Words To That Effect
120 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 30 ratingsWords To That Effect: Stories of the Fiction that Shapes Popular Culture. WTTE is a narrative storytelling show, hosted and produced by Conor Reid, that explores the intriguing places where fiction, history, science, and popular culture intersect and inspire. From the Victorian past to utopian futures, dinosaurs to detectives, zombies to mummies, how does literature shape our understanding of popular culture? Find out more at https://wttepodcast.com. WTTE is a part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. Support the show and get bonus episodes and more by joining HeadStuff+ (https://headstuffpodcasts.com/show/words-to-that-effect) .
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Episodes
29: Travels in Four-Dimensional Space
March 11, 2019 06:00 - 27 minutesWe have no problem thinking mathematically about four-dimensional space. Where a 3-d cube has 8 vertices, a 4-d hypercube has 16 vertices. Where a cube has 6 faces, like a dice, a 4-d hypercube has 24 faces. The problem is imagining what that actually looks like. We live in a three-dimensional world. We can’t see a fourth dimension. We simply can’t imagine what a 4-D world would look like. However, that doesn’t mean that lots and lots of people haven’t tried to, in a huge variety of...
WTTE 029 - Travels in Four-Dimensional Space
March 11, 2019 06:00 - 27 minutes - 23.7 MBWe have no problem thinking mathematically about four-dimensional space. Where a 3-d cube has 8 vertices, a 4-d hypercube has 16 vertices. Where a cube has 6 faces, like a dice, a 4-d hypercube has 24 faces. The problem is imagining what that actually looks like. We live in a three-dimensional world. We can’t see a fourth dimension. We simply can’t imagine what a 4-D world would look like. However, that doesn’t mean that lots and lots of people haven’t tried to, in a huge variety of...
WTTE - 028 - Pulp Fiction (Amazing Stories of the Sisters of Tomorrow)
February 25, 2019 06:00 - 26 minutes - 23.1 MBIf you want to understand how we ended up with anything from Star Wars to Star Trek, Superman to Batman, intergalactic travel to microscopic worlds, profound meditations on the nature of being human to thrilling tales about Martian princesses, you have to look at pulp fiction. Argosy, Blue Book, Adventure, Black Mask, Horror Stories, Flying Aces…there was a lot of it. The 1920s and 30s was the age of pulp fiction, the time when genres truly became genres. Science fiction, detective storie...
28: Pulp Fiction (Amazing Stories of the Sisters of Tomorrow)
February 25, 2019 06:00 - 26 minutesIf you want to understand how we ended up with anything from Star Wars to Star Trek, Superman to Batman, intergalactic travel to microscopic worlds, profound meditations on the nature of being human to thrilling tales about Martian princesses, you have to look at pulp fiction. Argosy, Blue Book, Adventure, Black Mask, Horror Stories, Flying Aces…there was a lot of it. The 1920s and 30s was the age of pulp fiction, the time when genres truly became genres. Science fiction, detective stories,...
WTTE 027 - Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
February 11, 2019 06:00 - 30 minutes - 27 MBWhat would happen if humanity ceased to exist? Well, assuming, of course, that earth itself has not been destroyed in this hypothetical apocalypse, the world would continue quite happily without us. People have long speculated about what would happen in the weeks, months, and years after the end of humanity. There is an obvious perverse pleasure in seeing the world we have destroyed, and continue to destroy, getting its revenge. There’s a misanthropy in this type of speculation, what’s ...
27: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
February 11, 2019 06:00 - 30 minutesWhat would happen if humanity ceased to exist? Well, assuming, of course, that earth itself has not been destroyed in this hypothetical apocalypse, the world would continue quite happily without us. People have long speculated about what would happen in the weeks, months, and years after the end of humanity. There is an obvious perverse pleasure in seeing the world we have destroyed, and continue to destroy, getting its revenge. There’s a misanthropy in this type of speculation, what’s ...
26: Unwrapping the Egyptian Mummy
January 28, 2019 11:34 - 25 minutesIn the 19th century, a very popular form of entertainment was the mummy unwrapping party. Yes, you could go to a private or public event at which an ancient Egyptian mummy would be unrolled and examined. Bandages would be passed around, touched and smelled, ancient jewellery would be admired, and a the dead body of an Egyptian would be revealed at the end. So, how did this bizarre and macabre spectacle come to be? Where did the Victorians get all these mummies? Were they all comfortable with...
WTTE 026 - Unwrapping the Egyptian Mummy
January 28, 2019 11:34 - 25 minutes - 22.2 MBIn the 19th century, a very popular form of entertainment was the mummy unwrapping party. Yes, you could go to a private or public event at which an ancient Egyptian mummy would be unrolled and examined. Bandages would be passed around, touched and smelled, ancient jewellery would be admired, and a the dead body of an Egyptian would be revealed at the end. So, how did this bizarre and macabre spectacle come to be? Where did the Victorians get all these mummies? Were they all comfortable wi...
WTTE 025 - Dinosaurs (Palaeontology to Pyjamas)
January 14, 2019 11:17 - 26 minutes - 22.6 MB1n 1842 a Victorian anatomist looked at some unusual fossils and, noticing they had something in common, he decided we needed a word to describe these strange creatures. He called them dinosaurs. Cut to the present day and there are dinosaur films, TV shows, books, songs, toys, and anything else you can possibly think of. Dinosaurs are beloved by children across the world, they form the centrepieces of internationally renowned museums, and there is nobody who doesn’t have an idea of what a...
25: Dinosaurs (Palaeontology to Pyjamas)
January 14, 2019 11:17 - 25 minutesIn 1842 a Victorian anatomist looked at some unusual fossils and, noticing they had something in common, he decided we needed a word to describe these strange creatures. He called them dinosaurs. Cut to the present day and there are dinosaur films, TV shows, books, songs, toys, and anything else you can possibly think of. Dinosaurs are beloved by children across the world, they form the centrepieces of internationally renowned museums, and there is nobody who doesn’t have an idea of what a ...
WTTE - Season 3 Preview
January 10, 2019 12:20 - 2 minutes - 973 KBWords To That Effect is back! Season 3 kicks off next Monday, Jan 14th. In the meantime, have a listen to a preview of what's in store for the season. The music heard in this episode was "Polydrug" by Forrests. You can check out their music [here](https://forrests.bandcamp.com/) Words To That Effect is a member of the Headstuff Podcast Network. You can listen to previous episodes, and lots of other great podcasts [here](https://www.headstuff.org/words-to-that-effect/).
Season 3 Preview
January 10, 2019 12:20 - 2 minutesWords To That Effect is back! Season 3 kicks off next Monday, Jan 14th. In the meantime, have a listen to a preview of what's in store for the season. The music heard in this episode was "Polydrug" by Forrests. You can check out their music here Words To That Effect is a member of the Headstuff Podcast Network. You can listen to previous episodes, and lots of other great podcasts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
WTTE - 024 - Live at Liberty Hall
December 31, 2018 21:14 - 35 minutes - 31.5 MBWords To That Effect is back! Episode 24 is a recording of September's live show for the Dublin Podcast Festival. This episode is a story about a long-forgotten nervous disease. But it’s also a story of science and culture, psychology and mental health, feminism and creativity, war and masculinity. It's about ghost stories, science fiction and cowboy novels... Featuring live music composed and performed by Ken McCabe.
WTTE 024 - Live at Liberty Hall
December 31, 2018 21:14 - 35 minutes - 31.5 MBWords To That Effect is back! Episode 24 is a recording of September's live show for the Dublin Podcast Festival. This episode is a story about a long-forgotten nervous disease. But it’s also a story of science and culture, psychology and mental health, feminism and creativity, war and masculinity. It's about ghost stories, science fiction and cowboy novels... Featuring live music composed and performed by Ken McCabe.
24: WTTE Live at Liberty Hall
December 31, 2018 21:14 - 35 minutesWords To That Effect is back! Episode 24 is a recording of September's live show for the Dublin Podcast Festival. This episode is a story about a long-forgotten nervous disease. But it’s also a story of science and culture, psychology and mental health, feminism and creativity, war and masculinity. It's about ghost stories, science fiction and cowboy novels... Featuring live music composed and performed by Ken McCabe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23: Adaptation (How Does a Book Become a Film?)
July 30, 2018 22:44 - 26 minutesThe book is always better than the film. Or so they say. But there are obviously quite a few problems with this, as there tends to be with any sweeping generalisation. For some, the book is always better than the film, because books are just better than films, which is something I would mostly agree with. Fiction creates and draws us into a world entirely inside our own imagination. At its best, fiction is far more immersive and engaging than a film can ever be. But, of course, there ar...
WTTE - 023 - Adaptation (How Does a Book Become a Film?)
July 30, 2018 22:44 - 26 minutes - 22.9 MBThe book is always better than the film. Or so they say. But there are obviously quite a few problems with this, as there tends to be with any sweeping generalisation. For some, the book is always better than the film, because books are just better than films, which is something I would mostly agree with. Fiction creates and draws us into a world entirely inside our own imagination. At its best, fiction is far more immersive and engaging than a film can ever be. But, of course, there...
Two Announcements and an Update
July 16, 2018 08:20 - 3 minutesNo episode this week unfortunately, but I do have two exciting announcements. Have a listen and find out! More at wttepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two Announcements and an Update (July 2018)
July 16, 2018 08:20 - 4 minutes - 2.38 MBNo episode this week unfortunately, but I do have two exciting announcements. Have a listen and find out! More at wttepodcast.com
Two Announcements and an Update (July, 2018)
July 16, 2018 08:20 - 4 minutes - 2.38 MBNo episode this week unfortunately, but I do have two exciting announcements. Have a listen and find out! More at wttepodcast.com
22: Book Clubs: Revolution and Politics to Wine and Cheese
July 02, 2018 15:57 - 30 minutes - 28 MBThe Rick O'Shea Bookclub is Ireland's largest bookclub. It has 17,000 members and is growing fast. Book clubs have never been more popular. But where did they begin, and what role have they played in literary history? Quite a large role, it turns out: culturally, politically, and commercially. In this episode I talk to Rick O'Shea about the success of his bookclub, and to Prof DeNel Rehberg Sedo and Dr Amy Prendergast, two experts in the history of books clubs and reading groups. More at wtte...
WTTE - 022 - Book Clubs: Revolution & Politics (and Wine & Cheese)
July 02, 2018 15:57 - 31 minutes - 27.6 MBThe Rick O'Shea Bookclub is Ireland's largest bookclub. It has 17,000 members and is growing fast. Book clubs have never been more popular. But where did they begin, and what role have they played in literary history? Quite a large role, it turns out: culturally, politically, and commercially. In this episode I talk to Rick O'Shea about the success of his bookclub, and to Prof DeNel Rehberg Sedo and Dr Amy Prendergast, two experts in the history of books clubs and reading groups. More ...
22: Book Clubs: Revolution and Politics
July 02, 2018 15:57 - 31 minutesThe Rick O'Shea Bookclub is Ireland's largest bookclub. It has 17,000 members and is growing fast. Book clubs have never been more popular. But where did they begin, and what role have they played in literary history? Quite a large role, it turns out: culturally, politically, and commercially. In this episode I talk to Rick O'Shea about the success of his bookclub, and to Prof DeNel Rehberg Sedo and Dr Amy Prendergast, two experts in the history of books clubs and reading groups. More at...
21: The Invention of Time
June 18, 2018 05:00 - 19 minutesTime, as we understand it today, was only really invented in the Victorian era. We take it for granted today that our phones and watches and other devices are accurate to the second. That time zones are clear and fixed – when it’s 3pm in Dublin, it’s also 3pm in London, and 4pm in Paris or 10am in New York. We don’t think twice about the fact that a train can be scheduled to leave at precisely 11.04 and, when it arrives, passengers will be clear as what time it is at their destination W...
WTTE - 021 - The Invention of Time
June 18, 2018 05:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBTime, as we understand it today, was only really invented in the Victorian era. We take it for granted today that our phones and watches and other devices are accurate to the second. That time zones are clear and fixed – when it’s 3pm in Dublin, it’s also 3pm in London, and 4pm in Paris or 10am in New York. We don’t think twice about the fact that a train can be scheduled to leave at precisely 11.04 and, when it arrives, passengers will be clear as what time it is at their destination ...
WTTE - 020 - Domestic Noir
June 04, 2018 05:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBWhy Are There So Many Crime Thrillers With 'Girl' in the Title? Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, Luckiest Girl Alive, Final Girls... There's no shortage of crime novels with 'girl' in the title since the huge success of Gillian Flynn's 2012 thriller Gone Girl. But what do these novels have in common, what explains their success, and why are classified as domestic noir? Domestic Noir is a term first applied to fiction of this type by the author Julia Crouch, and it has stuck. Crime nove...
20: Domestic Noir
June 04, 2018 05:00 - 26 minutesWhy Are There So Many Crime Thrillers With 'Girl' in the Title? Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, Luckiest Girl Alive, Final Girls... There's no shortage of crime novels with 'girl' in the title since the huge success of Gillian Flynn's 2012 thriller Gone Girl. But what do these novels have in common, what explains their success, and why are classified as domestic noir? Domestic Noir is a term first applied to fiction of this type by the author Julia Crouch, and it has stuck. Crime novels...
19: Climate Change Fiction (Utopia, Pt2)
May 21, 2018 05:00 - 25 minutesThis week's episode continues on from the last episode. So, if you haven't listened to that, head on over to Episode 18 first. From the history of utopia in the last episode, we move to the future of the planet and the climate change fiction that addresses it. “For me, utopianism is the creative attempt by a group of people to respond to the great challenges of any age and to do so in a way that’s visionary, it’s not limited, it’s not following a set recipe that has an end point, it’s an op...
Climate Change Fiction (Utopia, Pt2)
May 21, 2018 05:00 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBThis week's episode continues on from the last episode. So, if you haven't listened to that, head on over to Episode 18 first. From the history of utopia in the last episode, we move to the future of the planet and the climate change fiction that addresses it. “For me, utopianism is the creative attempt by a group of people to respond to the great challenges of any age and to do so in a way that’s visionary, it’s not limited, it’s not following a set recipe that has an end point, it’s an ope...
WTTE - 019 - Utopia, Pt2 (Climate Change Fiction)
May 21, 2018 05:00 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBThis week's episode continues on from the last episode. So, if you haven't listened to that, head on over to Episode 18 first. From the history of utopia in the last episode, we move to the future of the planet and the climate change fiction that addresses it. “For me, utopianism is the creative attempt by a group of people to respond to the great challenges of any age and to do so in a way that’s visionary, it’s not limited, it’s not following a set recipe that has an end point, it’s an o...
18: What Is Utopia? (Utopia, Pt 1)
May 07, 2018 09:15 - 30 minutesThis is a story of three journeys, by three people, in three very different times. But each of the journeys ends in the same area in the west of Ireland. And each journey is founded on a search for a more perfect world, a search for utopia. Episode 18 (part one of a two-part episode on utopian literature) explores the utopia in fiction and in reality, in the past, present, and future. What is a utopia exactly and why do we create them? Are they idle dreaming, pointless thought experiments, ...
WTTE - 018 - What Is Utopia?
May 07, 2018 09:15 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBThis is a story of three journeys, by three people, in three very different times. But each of the journeys ends in the same area in the west of Ireland. And each journey is founded on a search for a more perfect world, a search for utopia. Episode 18 (part one of a two-part episode on utopian literature) explores the utopia in fiction and in reality, in the past, present, and future. What is a utopia exactly and why do we create them? Are they idle dreaming, pointless thought experiments,...
WTTE - 017 - The 10% Brain Myth (from Self-Help to Pulp Fiction to Hollywood)
March 26, 2018 16:43 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBDo we use only 10% of our brain capacity? (Hint: No) “It is estimated that most human beings only use 10% of the brain’s capacity. Imagine if we could access more of our cerebral capacity?" This is the central question of the 2014 Scarlett Johannson film, Lucy. And it is not exactly an original idea. Exploring the extraordinary powers gained by accessing the untapped potential of our brains is a ubiquitous trope in popular culture. It's the premise of the Bradley Cooper film Limitless (and...
17: The 10% Brain Myth
March 26, 2018 16:43 - 17 minutesDo we use only 10% of our brain capacity? (Hint: No) “It is estimated that most human beings only use 10% of the brain’s capacity. Imagine if we could access more of our cerebral capacity?" This is the central question of the 2014 Scarlett Johannson film, Lucy. And it is not exactly an original idea. Exploring the extraordinary powers gained by accessing the untapped potential of our brains is a ubiquitous trope in popular culture. It's the premise of the Bradley Cooper film Limitless (and ...
16: Transhumanism, Fiction, and Immortality
March 12, 2018 12:31 - 32 minutesThis is an episode about who we are as humans. And, more importantly, where we are going. About a future in which technology and biology have merged in ways that are in equal part fascinating and terrifying. A future of unparalleled technological ingenuity, but one with deeply problematic ethical concerns. It’s a future that sounds like science fiction because, in some ways, it is. But it’s a world that’s being designed right now. Transhumanism is a social movement which aims to use technol...
WTTE - 016 - Transhumanism, Fiction, and Immortality
March 12, 2018 12:31 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBThis is an episode about who we are as humans. And, more importantly, where we are going. About a future in which technology and biology have merged in ways that are in equal part fascinating and terrifying. A future of unparalleled technological ingenuity, but one with deeply problematic ethical concerns. It’s a future that sounds like science fiction because, in some ways, it is. But it’s a world that’s being designed right now. Transhumanism is a social movement which aims to use tec...
WTTE - 015 - The Scarlet Pimpernel & Baroness Orczy
February 26, 2018 06:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBThe Scarlet Pimpernel is a character now long disconnected from his origins in a 1903 novel. The Pimpernel is a mysterious Englishman who uses elaborate disguises to heroically rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution. Naming himself after a small red flower, the enigmatic hero's identity is known only to a select few. In reality, he is a wealthy English aristocrat, Sir Percy Blakeney. The Scarlet Pimpernel has appeared in films, TV series, stage plays, sp...
15: The Scarlet Pimpernel & Baroness Orczy
February 26, 2018 06:00 - 25 minutesThe Scarlet Pimpernel is a character now long disconnected from his origins in a 1903 novel. The Pimpernel is a mysterious Englishman who uses elaborate disguises to heroically rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution. Naming himself after a small red flower, the enigmatic hero's identity is known only to a select few. In reality, he is a wealthy English aristocrat, Sir Percy Blakeney. The Scarlet Pimpernel has appeared in films, TV series, stage plays, sp...
WTTE - 014 - Weird Fiction & HP Lovecraft
February 12, 2018 10:23 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBThe American writer H.P. Lovecraft wrote weird fiction. His work is both weird, in the conventional sense of the word, and Weird, in a more specific sense. His tales are not typical horror stories, but instead invoke a type of cosmic terror, a slow realization that humanity is an insignificant afterthought in a vast universe of indescribably horrific creatures. Protagonists tend to write their stories on the verge of madness, or just before they commit suicide, having uncovered an unspeakable...
14: Weird Fiction & HP Lovecraft
February 12, 2018 10:23 - 26 minutesThe American writer H.P. Lovecraft wrote weird fiction. His work is both weird, in the conventional sense of the word, and Weird, in a more specific sense. His tales are not typical horror stories, but instead invoke a type of cosmic terror, a slow realization that humanity is an insignificant afterthought in a vast universe of indescribably horrific creatures. Protagonists tend to write their stories on the verge of madness, or just before they commit suicide, having uncovered an unspeakable...
Season 2 Preview
February 06, 2018 20:19 - 3 minutesA preview of what's to come on Season 2 of Words To That Effect. There will be utopias, immortality, secret superhero identities, weird fiction and lots more... For a full description and all the links, head to the Words To That Effect website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
WTTE - Season 2 Preview
February 06, 2018 20:19 - 3 minutes - 1.72 MBA preview of what's to come on Season 2 of Words To That Effect. There will be utopias, immortality, secret superhero identities, weird fiction and lots more... For a full description and all the links, head to the [Words To That Effect website](http://wttepodcast.com)
13: The Ghost Stories of MR James
December 18, 2017 06:00 - 32 minutesThis week’s episode is a Christmas Special. It’s a collaboration with the disturbingly good horror podcast, Down Below The Reservoir. The result is an episode about the ghost stories of MR James, followed by an audio-drama production of “Lost Hearts”, one of James’ classic tales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
WTTE - 013 - The Ghost Stories of MR James
December 18, 2017 06:00 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBWords To That Effect + Down Below The Reservoir This week’s episode, the end of Season 1, is a Christmas Special. It’s a collaboration with the disturbingly good horror podcast, Down Below The Reservoir. The result is an episode about the ghost stories of MR James, followed by an audio-drama read more... The post Episode 13: The Ghost Stories of MR James appeared first on Words To That Effect.
12: The Horrifically Complicated History of Zombies
November 27, 2017 06:00 - 24 minutesWhether we like it or not, the zombies are coming for us all. Films, books, computer games, comics and TV shows. From historical and mythical zombies to claims to have proven the scientific truth behind zombification. From the gruesome, cannibalistic monsters of horror, to the harmless creatures of children’s playground games. There are zombie flash mobs and parades, zombie cocktails and drinks. There’s zombie capitalism and zombie corporations. And, of course, the zombie apocalypse. Episod...
WTTE - 012 - The Horrifically Complicated History of Zombies
November 27, 2017 06:00 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBThe History of Zombies from Haiti to Hollywood Whether we like it or not, the zombies are coming for us all. Films, books, computer games, comics and TV shows. From historical and mythical zombies to claims to have proven the scientific truth behind zombification. From the gruesome, cannibalistic monsters of read more... The post Episode 12: The Horrifically Complicated History of Zombies appeared first on Words To That Effect.
WTTE - 011 - Cesare Lombroso & The Born Criminal
November 13, 2017 05:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MBTurin in the 19th Century The northern Italian city of Turin is quite distinctive as Italian cities go. It is still Italy, so of course it has its grand piazzas and ornate churches, and pasta and pizza and cappuccinos. But whereas in so many Italian cities it is read more... The post Episode 11: Cesare Lombroso & The Born Criminal appeared first on Words To That Effect.
11: Cesare Lombroso & The Born Criminal
November 13, 2017 05:00 - 19 minutesCesare Lombroso was an Italian doctor and psychiatrist and he was one of the first people to really consider “criminality” a subject worthy of scientific study. His ideas were groundbreaking and, despite that the fact that he was unbelievably, spectacularly wrong, he is often referred to as the “father of criminology”. In this episode I am joined by Prof Christine Ferguson to discuss crime and criminals, science and literature, from Dracula to Jekyll and Hyde. Why were Lombroso’s ideas so ap...
10: The Endless Influence of Robinson Crusoe
October 30, 2017 06:00 - 21 minutesRobinson Crusoe’s influence has been so powerful that this single work of literature has spawned an entire genre: the Robinsonade. This is the name given to those Crusoe-like stories which involve shipwreck, a desert island, and encountering a strange new society or person There are thousands upon thousands of books and films, plays and poems, tv shows and comic books which take up the Robinson theme. Defoe’s novel has left a lasting, powerful, complicated, and often dangerous myth in the po...
WTTE - 010 - Robinson Crusoe to Survivor: The Robinsonade
October 30, 2017 06:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBDaniel Defoe’s classic novel, The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, is without doubt one of the most recognizable stories in our culture. It is a book which has had hundreds, if not thousands, of editions. It has been translated into over 100 languages, adapted for stage and read more... The post Episode 10: From Robinson Crusoe to Survivor: The Robinsonade appeared first on Words To That Effect.