Sci-fi Sense
7 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -Sci-fi Sense explores the intersection of fact and fiction, through the lens of sci-fi and pop culture, with a heavy nostalgic bent. The podcast focuses on topics relevant to today and was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to try to make sense of the growing weirdness of the world through the lessons taught by the sci-fi genre. Join us on an intergalactic joyride via Starship Earth through the best of sci-fi and pop culture as we attempt to decipher the algorithmic code known as "reality”!
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Episodes
Ep 05: "SEX MACHINA" Part 2 of 4: Consciousness & the AI Mind
July 07, 2021 18:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBRobots have been a pillar in science fiction for decades, a cornerstone for futuristic fantasy and technolust. We have finally reached the moment when science fiction becomes science fact, with robotics becoming commercialized at an all-time high rate for widespread industrial and consumer use. And now, robots are even being developed for sexual functions, which could replace human romantic partners altogether for a percentage of the population. ___________ In this PART 2 of a four-part se...
Ep 04: "SEX MACHINA" Part 1 of 4: The Rise of Sex Robots
May 04, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MB“Oh robot, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” Now how about, "Oh sexy robot. How do I make love to thee? Let me configure the settings..." Robots have been a pillar in science fiction for decades, a cornerstone for futuristic fantasy fueled by technolust. We have finally reached the moment when science fiction becomes science fact, with robotics becoming commercialized at an all-time high rate for widespread industrial and consumer use. And now, robots are even being developed for...
Ep 03.1 Xmas Special : The Story of Pompeii & Eruption of Mt. Coronavirus 2020
December 26, 2020 04:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBAs this most arduous annual trip around the sun draws to a close, I've been reflecting upon the underlying causes for the pandemic and its pervasive effects on the world, now that we've had a full year to observe a world in crisis mode. This short mini-sode began as an unused section from a previous episode, but the story came back to mind during a recent 14-day travel quarantine. The destruction of Pompeii highlights an important lesson: that 2020 may soon be over, but we're not nearly ou...
Ep 03 : "The Cassandra Complex vs. Conspiracy Theory" - The Curse of Being Able to Predict the Future
November 06, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBChicken Little ran around screaming, "The sky is falling!" like a chicken with its head cut off. And then we had KFC for dinner. Prophets, oracles, soothsayers, seers - they're people who say they can predict the future. And then there's time travelers who say they come from the future with knowledge of what's to come. Throughout history and fiction, we've always had figures who somehow predicted future events, whether through supernatural or science-backed means. And there's never a short...
Ep 03 : "THE CASSANDRA COMPLEX vs. Conspiracy Theory" - The Curse of Being Able to Predict the Future
November 06, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBChicken Little ran around screaming, "The sky is falling!" like a chicken with its head cut off. And then we had KFC for dinner. Prophets, oracles, soothsayers, seers - they're people who say they can predict the future. And then there's time travelers who say they come from the future with knowledge of what's to come. Throughout history and fiction, we've always had figures who somehow predicted future events, whether through supernatural or science-backed means. And there's never a short...
Ep 02 : "TIME TRAVEL & MEMORY" - How 12 Monkeys shows us the End of the World is going to be OK
September 12, 2020 18:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBMemory and time are interlinked. That’s easy enough. But what are memories and where do they come from? Are they just from past experiences? And how come certain people, places, and things feel familiar even if you’ve never encountered them before? 19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard famously wrote, “'Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Well, not if you have a time travel machine, as is often the case in sci-fi! We’re going to look at Terry ...
Ep 01 : "THE NAKED NOW" - How Star Trek TNG Predicted the Coronavirus Pandemic
August 10, 2020 23:00 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MBPandemics, schmandemics. They've bugged us for ages and they never seem to go away. How will we deal with viruses in the future? What kind of precautions and counter-measures will we develop to protect ourselves and deal with the impacts - both physical and psychological? Why do people react to pandemics with such odd behavior? Thanks to sci-fi, we have pandemic stories galore. For our first episode, we'll explore how Star Trek : The Next Generation - Episode 2 "The Naked Now" depicts one s...