Shows
Popcorn Science PodcastRogue One: A Star Wars StoryMany Bothans died to bring us this episode.
In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the movie Rogue One.
References
Star Wars: Rogue One
2025-08-101h 02Popcorn Science PodcastThorReferences
Thor
Misc
In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the movie Thor!2025-07-2657 minPopcorn Science PodcastClaraReferences
Clara (film)
Clara on YouTube
Misc
In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the 2018 movie "Clara." Clara tells the sotry of a down-on-his-luck
astronomer who succeeds in making a momentous discovery with the help of a mysterious artist. Featured in the Toronto International Film Festival, this
movie has a familiar science advisor - Dr. John Moores!2025-07-1257 minPopcorn Science PodcastThe CoreReferences
The Core
Stevenson (2003)
Misc
In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the movie everyone loves to hate: "The Core"! First released
in 2003, this movie explores what would happen if the Earth's outer core stopped spinning, and sends a courageous group of "terranauts" down to
start it up again.2025-06-2859 minPopcorn Science PodcastTribblesReferences
The Trouble with the Tribbles
Trials and Tribble-ations
Misc
In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind two Star Trek episodes: "The Trouble with Tribbles" (1967) from
The Original Series and "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996) from Deep Space Nine. In both episodes, the crews try to grapple with an outbreak of a
number of fuzzy spheroids known as Tribbles, with the DS9 crew coming from the future to help out Kirk and Spock!2025-06-141h 00Popcorn Science PodcastContactIn this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the
science behind the 1997 movie "Contact".
Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Carl Sagan, Contact
explores what would happen if humanity were to receive a message from
an extraterrestrial civilization.
Topics
Science Gripes (4:37)
Headphones? (6:01)
Opening Sequence (9:40)
Hitler, Messenger of Earth (11:20)
Arecibo Message (12:28)
Arecibo Geography (16:00)
Ellie the Astronaut (17:28)
Funding (20:08)
Arecibo v. VLA (21:15)
Timeline Issue (48:35)
The Good Things (24:59)
On Location (25:05)
Science Culture (27:40)
Signal from Vega (30:32)
Is Space Exploration Worth it? (34:48)
Crewed Spaceflight (38:50)
Transit Network / Wormholes (#42:25)
Of Their Time (44:35)
Computer Technology (44:53)
Bill Clinton (47:00)
Space...2025-05-311h 01Popcorn Science PodcastEnder's GameReferences
Ender's Game (film)
Ender's Game (book)
Misc
In this episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind the 2013 movie "Ender's Game".
Based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game follows a young boy as he learns to defend the
Earth from an invasion by a mysterious alien species known as the Formics.2025-05-171h 01Popcorn Science PodcastTunguska-TermaTopics
Antarctic Meteorite Survey
Tunguska
References
Tunguska Event
Tunguska Episode
Terma Episode
Misc
In our first episode of "Popcorn Science," John and Catherine discuss the science behind The X-Files two-parter "Tunguska/Terma".
These episodes first aired in November 1996, and follow Mulder and Scully around the world as they try to get their hands on a rock filled with
a mysterious alien oil.2025-05-0359 min