy)
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Heaton realizes he's actually been living inside of a virtual reality program, and must confront his actual reality. Cast: Andrew Heaton and Nick Sper...
Vagabonding: Hot Detroit! (Comedy)
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stuck in lockdown and bored, Heaton and Nick download into a virtual Sim City universe to manage an entire city. Cast: Andrew Heaton, Nick Sperdute, ...
Philosophy in the Delta Quadrant – Star Trek: Voyager
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who had the best character arcs in Star Trek: Voyager, and what were the hardest ethical conundrums the Delta Quadrant lobbed at Captain Janeway? How ...
Why We Love Supervillains
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If supervillains are so evil, why are they so captivating? Which crime lord would you serve under if you had to pick one? Former Marvel editor Tom Br...
Vagabonding: Murder Accusations (Comedy Sketch)
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The comedy sketches with Nick and Heaton at the end of the show will be their own segment from now on: "Interstellar Vagabonding: With Nick & Heaton."...
Let's Fight About "The Undiscovered Country"
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" is about the end of the Cold War, what's it's position on the Soviet Union? Tim Sandefur challenges Heaton...
Religion's Two Treatments in Science Fiction
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Science fiction has a more complex analysis of religion than either "good" or "bad." Yonatan Huber and Josh Jennings join Heaton to discuss how scifi ...
V'ger, Sybok, and Whales! Star Trek's Least-Appreciated Films
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we mount a defense of Star Trek's most underrated films! Tim Sandefur rejoins the program, along with Aeon Skoble, to discuss the franchise's le...
The Mythology of Star Wars
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The foundational elements of Star Wars are deeply mythological, influenced by Joseph Campbell's book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." Professor Ryan ...
Should We Be Worried About the Lack of Aliens?
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fermi's Paradox brings up a troubling issue: if even a small fraction of stars have planets with intelligent life, much of it should be more advanced ...
Star Trek Conspiracy Theories include "The Transporter is a Murder Box"
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Picard never left the Nexus. We caught the wrong Khan. Star Trek fandom is full of theories casting doubt on characters and plots as we know them. Bri...
We Can Freeze You: How Cryonics Works
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From "Futurama" to "Demolition Man," cryonically suspending bodies for future reanimation by tomorrow's scientists is a mainstay of science fiction. D...
Battlestar Galactica & The War On Terror
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Battlestar Galactica kicked off just three years after the 9/11 attacks, and tackles everything from theocratic warfare to stem cell research and wate...
Is Life Worth Living in a Perfect Utopia?
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John Varley's novel "Steel Beach" portrays a future brimming with attractive immortals living in amusement parks on the Moon--yet the main character c...
Turns Out, We're All Probably Martians
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Zubrin is the head of the Mars Society and author of "The Case for Mars." He joins Heaton along with special guest co-host Andrew Mayne to disc...
How to Build a Giant Robot
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we speak with physicist Stephen Granade about robots! How to build giant arm-swingin' robots, how we can automate them, and where we stand on Mi...
Twenty Years After the Zombie Apocalypse
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The Girl With All the Gifts" is a brilliant spin on otherwise stale zombie tropes. Nick Sperdute and Ashland Viscosi join the program for a spoiler-f...
Deep Space Nine is About Outsiders
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Deep Space Nine masterfully tackled complex plot lines, moral ambiguity, and deep themes over its arc. Tom Merritt, host of the Sword & Laser podcast ...
Buddhism, Optimism, and Black Mirror
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Black Mirror," a dark television series about the grim potential of technology, explores issues from social media to immortality. Comedian Myq Kaplan...
Marry Bop Kill: Star Trek (Live Show)
12 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Sperdute and Josh Jennings join Heaton for a rousing game of "First Officer, Holodeck Buddy, Red Shirt" using Star Trek characters from across th...
How to Make Money on Mars
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We'll probably get to Mars a lot sooner if people think they can make a buck off of it. Andrew Mayne, author of the book "How to Make Money on Mars" j...
Pitch Us On Stargate!
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
AJ West and science consultant Mika McKinnon ("Stargate Atlantis" and "Stargate Universe") join the program to pitch Stargate as bingable show, and su...
Starfleet Draft Picks (Live Show)
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a special just-for-kicks live episode, Star Trek consultants Dr. Erin Macdonald and Dr. Mohamed Noor return to the show to play Starfleet Draft Pic...
Nano Robots Aren't Trying to Kill You
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Maynard is a scientist, professor, and expert in nanotechnology. He joins the show to answer: how likely is it that microscopic robots will go ...
The First Modern Zombie Novel
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The Day of the Triffids," by John Wyndham, arguably kicked off the modern zombie genre, in which protagonists flee shambling cannibals in an urban wa...
Hugh Howey on Making an Entertaining Apocalypse
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh Howey is the author of "Wool," the New York Times bestselling thriller set in a massive post-apocalyptic bunker. He joins the show to talk about ...
Understand Every Scifi Hero through Dungeons & Dragons
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why is Darth Vader "Lawful Evil" or Ramsay Bolton "Chaotic Evil"? Captains Kirk and Picard are both good, but only one of them is "Neutral." The D&D A...
If We Met Aliens Could We Even Communicate?
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What would first contact with an alien civilization look like? Could we handle it? If we could, would it even be possible to communicate with a vastly...
Who To Kill or Not Kill if You've Got a Time Machine
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Dunning, host of the Skeptoid Podcast, joins Heaton to talk about all things time travel--the best films, TV shows and books, plus how to get ar...
How Midichlorians and Harry Potter's Wizard Genes Work
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Eric Spana (Duke University biology professor and delightful nerd) joins Heaton to discuss how genetics works in various scifi and fantasy realms:...
Stop What You're Doing and Watch "Picard"
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The long-awaited "Picard" series is out now, starring Patrick Stewart and following the exploits of Jean-Luc Picard two decades after we last saw him ...
How to Build a Colony Ship
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If we had to send a spaceship to start a colony on another planet, how many humans would we need to get the party started? How do you avoid inbreeding...
The Meaning of Spock
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mr. Spock is the most captivating character in Star Trek lore, and the embodiment of logic in popular culture. John Champion, host of "Mission Log" St...
When Darwin Meets Star Trek
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mohamed Noor is the author of "Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds," and is the ...
Let's Argue About "The Rise of Skywalker"
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alright, it's been a month--let's discuss "The Rise of Skywalker"! Is it the franchise-busting wompa scat critics panned it as, or just a situation of...
Are We Living in a Computer Simulation?
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The central premise to The Matrix is that we're actually living in a computer simulation, as well as think piece episodes from Star Trek, Black Mirror...
The Tarkin Doctrine and Imperial Apologists
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How would Emperor Palpatine's Press Secretary describe the Galactic Empire? How would Grand Moff Tarkin spin the destruction of Alderaan? Jonathan Las...
Robert Heinlein: Individualism and Free Love on the Moon!
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Heinlein, author of "Stranger in a Strange Land," "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," "Starship Troopers," and dozens of other novels, is at the ti...
Reptoid Aliens Shouldn't Have Nipples
26 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Erin Macdonald is an astrophysicist and science fiction consultant who advises major Hollywood productions on what they're screwing up in scripts....
The Ethics of Holodeck Sex Romps and AI in Star Trek
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What's Star Trek's take on Artificial Intelligence, and how do Aristotle's virtue ethics govern Data? Also if the holodeck can summon AI's, and they a...
Isaac Asimov's Robots are Smarter than Whales
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What do we learn about humanity when gazing through the optical sensors of a robot? Did Isaac Asimov write a novel where the end of humanity begins on...
The Twilight Zone's Nostalgic Cold War Bunker
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Sandefur joins Heaton on the podcast's kickoff episode to dissect The Twilight Zone, and how Rod Serling's fascination with nostalgia, the Cold Wa...
P1 What Bladerunner Is Actually About
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Domenech joins Heaton to discuss "Bladerunner," "Bladerunner: 2049" and the book which inspired both, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phi...
P2 The Economics of "Dune"
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Spice is a metaphor for oil. Arrakis is the Middle East. Ben Brockshmidt joins Heaton to discuss all things dune--the economic, political, and histori...
P3 Cold War Kirk vs. Picard the Moral Relativist
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Sandefur joins Heaton to discuss the philosophical differences between Star Trek TOS and Star Trek The Next Generation. Gene Rodenberry and his co...
P4 The Politics of Star Wars
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Kent is the host of "Beltway Banthas" and joins Heaton to discuss the politics of Star Wars.
P5 Varys is the best Game of Thrones character
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Grant Carlisle joins to discuss the power dynamics and political themes underlying Game of Thrones.
P6 Regarding Batman's Political Affiliation
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is Batman a Libertarian (wealthy, gizmos, works outside the law) or something else? Which superheroes would be Democrats? Any Republicans afoot? Comed...
P7 Star Trek vs. The Orville
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Former Congressman Dan Maffei joins Heaton to discuss: Is the "The Orville" more Star Trek than Star Trek, or just a knockoff?