Unobtainium Podcast
The Unobtainium Podcast is hosted by Adam Sigel, a Hollywood writer-producer, and Dr. Amy Mainzer, an astrophysicist. Together, they explore the science in science fiction. Each episode unpacks the Unobtainium behind movies—what’s real, what’s cinematic, and why filmmakers bend reality. This is for the nerds, sci-fi fans, film junkies, and anyone curious about the science behind the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Realistic Aliens? Space Travel? Darth Vader’s Suit? What is Sci-fi? We Take Your Questions for Our Season Wrap Up: Are we more likely to discover intelligent life or have they already discovered us and Why do Hollywood aliens almost always look human?
In this special season wrap-up mailbag episode of Unobtanium, astrophysicist Dr. Amy Mainzer and filmmaker Adam Sigel answer questions from listeners, exploring the fascinating intersection of science, storytelling, and our favorite sci-fi movies.
From breaking down what truly defines the science fiction genre to deconstructing alien biology, exoplanet habitability, and scientific literacy, this episode bridges hard astrophysics and screenwriting logic.
Full Summary
What Defines Science Fiction?
Sci-fi acts as an experimental sandbox exploring the impact of technology and science on human lives and societal stakes.
The...
What is a Black Hole? The Science, the Madness, and the Mystery of Disney's THE BLACK HOLE: We look at how the 1979 film is one of the strangest, darkest, and most ambitious science fiction movies of its era.
What is a Black Hole?
Core Definition: A black hole is a region of space with an extraordinarily powerful gravitational field created when massive amounts of matter are packed into a tiny volume.The "Divide-by-Zero" Error: In simple terms, a black hole represents a point where our current understanding of physics breaks down—a mathematical singularity where space-time equations result in an undefined state.Event Horizon: The absolute point of no return. Gravity is so strong within the event horizon that not even light can escape, causing its trajectory to loop back inward.Star Collapse & Supernovas
St...Could You ACTUALLY Survive on Mars? Planetary Scientist Dave Paige Breaks Down Ridley Scott's blockbuster film The Martian, breaking down what the film got right, what was exaggerated, and what real NASA missions face when exploring the Red Planet.
Episode Description
In this episode of Unobtainium, hosts Adam and Amy sit down with UCLA Planetary Science Professor Dave Paige to dissect the science behind Ridley Scott's blockbuster film The Martian. From the atmospheric physics of Martian dust storms to the realities of growing potatoes in extraterrestrial soil, Professor Paige breaks down what Hollywood got right, what they exaggerated, and what real NASA missions face when exploring the Red Planet.
Full Summary
Why couldn’t the movie’s massive Martian dust storm really happen? Could you actually grow potatoes in Mart...
We came for Star Wars. We found something much bigger. Inside the Lucas Museum: Star Wars, Narrative Art, and the Power of Myth
Why does the museum look like a spaceship? What does Luke Skywalker have in common with a scientist? And could an N-1 Starfighter actually fly?
Come inside with us.
What’s really inside George Lucas’s new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art? We got a sneak peek—and it wasn’t quite what we expected.
UNOBTAINIUM hosts planetary scientist Dr. Amy Mainzer and writer/producer Adam Sigel head inside the spectacular new Los Angeles museum expecting plenty of Star Wars. And yes, there are spaceships, droids and enough Death Star vibes...
Neil deGrasse Tyson on Superheroes, Time Travel, Aliens, Bad Movie Science and growing up in the geekosphere.
What superhero would Neil deGrasse Tyson be? Where would he go if he could travel through time? And how much bad science will he forgive if a movie tells a great story? And how he grew up an athlete who lived in the geekosphere.
In this special bonus mini-episode of UNOBTAINIUM, planetary scientist Dr. Amy Mainzer and producer Adam Sigel revisit their conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson for a wide-ranging trip through science, science fiction and geek culture.
Neil reveals why he once imagined himself as “Protector of the Geeks,” explains why the M...
What’s lurking in the unexplored deep? Liquid Breathing, Decompression Issues, & Alien Sea Life in James Cameron’s mysterious film The Abyss with marine geomicrobiologist Dr. Tina Treude
Episode Description
Could humans really breathe liquid? Could we actually live hundreds of meters beneath the ocean—and what might be waiting for us in the unexplored deep?
In this episode of UNOBTAINIUM, hosts Amy and Adam “dive” into the science behind James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi classic THE ABYSS with Dr. Tina Treude, UCLA professor and expert in marine geomicrobiology.
The biggest mystery of all is how much of the deep ocean have we actually explored. Scientists continue to encounter species they’ve never seen before, reminding us that some of the most alien envir...
Could a Snake Robot Find Alien Life? | Mars, Enceladus & the Future of Space Robotics
What does it take to build a robot that can explore another world—and maybe even help us find extraterrestrial life?
In this special bonus mini-episode of UNOBTAINIUM, roboticist Dr. Hiro Ono takes us from the surface of Mars to the hidden ocean of Enceladus, Saturn’s icy moon.
Hiro, who joined us for our episode on BLADE RUNNER and the future of robotics, worked on the Mars Perseverance rover, helping develop autonomous vision systems that allow a robot millions of miles from Earth to understand its surroundings and navigate the Martian landscape. With...
Could the Rage Virus in 28 Days Later actually happen? Dr. Seema Yasmin joins us to unpack the terrifying real science of viruses, outbreaks, R-naught, and why this horror classic hits very differently after COVID.
Is the "Rage Virus" in 28 Days Later scientifically plausible? Amy and Adam sit down with Dr. Sima Yasmin—medical doctor, former CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, author and disease detective! – to separate the real science of viruses and pandemics from one of cinema’s most frightening fictional outbreaks. What exactly is a virus—and is it even alive? Could scientists really use a virus to alter human behavior? Why are viruses used as vectors in cutting-edge gene therapies (like CAR-T cancer therapy)? They also discuss incubation periods, the math of R-naught, split-brain Klüver-Bucy syndrome, and how real i...
More on Astrobiology with Dr. Betül Kaçar
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why We Deny Scientific Warnings? A Deep Dive into the Science of Climate Change, Searching for Hope, and the Art of Integrating Science into Emotional and Evocative Storytelling
Episode Description
What begins as a discussion of climate change expands into a deep dive into the science as well as the misinformation, political inertia, corruption and the psychology behind why societies struggle to respond to existential threats—even when the evidence is clear.
McKay discusses the real-world inspiration for the film, Leonardo DiCaprio's performance, and why science and storytelling must work together if humanity hopes to solve its greatest challenges.
Full Summary
The Holocene Epoch & The Greenhouse Effect
Host Dr. Amy Mainzer (UCLA astrophysicist) and...
What’s our plan for a planet-killer comet? The facts about NASA’s Planetary Defense (Kinetic Impactors vs Armageddon Nukes) and more in Adam McKay’s film "Don’t Look Up."
Episode Description
How do long-period comets (like Comet NEOWISE) actually move, how NASA’s real-life Planetary Defense Coordination Office operates, and whether kinetic impactors (like the DART mission) or nuclear explosives could divert a planet-killing object? They also dive into why the film serves as a sharp allegory for climate change, pandemic responses, corporate greed, and the politicization of science.
Full Summary
Amy Mainzer (UCLA astrophysicist and science advisor on Don't Look Up) and Adam Sigel (Hollywood writer/producer) welcome writer/director Adam McKay to discuss balancing scientific accuracy with storytelling, and...
How Real is the Science in Star Trek? Amy and Adam Talk Terraforming, Genetic Engineering, and Trekkie Love for the Wrath of Khan
Episode Description
In this episode of The Unobtainium Podcast, Amy shows her true Trekkie colors as she and Adam unpack the science and themes of the beloved TOS cast film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Together, they explore the ethical dilemmas of genetic engineering, eugenics, and CRISPR, along with the real-world science behind planet and star formation and the possibilities of terraforming dead planets. They also discuss why Khan Noonien Singh remains one of the franchise's best villains.
Whether you're a lifelong Trekkie, a casual science fiction fan, or simply curious about the...
Is a “Severance” Split Brain possible? How Are Memories Formed? Can Different Aspects of Personality Be Isolated Inside the Brain? Memory, Identity, and Neuroplasticity with David Eagleman
Could your mind really be split in two? Can a chip in your brain divide your work life from your personal life?
Hosts astrophysicist and UCLA Professor Dr. Amy Mainzer and writer/producer Adam Sigel welcome back Stanford neuroscientist, author and creator of Inner Cosmos, David Eagleman, who also serves as a science consultant for Severance Season 3. Adam references the Hollywood development term "science-faction" to describe the show—a blend of fiction rooted heavily in real-world scientific possibilities. The core premise of the show explores the ultimate, extreme form of satirical work-life balance: surgically separating an in...
Mining on the Moon? Explore the possibilities of Fusion Using Helium-3, a New AI Computer in Space, and the Ethics of Reaching Humanity's Next Frontier with Lunar Expert Dave Paige
Is the 2009 movie Moon pure fiction, or is lunar mining the future of clean energy? Could automated harvesters actually strip-mine the lunar surface regolith (moon soil)? Could we really harvest enough helium-3 to power nuclear fusion reactors on Earth? Is it possible to build a permanent moon base via NASA's Artemis missions?
In this episode of the Unobtainium podcast, hosts astrophysicist and UCLA Professor Dr. Amy Mainzer and writer/producer Adam Sigel dive into a fascinating Moon movie breakdown. Directed by Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son) on a modest $5 million budget, the outstanding 2009 Moon is...
Why is a parasitic alien so terrifying? From Facehuggers to Xenomorphs, we dissect Space Travel, Exoplanets, and the Enduring Nightmares Implanted Within This Sci-Fi Masterpiece .
What makes the deep-space horror classic film Alien (1979) one of the scariest science fiction movies ever made? Amy and Adam explore science, psychology, and the enduring power of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. In space, no one can hear you scream—but there’s plenty to talk about.
Full Summary
In this episode of the Unobtainium podcast, astrophysicist and planetary scientist Dr. Amy Mainzer (UCLA) and Hollywood writer-producer Adam Sigel break down Ridley Scott’s 1979 cinematic masterpiece, Alien in search of an answer to why this movie is one of the most terrifying sci-fi horror mo...
Is Godzilla Fission or Fusion? From Radiation Mutation to Blue Atomic Breath, Nuclear Physicist Stephanie Diem Unpacks This Superb Homage Monster Movie.
Episode Description
Is Godzilla Minus One just a wonderful homage to the classic monster movies or is it the ultimate warning about nuclear energy? 🦖⚛️
In this episode of Unobtainium, Adam and Amy break down the real science, historical context, and emotional power of Godzilla Minus One. Joining the conversation is Professor Stephanie Diem, a nuclear physicist and engineer, and Professor of Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to separate nuclear facts from the King of the Monsters science fiction.
Along the way, they discuss the difference b...
Can Robots Feel? Roboticist Hiro Ono joins us to explore consciousness, mortality, AI Robots, and what it means to be human as we discuss Ridley Scott’s thought-provoking sci-fi film Blade Runner.
Episode Description
Blade Runner is famous for its flying cars, neon cyberpunk skylines, and bioengineered replicants—but its most enduring questions are about what it means to be human. In this episode of the Unobtainium podcast, hosts Adam and Amy are joined by renowned roboticist Hiro Ono to explore the cutting-edge science and philosophy behind Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece.
How close is modern technology to creating truly humanoid robots? Can Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) or large language models (LLMs) achieve actual machine consciousness? What role do memory, emotion, and mortality play in shaping ide...
Alien Intelligence, Physics of Space, a Homicidal AI, and More with UCLA planetary scientist (and discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) Dave Jewitt on Kubrick’s Masterpiece
In this episode of Unobtainium, Amy, Adam, and UCLA planetary scientist Dave Jewitt (discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) explore Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey—a film that remains one of the most scientifically realistic depictions of humans in space and a transformational moment for sci-fi cinema. From the physics of artificial gravity and existing in vacuum to HAL 9000, human evolution (what’s the story with those actors playing the apes?), and the search for alien intelligence, the conversation examines what the movie gets right and where it bends the rules. And incredibly, why its mysteries continue to captivate scie...
Is the Force real? From hyperspace to parsecs, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson joins us to discuss the science of Star Wars.
In this episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam and Amy sit down with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to unpack the science and mythology of Star Wars. Together, they explore whether the Force resembles anything in real-world physics, from gravity and electromagnetism to quantum mechanics and multiple dimensions. The conversation dives into hyperspace travel, wormholes, faster-than-light storytelling shortcuts, and the infamous“12 parsecs” controversy, while also examining why Star Wars resonates so deeply on a human level. Along the way, they discuss the Star Wars canon, good versus evil, selflessness versus selfishness, the psychology of belief, and why the Force endures as a...
Is It Actually Possible to Bring Back Dinosaurs? Unearthing Ancient DNA, CRISPR, Chaos Theory in Jurassic Park with Astrobiologist Betül Kaçar
In this episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam Sigel and Amy Mainzer are joined by astrobiologist and evolutionary scientist Betül Kaçar to explore the real science beneath Jurassic Park. Could dinosaur DNA really survive inside amber for 65 million years? How close are modern scientists to resurrecting extinct species? And what happens when humanity gains the power to rewrite life itself? The conversation dives into cloning, CRISPR gene editing, ancient DNA, microbial evolution, extinction events, and the surprising role bacteria played in transforming Earth’s atmosphere billions of years ago. Along the way, the episode explores the deeper them...
Lucid Dreaming Is Real, but Is Shared Dreaming Also Possible? David Eagleman Discusses Neuroscience of Dreams, Memory, Consciousness in Christopher Nolan's Inception
In this mind-bending episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam and Amy are joined by neuroscientist and bestselling author David Eagleman to unpack the science behind Inception. They explore what dreams actually are, why the brain creates them, and whether concepts like dream manipulation, shared dreaming, mind hacking, and incepting your subconscious could ever become real. The conversation moves from the neuroscience of memory and perception to lucid dreaming and recurring nightmares.
Also, they touch on related issues such as false memories, eyewitness testimony, processing grief, and the unsettling idea that our brains constantly rewrite reality. Along...
What Is the Science of Time Travel? In their first episode, Amy and Adam Go “Back to the Future” on Einstein, Paradoxes, and an Iconic DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor
What if the greatest time travel device in movie history is just a glowing Y-shaped excuse to ask bigger questions about science, storytelling, and human imagination?
In the premiere episode of Unobtainium Podcast, Hollywood writer/producer Adam Sigel and rocket scientist Amy Mainzer launch a smart, funny deep dive into the science of science fiction through one of cinema’s most iconic inventions: the flux capacitor from Back to the Future.
Along the way, they explore why great sci-fi doesn’t need perfect science — it just needs enough “unobtainium” to make us believe...
Unobtainium Podcast Trailer (Meet the Hosts)
The Unobtainium Podcast is hosted by Adam Sigel, a Hollywood producer-writer, and Dr. Amy Mainzer, an astrophysicist. Together, they explore the science in science fiction. Each episode unpacks the Unobtainium behind movies—what’s real, what’s cinematic, and why filmmakers bend reality. This is for the nerds, sci-fi fans, film junkies, and anyone curious about the science behind the story.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
