Does It Fly?

• What the BEST Star Trek Movie Gets WRONG About Science!

  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock are built around one key piece of technology which may or may not have real world implications.“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!”Admiral James Tiberius Kirk, 2285There are countless reasons why fans love Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Up until that point, it was the most action-packed installment of Star Trek ever put on screen, so that certainly has something to do with it. William Shatner delivers an all-time great career performance in this one as Admiral James T. Kirk, full of downright Shakespearean drama with his old enemy, the diabolical Khan Noonien Singh. It’s got at least one of the most memorable, shocking, and poignant moments in franchise history. Or maybe it’s just Ricardo Montalban’s magnificent chest. Who’s to say?But possibly lost amidst all that magnificence is the fact that The Wrath of Khan is built around a truly great piece of science fiction with the Genesis Device. A project designed to help Starfleet terraform barren worlds is also potentially the ultimate weapon in the galaxy, given that in creating new life it first has to wipe out anything else that’s there. Of course the wrong people want to get their grubby mitts on it!In this episode we’re diving into just what it would take to truly terraform an alien world, and whether the Genesis Device follows its own rules in the Star Trek universe. Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…SUGGESTED VIEWING Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanYou mean to tell us you’re watching or listening to a Roddenberry podcast and you somehow haven’t seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? We sure hope you watched it before this episode spoiled the absolute hell out of it for you! But in all seriousness, there’s a reason this is the most critically acclaimed and beloved Star Trek movie of all time and why we chose it for this week’s topic. Star Trek III: The Search for SpockBut also, you can’t watch The Wrath of Khan (or get a full picture of the scope of the Genesis Device’s implications) without also watching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Forget that even number/odd number nonsense about the Star Trek movies, this one is just as essential!Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 22 “Space Seed”And just in case you’ve never done this, we also highly recommend “Space Seed” which first introduced Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh. It doesn’t have anything to do with terraforming in space, but it’s a classic bit of Star Trek lore, nonetheless!The Evolution of Planet EarthWant a real life taste of what the Genesis Device does…except over the course of millions/billions of years instead of minutes/hours? This video is pretty cool.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! TerraformingWhile still primarily a science fiction concept, the idea of using terraforming to make a planet or moon into something that can support life as we know it is gaining considerable steam as we look to our nearest neighbor, Mars. See also: Bionengineering“Is there life on…Venus?”Wait, that’s not how the song goes! But the key here is that while Mars gets all the attention as the planet in our solar system with the most potential to support life, there’s also a chance that Venus could, as well. Key to that is the presence of phosphine in the atmosphere, which scientists have gone back and forth on, but recently found new evidence that it may be present.“PIXAAAAAAR!”Read more about that funny connection between a beloved animation studio and these beloved Trek movies here.“Colonized by earth bacteria”It doesn’t take long, just to give you an idea of how quickly “life finds a way.”The Mars TrilogyTamara brings up Kim Stanley Robinson’s acclaimed trilogy about terraforming our nearest planetary neighbor, Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. There’s also the follow-up The Martians which is a collection of short stories that expands this universe further.Project Hail MaryAnother Tamara recommendation this week is the Hugo Award-nominated Project Hail Mary from sci-fi author Andy Weir. You might also recognize Weir’s name as the author of The Martian, which was adapted into a beloved film from director Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon.The Wrath of Khan: The Novel!Even if you’ve seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan dozens of times, Vonda N. McIntyre’s superb novelization of the film is full of surprises that will enrich your understanding of the story and your love of Trek in general. For extra credit, follow it up with her equally great (possibly better than the film it’s based on!) novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Go back to the very beginning with the first ever episode of Does it Fly? which tackled another iconic Star Trek concept: the transporter. Watch it right here!We’re not particularly big on the whole Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate around these parts, so for those folks who love ‘em both, check out our episode on lightsabers right here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBlueky: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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• The Wolf Man and the Science of Werewolves

  The Wolf Man explores a disturbingly realistic vision of what it would take to turn a man into a werewolf. Does this horror movie have any basis in science fact? Do werewolves and wolf men even obey their own story rules?“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” The Wolf Man (1941)Werewolves, wolf men (and women), and really werebeasts of all shapes and sizes have been a part of our collective unconscious for about as long as we’ve been able to tell stories. There’s something universal (no pun intended) about the concept of a human being shape-shifting back into a more primal state. And if these tales were terrifying around a campfire, they’re even more effective on screen, where all of the brilliant special effects Hollywood has to offer have long been brought to the table to transform ordinary actors into bloodthirsty werebeasts.But just where (“where oh, werewolf…”) does this story come from? Is there any chance at all that humans can devolve into a more animalistic state? Is there any reason to believe that werewolves could be real, even if they aren’t exactly as depicted on film? Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers to these questions and more!SUGGESTED VIEWING This episode is based primarily on the version of the werewolf legend told in 2010’s The Wolfman, directed by Joe Johnston (we took a look at another of Johnston’s films in our episode on The Rocketeer). It’s a tremendously underrated film that starred Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugo Weaving. If you haven’t seen it, we rate it pretty highly.But that film was an updating of perhaps the most iconic werewolf movie of all time, 1941’s The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney, Jr. A key piece of the classic Universal Monsters cycle of films, The Wolf Man is the source of many of pop culture’s most enduring pieces of werewolf lore.However, if you’re looking for the greatest werewolf movie of all time, the one that is the best blend of old and new, then look no further than 1981’s An American Werewolf in London. While something of a horror-comedy, it won the first ever Academy Award for Best Makeup thanks to Rick Baker’s incredible werewolf makeup and what is the undisputed champion of amazingly realistic on-screen man-to-wolf transformations ever put on film. It’s not for the faint of heart, but you can’t call yourself a true wolf-fan until you’ve seen this one.For more on the origins of horror stories, Tamara also recommends Monstrum, which is exceptionally cool.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! MetamorphosisFairly common in nature is the basic concept of metamorphosis, most commonly illustrated by the egg to larva to pupa to final form life cycle found in insects (think caterpillars to butterflies rather than humans to wolves). Not a human thing, necessarily, but a good indicator of how such transformations aren’t uncommon in nature.LycanthropyThere is actually a clinical disorder in which a human can hold the psychological belief that they’ve either turned into a wolf or are in the process of becoming one. There are actual scientific journal articles on the topic!Werewolves in MythologyOne of the earliest recorded stories as we know them is the epic of Gilgamesh, and even there someone turns into a wolf. Similarly, it’s a theme that appears more than once in Ancient Greek mythology. Basically, werewolves have been with us since long before Hollywood discovered them.The Original Werewolf MovieWhile we detail plenty of cool werewolf movies in this episode, there’s one you can only read about, the long lost (thanks to fire) 1913 silent film The Werewolf.LUCAKnown as the Last Universal Common Ancestor, it’s proof that every species on this planet shares a little DNA. Does it prove the existence of werewolves? Absolutely not. It’s still pretty cool, though!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t our first spooky rodeo! If you’re looking for other horror-themed Does it Fly? episodes, allow us to suggest…The Secret Science of Ghostbusters!The Truly Disturbing Horror of Smile (and Smile 2)What Beetlejuice Gets Right About Demonic Possession!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBlueky: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  45:07
• The Terrifying Real World Implications of Squid Game

  Squid Game is full of disturbing life or death situations, but “Red Light, Green Light” might be the one closest to our real world…and all the problems that come along with that.“Red light! Green light!” Bang! You’re dead! Wait just a minute, we don’t remember this game being played this way!But that’s how it goes in the first episode of Netflix’s wildly acclaimed Squid Game, in which (un)lucky participants take part in a lethal version of a childhood favorite, refereed by a disturbing animatronic little girl who wields the power of life and death via sniper fire.And considering that the robot in question, or, at least her design (if not actual functionality) actually exists, we have to ask: is it reasonable to assume that this kind of highly sensitive and lethal motion sensing already exists in the real world? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to let Hakeem and Tamara work their magic! Get ready for a spirited discussion covering everything from facial recognition technology, radar guns, animatronics, and the pitfalls of capitalism run wild! Okay, maybe not that last part…SUGGESTED VIEWING This episode of Does it Fly? is based solely on the first season of Netflix’s incredible (and disturbing) Squid Game series, but season two is now also streaming. While we can’t say enough good things about Squid Game in general and suggest you watch it all, for the purposes of this episode, you can get away with just watching the first episode of the season one, appropriately titled “Red Light, Green Light.” Trust us, you’ll end up watching the rest of the series.There’s also the non-lethal, somewhat baffling reality show version, Squid Game: The Challenge, which we reference in this episode, that has its own version: “Green Light, Red Light.” Your mileage, of course, may vary.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Flame Throwing Car AlarmsJust in case you’re worried about having your speakers stolen or something, you can read more about this lethal deterrent right here. Don’t worry, it’s not actually coming to a neighborhood near you, but you can’t fault these folks for trying! Or…maybe you can. Or should.Building Your Own Young-hee (Please do not do this)Three of the key pieces of technology that might make something as terrifying as Young-hee possible are biometric face scanners (you know and love them from airports!), radar guns (you know and hate them from that speeding ticket we totally know you didn’t actually deserve), and transducers (you might not know you love them, but technically musical instruments are are part of the transducer family, so that’s just one of many reasons to love them!).The Real Young-heeOK, the real one hasn’t murdered anybody. Yet. But she is indeed real!Other Squid Game InspirationsGet some weird culture in your life and feast your eyes on the oddball works of M.C. Escher!And go learn more about The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, with a certain Dr. O as their newly-minted CEO!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Maybe an easy to keep New Year’s Resolution would involve catching up on every episode of Does it Fly? from the very beginning. Check out our first episode about the science of Star Trek right here. We’ve even got a handy playlist to make it easier for you to watch ‘em all!Twisters is now available on streaming services, so now is a good time to check out the episode we did about the original film and its tornado-makin’ technology. Watch it here.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  47:28
• The Lord of the Rings Concept That Actually WORKS in the Real World

  “Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like that of common silver, but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim.”Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)Perhaps the most famous fictional metal of all time (at least until adamantium and vibranium came along), mithril is the rare metal found in Middle-earth from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga and Peter Jackson’s movies. It is as strong and beautiful as it is durable. Lightweight and virtually impenetrable, it’s a boon for adventurers and warriors. And while this stems from a world full of magical spells and creatures, one that was incredibly consistent throughout its original novels (and the screen adaptations that followed), you might be surprised at just how scientifically sound the concept of mithril is!Does mithril hold up to our scientific and story scrutiny the way it does swords, arrows, and everything else the forces of Mordor can throw at it? SUGGESTED VIEWING Peter Jackson’s core Lord of the Rings trilogy, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, aren’t just the finest fantasy films ever made, but some of the best movies of the 21st century, full stop! Watch them! Jackson also made a trilogy of prequel films based on The Hobbit, but they aren’t as beloved and we can’t call them essential viewing.We’d also like to point out that the prequel TV series The Rings of Power on Prime Video deals in part with the very origin of mithril itself, so if you need some deeper Middle-earth lore, you should give that a look. And for the newest installment in the screen version of the saga, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a lush, ambitious anime, which is currently in theaters.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! The Lord of the Rings SagaIf you haven’t read the trilogy of novels that make up the core Lord of the Rings saga, you’re missing out on the foundation of virtually all pop culture fantasy. Read ‘em in order! The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Optional reads include the prequel (and perhaps most famous and beloved) The Hobbit and the almost textbook-y deep lore exploration, The Silmarillion.The Basics“The properties of any material depend most strongly on two things: the types of bonds that it forms, so you might remember in high school talking about ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and metallic bonds. The other characteristic of how a material behaves involves the metallic or molecular structure.”For the purposes of this episode, though, pay particular attention to the concept of how metallic bonds behave.Crystal Lattice StructuresIsn’t Mithril beautiful and shiny? Sure! Crystals are often shinier than metal, but they’re more brittle. The reason is because of how regularly the atoms are arranged (don’t worry, we’re bringing this back to Mithril in a moment).GrapheneOh, you want your metal armor to be both strong and lightweight? That’s where a carbon fiber known as graphene comes in.Radiometric DatingFor when carbon dating just isn’t enough to get a sense of the age of something!Tut’s DaggerBecause history is often just as cool as fantasy, King Tutankhamen had a dagger made from the ore in a meteorite!Psyche (Asteroid)An asteroid worth over a quintillion dollars that could solve some of our natural resource problems? NASA is on the case. By the way, check out one of Tamara’s favorite shows, For All Mankind, which deals with an “external resource” that changes the course of human history.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t the first time we’ve discussed fantasy metal alloys on Does it Fly? so check out our episode on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.Want more pure magic and sword and sorcery action from us? We’ve taken a close look at The Witcher, too!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  46:18
• Gremlins: The Holiday Season Visitors You DON'T Want!

  We all know the three rules of Gremlins…but we’re putting one of those to the test. Hopefully we don’t end up on the wrong side of it.Ah, the holiday season is finally upon us. The warmth of the fire. The family togetherness. The gently falling snow. The sound of carols being…dissonantly chanted by hideous gremlins outside our window?!?In what is now the third part of our unintentional trilogy of episodes about the three biggest blockbusters of 1984 (the others being Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Ghostbusters), we turn our attention to a true Christmas movie classic: Joe Dante’s Gremlins.While the gremlin life cycle begins as the almost Baby Yoda-esque mogwai form, if you don’t follow the three cardinal rules of mogwai care, you’re in trouble. For those who don’t know…Rule #1 - Don’t expose them to bright light (they’ll die)Rule #2 - Don’t get them wet (they’ll multiply)Rule #3 - Never, ever feed them after midnight (they’ll turn into mischievous murder demons who will destroy your entire town given the opportunity)We’re primarily focusing on Rule #2 for this episode, though. Just how does this peculiar piece of asexual reproduction work? Does it have parallels in nature? Does it make sense within the story of the film? HOW WORRIED SHOULD WE BE?!?You’ll just have to watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page to see what we found!SUGGESTED VIEWING Obviously, 1984’s Gremlins is a must, not just for this episode, but for the holiday season in general. But there are those of us who feel that 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch is  an even tighter, funnier, and more subversive film. Watch ‘em both and decide for yourself! Similarly the Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai animated series on MAX is well-regarded, although not essential for your understanding of what we talked about this week.But while you’re at it, we’d like to also suggest a classic episode of The Twilight Zone, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (starring William Shatner, no less!) which features a different look at gremlin lore, in their more traditional roles as saboteurs of technology.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Gremlins and Ghostbusters at the Box OfficeWe weren’t kidding when we said we covered all three of the biggest movies of 1984. The evidence is here…and you can also see how Ghostbusters and Gremlins stacked up against each other on their opening weekends.The Resurrection PlantYes, that sounds like the title of a classic Star Trek episode, but really, this might just be the most pronounced example of a plant that appears dead until you add water!MetamorphosisThe basic Mogwai to Gremlin lifecycle does indeed have parallels in nature! In case you forgot what was taught you in elementary school, here’s a refresher.Single Cell Asexual ReproductionHail Hydra! Wait, wrong franchise.Gremlins: The NovelYou see, children, once upon a time there were these things called “novelizations” of popular movies. These books were more than mere adaptations of the movie for print, but often included details (later considered non-canonical) that further fleshed out the story or lore of the film. Gremlins by George Gipe was one of these. In the days when it took forever for a movie to make it from the theaters to TV, we absolutely cherished these things. Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll find them in used bookstores, at garage sales, and elsewhere. Original Gremlins DesignsFeast your eyes on the earliest Gremlins concept art here!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Remember when we said there were other episodes in our (unintentional) series about the biggest movies of 1984? Check out our Ghostbusters episode here and our episode on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom right here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  45:38

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