TMTYR Episode #17: An Awful Waste of Space (Contact)

For Episode #17, fittingly a prime number, the Pavement Pounders discuss Contact, by Carl Sagan, and the 1997 film adapted from it.  Big thanks to Rem from The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast for recommending it! Full Spoiler alert!  Asterisms discussed! Swedish Radio Astronomy considered! The Drake Equation pondered! And also the crucial question of why, for … Continue reading TMTYR Episode #17: An Awful Waste of Space (Contact) →

For Episode #17, fittingly a prime number, the Pavement Pounders discuss Contact, by Carl Sagan, and the 1997 film adapted from it.  Big thanks to Rem from The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast for recommending it!

Full Spoiler alert!  Asterisms discussed! Swedish Radio Astronomy considered! The Drake Equation pondered! And also the crucial question of why, for the love of God and the sanity of Seth, don’t movie people run like real people run?

Alternate titles:

What happens on Vega stays on Vega
Vega Vacation!
I’m Getting Only Vega Messages

Pounder Rankings!:

Colin/James/Seth:

movie
book

(Unanimity is rare, but it has to happen sometimes.  It’s probably in the Drake Equation.)

Notes:

Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Contact:

http://sci-fimoviepodcast.com/sci-fi-movie-podcast-contact/

Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Rise of the Planet of the Apes, featuring Seth:

http://sci-fimoviepodcast.com/sci-fi-movie-podcast-rise-planet-apes/

Carl Sagan’s Letter About the Screenplay:

http://io9.com/5931333/read-carl-sagans-letter-politely-telling-warner-bros-their-script-sucked

Phil Plait’s review of the film:

http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/movies/contact.html

Do Astronauts carry suicide pills?

http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/10/astronauts-and-suicide-pills.html

Should we broadcast to aliens:

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/be-or-not-be-signaling-aliens-question-seti-n305546

Rise/Set/Transit Times for Major Solar System Bodies and Bright Stars:

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/mrst.php

xkcd:

Drake Equation: http://xkcd.com/384/

The Search: http://xkcd.com/638/

Fundamental Forces: http://xkcd.com/1489/

Seth’s Review of Contact:

http://seth.heasley.net/blog/2015/02/book-review-contact-by-carl-sagan