Alienating the Audience

Vagabonding: The Return of Nick

August 13, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MB

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

August 11, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 90.6 MB

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, MST3K pioneered a new comedic medium, and rose from a local access program, to a Comedy Central hit, to cult classic. Mary Jo joins Heaton to discuss how they put the show together, and the deeper side of the comedy that went into it.

Vagabonding: The Wrath of Nick (Comedy)

August 07, 2020 17:57 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MB

Nick selflessly enters a deadly chamber in order to save the other inhabitants of the apartment from radiation. Cast: Andrew Heaton, Nick Sperdute, Jared Berman as Joeblobe, Kevin Delano as AJ-19

Vagabonding: Nick and Heaton meet the Spacehead god (Comedy)

August 07, 2020 17:48 - 15 minutes - 20.9 MB

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 Frontier Cast: Andrew Heaton, Nick Sperdute, and Andrew Young as the Spacehead god

Vagabonding: Nick and Heaton go to Narnia

August 07, 2020 17:44 - 17 minutes - 23.9 MB

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 world of Narnia. And meet one of its talking animal inhabitants. Cast: Andrew Heaton, Nick Sperdute, and Nick Polowy as Mr. Beaver

Vagabonding: Heaton Gets Totally Recalled (Comedy)

August 07, 2020 17:36 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MB

Heaton realizes he's actually been living inside of a virtual reality program, and must confront his actual reality. Cast: Andrew Heaton and Nick Sperdute

Vagabonding: Hot Detroit! (Comedy)

August 07, 2020 17:33 - 18 minutes - 25.3 MB

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, and Andrew Young as Mayor Sinclair St. Lewis

Philosophy in the Delta Quadrant – Star Trek: Voyager

August 06, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MB

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 does her command style compare to Kirk or Picard? Dr. Erin Macdonald and Andrew Young join Heaton to discuss the deeper side of everyone's favorite intrepid-class vessel.

Why We Love Supervillains (Corrected)

July 31, 2020 05:48 - 1 hour - 86.9 MB

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 Brennan and comic book aficionados Jeremiah Johnson and Nick Sperdute join Heaton to discuss the underlying mystique and purpose of supervillains. This file corrects for an audio issue in a previous upload.

Why We Love Supervillains

July 31, 2020 05:48 - 1 hour - 86.9 MB

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 Brennan and comic book aficionados Jeremiah Johnson and Nick Sperdute join Heaton to discuss the underlying mystique and purpose of supervillains. This file corrects for an audio issue in a previous upload.

Vagabonding: Murder Accusations (Comedy Sketch)

July 29, 2020 06:00 - 20 minutes - 28 MB

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." In this episode, a detective shows up at the apartment to investigate Nick's untimely death. And he thinks it was murder!

Let's Fight About "The Undiscovered Country"

July 23, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 89.1 MB

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 on the underlying morality of the movie and whether or not it's a commie apologism, leading to a long-form discussion about its merits and underlying purpose.

Religion's Two Treatments in Science Fiction

July 16, 2020 08:33 - 1 hour - 99.2 MB

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 authors tackle it, and how the nature of religious critique has changed between centuries.

V'ger, Sybok, and Whales! Star Trek's Least-Appreciated Films

July 09, 2020 06:00 - 51 minutes - 70.1 MB

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 least-appreciated flicks: "The Motion Picture", "The Voyage Home", and "The Final Frontier." Afterwards Nick Sperdute, Andrew Young, and Heaton go on another intergalactic comedy adventure.

The Mythology of Star Wars

July 02, 2020 07:46 - 1 hour - 130 MB

The foundational elements of Star Wars are deeply mythological, influenced by Joseph Campbell's book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." Professor Ryan Slesinger joins the show to explain the Hero's Journey, archetypes, and the deepest elements of the whole saga.

Should We Be Worried About the Lack of Aliens?

June 25, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB

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 than us--so why have aliens never come by to say hello? Do civilizations all blow themselves up? Are we next? Josh Jennings joins Heaton to suss out the paradox, and go over possible explanations of alien absence.

Star Trek Conspiracy Theories include "The Transporter is a Murder Box"

June 18, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 120 MB

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. Brilliant or ridiculous, fan theories at least make us look at the franchise in a different light. John Krikorian of the Trek Profiles podcast and comedian Nick Sperdute join Heaton to discuss.

We Can Freeze You: How Cryonics Works

June 10, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 116 MB

From "Futurama" to "Demolition Man," cryonically suspending bodies for future reanimation by tomorrow's scientists is a mainstay of science fiction. Dennis Kowalksi, President of the Cryonics Institute, joins the show to go past the tropes and explain the mechanics, science, and hopes of cryonic freezing.

Battlestar Galactica & The War On Terror

June 04, 2020 21:14 - 1 hour - 102 MB

Battlestar Galactica kicked off just three years after the 9/11 attacks, and tackles everything from theocratic warfare to stem cell research and waterboarding. Comedian Andrew Young joins Heaton to discuss the series, it's relentless tension and fear of being compromised by undetected enemies, and how absolutely badass Saul Tigh is.

Is Life Worth Living in a Perfect Utopia?

May 21, 2020 08:58 - 1 hour - 88.8 MB

John Varley's novel "Steel Beach" portrays a future brimming with attractive immortals living in amusement parks on the Moon--yet the main character contemplates suicide. Absent strife, can humans find purpose? Tim Sandefur joins Heaton to discuss John Varley, utopianism, and man's search for meaning.

Turns Out, We're All Probably Martians

May 14, 2020 08:18 - 1 hour - 143 MB

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 discuss how to get to the Red Planet using existing technology, and the implications of finding life once we're there.

How to Build a Giant Robot

May 07, 2020 06:00 - 58 minutes - 79.8 MB

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 Mind Machine Interface technology in case we want to pilot said robots ourselves.

Twenty Years After the Zombie Apocalypse

April 30, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 85 MB

"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-free discussion about the novel. Plus a refresher on Greek mythology, how John Locke and Thomas Hobbes pertain to Armageddon, and the time Heaton met Meatloaf.

Deep Space Nine is About Outsiders

April 23, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 88 MB

Deep Space Nine masterfully tackled complex plot lines, moral ambiguity, and deep themes over its arc. Tom Merritt, host of the Sword & Laser podcast and scifi novelist, joins Heaton to suss out the deeper meaning of Star Trek's finest series.

Buddhism, Optimism, and Black Mirror

April 16, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 94.7 MB

"Black Mirror," a dark television series about the grim potential of technology, explores issues from social media to immortality. Comedian Myq Kaplan joins the show to look at the otherwise bleak satire through the dual lenses of optimism and Buddhism.

Marry Bop Kill: Star Trek (Live Show)

April 12, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 116 MB

Nick Sperdute and Josh Jennings join Heaton for a rousing game of "First Officer, Holodeck Buddy, Red Shirt" using Star Trek characters from across the franchise.

How to Make Money on Mars

April 09, 2020 06:00 - 55 minutes - 75.6 MB

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" joins the show to discuss what feasible, if not lucrative, private Mars missions might look like.

Pitch Us On Stargate!

April 02, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 96.9 MB

AJ West and science consultant Mika McKinnon ("Stargate Atlantis" and "Stargate Universe") join the program to pitch Stargate as bingable show, and suss out its themes and triumphs.

Starfleet Draft Picks (Live Show)

March 27, 2020 06:00 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MB

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 Picks: If you could staff a new vessel with characters from any Star Trek series, who would you select?

Nano Robots Aren't Trying to Kill You

March 26, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 103 MB

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 awry and turn the world into gray goo? What cool inventions are on the horizon? And finally, what are the good and bad portrayals of nanotechnology in science fiction?

The First Modern Zombie Novel

March 19, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 110 MB

"The Day of the Triffids," by John Wyndham, arguably kicked off the modern zombie genre, in which protagonists flee shambling cannibals in an urban wasteland. Josh Jennings joins Heaton to review the book, and ask: what is so fascinating about zombies on a primal level?

Hugh Howey on Making an Entertaining Apocalypse

March 12, 2020 10:46 - 1 hour - 83.7 MB

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 his book, the nature of existential threats, and why optimists are the ultimate heretics.

Understand Every Scifi Hero through Dungeons & Dragons

February 27, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 114 MB

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 Alignment System comprehensively explains the moral temperaments of any scifi character you can lob at it! New York comedians (and long-time D&D veterans) Chris Scott and Nick Sperdute join to explain.

If We Met Aliens Could We Even Communicate?

February 20, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 107 MB

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 different (or superior) intelligence? Peter Boghossian, Professor of Philosophy at Portland State University, joins to geek out about aliens and science fiction.

Who To Kill or Not Kill if You've Got a Time Machine

February 11, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 109 MB

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 around pesky time travel paradoxes, if we should try to go back and kill Hitler, and the most interesting period of history to return to as a tourist.

How Midichlorians and Harry Potter’s Wizard Genes Work

February 05, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB

Dr. Eric Spana (Duke University biology professor and delightful nerd) joins Heaton to discuss how genetics works in various scifi and fantasy realms: from recessive wizarding genes in Harry Potter, to the midichlorians of Star Wars, to super power mutations in the world of X-Men.

Stop What You're Doing and Watch "Picard"

January 30, 2020 07:00 - 52 minutes - 72.3 MB

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 in "Nemesis." Nicholas Sperdute comes on to analyze the pilot, predict where the plot will take us, and generally enjoy the relief that it looks like it will be a great franchise.

How to Build a Colony Ship

January 22, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 118 MB

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, and what's a stable amount of people to maintain purpose on a multi-generational mission? Rob Raffety joins to discuss, looping in everything from "The Twilight Zone" to "Wool" and "Children of Time."

The Meaning of Spock

January 15, 2020 07:00 - 48 minutes - 67.2 MB

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" Star Trek podcast, joins Heaton for a deep dive into the character and meaning of Spock.

When Darwin Meets Star Trek

January 08, 2020 17:35 - 1 hour - 92.3 MB

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 head of Biology at Duke University. He joins the show to talk about the origins of life, and why aliens could probably never mate in real life despite knocking boots in Star Trek.

Let's Argue About "The Rise of Skywalker"

January 02, 2020 14:26 - 1 hour - 118 MB

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 haters gonna hate? Nick Sperdute joins to analyze the film.

Are We Living in a Computer Simulation?

December 18, 2019 19:44 - 1 hour - 162 MB

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, and even Rick & Morty. Jay Mutzafi, host of "The Last Turtle" philosophy podcast joins Heaton to talk about Simulation Theory, and it's scifi application.

The Tarkin Doctrine and Imperial Apologists

December 12, 2019 16:40 - 1 hour - 103 MB

How would Emperor Palpatine's Press Secretary describe the Galactic Empire? How would Grand Moff Tarkin spin the destruction of Alderaan? Jonathan Last of "The Bulwark" joins Heaton to describe why he believes the Empire was a good thing--an imperfect system, but on balance the best one for peace and order in the galaxy.

Robert Heinlein: Individualism and Free Love on the Moon!

December 05, 2019 12:56 - 1 hour - 107 MB

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 tippy top of science fiction's pantheon of writers. Andrew Mayne joins the show to discuss Heinlein and the themes which pervaded his corpus: competency, rugged individualism, and free love. Want to chat about the episode with other nerds? Check out Heaton's Heathens on Discord.

Reptoid Aliens Shouldn't Have Nipples

November 26, 2019 07:55 - 1 hour - 103 MB

Dr. Erin Macdonald is an astrophysicist and science fiction consultant who advises major Hollywood productions on what they're screwing up in scripts. She joins Heaton to discuss the physics pitfalls science fiction constantly blunders into, from artificial gravity to the proliferation of cleavage in species that don't have mammalian glands. Plus: the difference between warp bubbles in Star Trek, the FTL drive in Battlestar Gallactica, and the hyperspace of Star Wars.

The Ethics of Holodeck Sex Romps and AI in Star Trek

November 20, 2019 22:24 - 1 hour - 119 MB

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 are indeed sentient, is it ethical to sleep with them? John Krikorian of "Trek Profiles" and Alexandra August of "The Disco Trek" come on for an awesome chat about AI in the Star Trek universe.

Isaac Asimov's Robots are Smarter than Whales

November 19, 2019 21:46 - 1 hour - 99 MB

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 a planet full of Libertarians? Ryan McGary joins for a full-throttle Isaac Asimov discussion, from whale intuition to transhumanism to Elon Musk.

Alienating the Audience

Episodes