Sinopsis
Explore the meaning of science fiction, and how it's relevant to real-life science and society. Your hosts are Annalee Newitz, a science journalist who writes science fiction, and Charlie Jane Anders, a science fiction writer who is obsessed with science. Every two weeks, we take deep dives into science fiction books, movies, television, and comics that will expand your mind -- and maybe change your life
Episodios
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Episode 97: The internet is still weird, with Vinny Thomas
16/12/2021 Duración: 45minSometimes the internet feels like a bubbling cauldron of scum, but it can still make us laugh. Joining us to talk about humor in the social media age is comedian Vinny Thomas, whose video bits skewering science fiction and animal biology are wildly popular on Twitter. We talk about internet humor fails, why comedy is always political, and which non-human animals are secretly mocking us. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Bonus Episode: The Future of Cities with Sarah Parcak
09/12/2021 Duración: 23minThis week we're bringing you an episode of Deep Futures, a podcast hosted by Annalee and produced by Campside Media and Mailchimp. In this episode, Annalee talks to archaeologist Sarah Parcak about the deep history of Egyptian urbanism and the future of cities. You can find more episodes of Deep Futures wherever you get your podcasts!
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Encore Episode: Social Media Must Die!
02/12/2021 Duración: 45minSocial media has become one of the biggest problems of our time, so we decided to re-up one of our favorite episodes from the past. How does science fiction deal with the rise of social networks---and how is this different from the way the real-life news media talks about it? And what does the future look like after social media dies? https://www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes/2019/4/25/episode-30-social-media-must-die
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Episode 96: Nationalism is science fiction, with Wajahat Ali
18/11/2021 Duración: 41minA lot of science fiction takes place on other worlds, or deep in the future, and yet still contains recognizable nations and national stereotypes. In this episode, we talk about how science fiction stories are used to promote American nationalism -- and to push back against it. Plus, we're joined by author and pundit Wajahat Ali to explore how science fiction deals with the war on terror. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 95: Science Fiction Keeps Trying To "Fix" Disabled People
04/11/2021 Duración: 44minScience fiction and fantasy are full of portrayals of disabled bodies, some of which are nuanced and positive, and many of which... aren't. Join us as we talk about disability tropes and the realities of disabled life with Elsa Sjunneson, author of the brand new book Being Seen. Plus we answer reader questions from our Patreon! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Encore Episode: Let's Obsess Over the Politics of Dune!
21/10/2021 Duración: 44minThe long-awaited movie of Frank Herbert's Dune is arriving in theaters this weekend. To celebrate, we're resurfacing one of our favorite episodes. Is Dune a white savior fantasy? A subversive eco-parable? To find out, we talk to Haris Durrani, author of an influential essay about Dune.
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Episode 94: Big biotech is watching you
07/10/2021 Duración: 41minWhy do healthcare and medical devices bring up so many fears about surveillance? We dive into the history of a scientific nightmare, and explore what early 20th century eugenics has to do with stories like Brave New World, Gattaca, and Made for Love. Plus we talk to journalist Maia Szalavitz about a secret algorithm that's preventing patients from getting pain medication when they need it most. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 93: Lucifer Is Our Therapist Now
23/09/2021 Duración: 51minLucifer just came to an end after six seasons, and to celebrate we're talking to showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson about all the ways this Satanic procedural was really all about therapy. Are you ready to self-actualize and embrace your true desires? Plus we talk about three of our all-time favorite stories about Satan, which show very different sides of the Prince of Darkness. Warning: spoilers for season six ahead! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 92: How to imagine the next political uprising
09/09/2021 Duración: 49minScience fiction and fantasy are the perfect genres for exploring what political uprisings might look like in the future, or an alternate present. We discuss Blake’s 7, a subversive 1980s TV series from the UK, and how it offers us a realistic portrait of political revolutionaries — flawed, dangerous, and full of hope. Claire Light (AKA Jadie Jang) also joins us to talk about her new novel, Monkey Around, about shapeshifters during the Occupy movement. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 91: Three Simple Tests That Reveal A.I. Consciousness
26/08/2021 Duración: 45minOne question has plagued both scientists and science fiction authors for centuries: Will humanity ever build artificial beings who are conscious the same way we are? Spoiler alert: No. But we may one day work alongside sentient robots. In this episode, we talk about the tests people have devised to see if a computer is self-aware, some of which are totally bonkers. We'll also talk to Chen Qiufan, co-author of the brand new book A.I. 2041. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 90: How To Use Research To Make Your Fiction Even More Irresistible
12/08/2021 Duración: 39minEven when you're making up your own story, you still need to do tons of research. But the good news is, research is super fun. We talk about how to bring a dose of reality to your imaginary people and places. And we also discuss Charlie Jane's brand new book about how to write yourself out of the bad times! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 89: Do you suffer from historical amnesia?
29/07/2021 Duración: 39minHave you noticed how hard it is to remember the past 18 months? You might be dealing with historical amnesia, the process by which we collectively forget traumatic events in the past. Storytelling is a major driver of historical amnesia -- in science fiction, and in political rhetoric too. We also talk to Ayanna Thompson, author of a new book called Blackface, about how people have forgotten the history of minstrelsy in the US -- and why that's a problem. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 88: How gender essentialism warped our view of science
15/07/2021 Duración: 49minGender essentialism is the idea that there is something eternal and innate about people's gender identities, and nothing can change that. Popularized during the 1970s, it affected how science fiction stories represented gender -- and it spawned new academic disciplines devoted to scientific misogyny. We talk about all this, and do a deep dive on the "What Women Want" franchise. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 87: The Psychology of Loki
01/07/2021 Duración: 42minLoki has been one of the best characters in the Marvel movies for a long time — but what is his new TV show revealing about the God of Mischief? We delve into his character, and the neuroses that drive him. Plus we talk to Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game and The Biggest Bluff, about what real-life con artists are like. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 86: Becoming One with the Hive Mind
17/06/2021 Duración: 42minWhy are there so many science fiction stories about hive minds, or vast networks of interconnected brains, thinking together? In this episode, we discuss the pleasure and danger of merging consciousness with another person -- or a whole planet. Plus, we talk to Benjamin Rosenbaum (The Unraveling) and Elly Bangs (Unity) about hiveminds in their new novels! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 85: Science Criminals!
03/06/2021 Duración: 43minTrue crime is a giant pop culture obsession ... but what about true science crime? In this episode, we look at the long history of scientists who were called criminals, going back to Galileo. And we discuss crimes committed in the name of science, whose bloody legacies are still with us today. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 84: The eldrich horror of gentrification
20/05/2021 Duración: 39minRecently there's been a rise in horror stories that deal with gentrification. We talk about real-life urban displacement, and the fictional tales that turn it into cosmic incursions and body-swapping nightmares. Plus, we talk to Sam J. Miller about his new novel The Blade Between, and how he used monsters to explore what happens when a small town in upstate New York gets taken over by urban hipsters and techies. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 83: Summer Preview! What We're Pumped to Watch and Read This Season
06/05/2021 Duración: 36minSummer is here—and that means a glorious new flood of movies, TV shows and books. We may actually get to go inside a movie theater again! Here's everything we're looking forward to this season, plus some thoughts about how entertainment has changed after a year in lockdown. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Episode 82: The resistance is not dead
22/04/2021 Duración: 45minWe’re talking about resistance in real life and science fiction. First we do a deep dive into the history of New York City’s African Burial Ground, used by enslaved people during the 18th century. Michael Blakey, who headed the excavation, tells us how these people resisted their enslavement. How do stories of resistance shape our history -- and change the way we conceive of possible futures? Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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Deep Futures: Democracy of Tomorrow
15/04/2021 Duración: 20minWe're sharing the first episode of Annalee's podcast miniseries, Deep Futures, which spotlights six people who are trying to change the world for the better. Here, Annalee talks to science fiction author Malka Older about the future of democracy. Listen to the whole season here: https://mailchimp.com/presents/podcast/deep-futures/