The Marvels of Science

In this episode, returning guests Daniel and Ross discuss the Multiverse from two very different angles, with broadly the same conclusion about Avengers: Endgame that Ant-Man had about Back to the Future.

Science Expert: Daniel Whiteson (UC-Irvine, CERN, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe)

Philosophy Expert: Ross Cameron (University of Virginia)

(Updated with fixed audio on 3/15/23)

I'm back! There's one more episode to be edited, and then it'll probably be a big long wait again. Thanks for sticking around!

This episode, we talked all about meteor impacts, both real and vibranium. Rock turns to gas, giant craters are formed, and we take a detour to Mars!

Science Expert: Johns Hopkins Planetary Science PhD Student Miché Aaron (@Astrenome)

Color Commentator: Jenny McConnell Frederick (@rorschachdc, @jennymcfred)

Special Guest: T

Images Link: https://imgur.com/a/Cb7wL1a

(Updated episode title and fixed music timing on 1/19/23.)

In Guardians of the Galaxy 2, our plucky heroes fly through a "quantum asteroid field," zipping around and flying between them until they  eventually go kablooie. Sorry to get technical. But what are real asteroid belts like? And why isn't our neighborhood Asteroid Belt a planet instead? Who is Kuiper? What's an Oort? Find out the answers to these questions (and far more sensible ones) in this episode!

Science Expert: Planetary Astronomer Stephanie Deppe
Color Commentator: Lauren Wilson

Wait, is it "prosthetic" or "prosthesis?" How do they work in real life? Is there anything like Bucky's arm out there in the real world? What's the best we can do and what's the best we can imagine? This time I got TWO Science Experts: one in residency and one with 10 years of clinic experience. This is fascinating stuff.

Thor once said that his hammer, Mjolnir, was forged in the heart of a dying star. We see in Avengers: infinity War that what he really meant was that the forge is encapsulating a neutron star. Not the same, Thor. But what is a neutron star? Is it dying? What's at the heart? Why do we always talk about teaspoons of neutron stars?

When I emailed ecologist Tara Stewart Merrill and asked if she'd help me consider the ecological impact of Thanos wiping out half all of creatures on Earth (and everywhere else), she said that she had just gone on a long rant about that very thing! A scientist who also rants about Marvel movies?? Perfectly balanced, as all things should be (and as the Earth's ecosystems are definitely not, thanks to Thanos).

Science Expert: Ecologist Tara Stewart Merrill
Color Commentator: Janet Rankin

What is a planet? How many are there in the Galaxy? I mean, what even is a Galaxy, really, and why is ours Milky? Is there life out there? Can we visit it? How could we possibly even define what life is before we search it out? And how did I work in a reference to the musical 1776? Will I ever stop asking so many questions? No.

Science Expert: Planetary Scientist Tim Livengood
Color Commentator: Cassandra Scarpino

Find the Folklore Society of Greater Washington at https://fsgw.org!

My podcast, my rules! This episode, we break the format and leave science behind in favor of a different set of tools: Philosophy!

With Philosophy Expert Professor Ross P. Cameron and Color Commentator Sarah Rice Scott (who has seen exactly one MCU movie), we take a look at the ethics and metaphysics of the MCU and its characters. Should Cap have been the one to make the final Snap? Is Vision right, and trading lives is okay? And what is the Ship of Theseus anyway?

We return to our regularly scheduled programming next week, but right now it's The Marvels of Philosophy!

The Marvels of Science is a podcast that I make about the science and tech of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each 30ish-minute episode, I sit down with a Science Expert and a Color Commentator to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the MCU. It's a sneaky way to expose listeners to some science education while they think they're just listening to a movie podcast.

This week, I expand the show's scientific umbrella to include psychology as I discuss Tony Stark's apparent (though denied) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Iron Man 3. What makes PTSD different from healthy ways of recalling trauma? For that matter, what is trauma? And what are panic attacks and panic disorders? Is the movie's portrayal of Tony's symptoms in line with these disorders, and do we feel comfortable diagnosing a fictional character?

Psychologist Kelsey Myers is the Science Expert this week, helping Color Commentator and social worker Caitlin Levine (returning from Episode 3: Ultron and the Internet) and I understand the ins and outs of these questions and more.

Links:

• Kelsey can be found at her website: https://www.integrateva.com
• The video Caitlin mentions can be found here: https://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw

Welcome back to Marvels of Science! Season...uh, PHASE 2 has a lot more science and a lot more Marvel! Come to think of it, probably the same amount.

Here's a promo to whet your appetite! See you on Episode 11 next week!

The Marvels of Science is a podcast that I make about the science and tech of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each 30ish-minute episode, I sit down with a Science Expert and a Color Commentator to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the MCU. It's a sneaky way to expose listeners to some science education while they think they're just listening to a movie podcast.

This episode looks back on the meteoric rise of The Marvels of Science and looks ahead to Season, err...Phase 2.

Here again I wish to express my gratitude to all my guests, Science Expert and Color Commentator alike.

Thanks for listening, and cross your fingers there's a Phase 2!

-Dave Reinersmann

The Marvels of Science is a podcast that I make about  the science and tech of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each  30ish-minute episode, I sit down with a Science Expert and a Color Commentator to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of  technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the MCU. It's a sneaky way to expose listeners to some science education while they think they're just listening to a movie podcast.

I tracked down an expert on Alaskan wood frogs, Don Larson, to talk about Captain America, no joke. See, they regularly freeze themselves to  survive super-cold winters. And Captain America was frozen in the Arctic ice for 70 years - is he part frog? Would that have helped? How does hibernation work? Can Adam Correia design a frog better than natural selection? Let's find out!

Welcome   to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about   the science and tech of the MCU! Each episode, I sit down with a  science  expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of  a  character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel   Cinematic Universe.

Episode 8 stars nuclear physicist Lumen Wright and the mild-mannered* Danny Mortensen who talk with me about gamma radiation and how to make it work for you (spoiler: get a nuclear physics degree)!  What's a gamma ray? How many bananas will give me radiation poisoning? Should I work on a ball of plutonium with a screwdriver? Find out in this episode!

Head to davereinersmann.com/marvelsofscience for info on past and future episodes, and do me a favor by sharing this far and wide.

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

*...for now

Welcome  to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about  the science and tech of the MCU! Each episode, I sit down with a science  expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a  character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel  Cinematic Universe.

Episode 7 stars Daniel Whiteson and Liesel Reinersmann who talk with me about Ant-Man and his incredible shrinking tech. Ant-Man plays it pretty fast and loose with the quantum physics, but do they hit the mark ever?

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

Welcome to The Marvels of Science! Normally, I sit down with a Science Expert and a Color Commentator for 30 to 45 minutes and dig in to a science topic presented to us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (with varying degrees of plausibility). But if we just get a taste or a mention of something in the MCU, we'll present a Minisode!

Here in Minisode 1, we briefly discuss a mention of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation in WandaVision episode 4. What is it, and did the show get it right? Daniel Whiteson (of UC Irvine, Large Hadron Collider, and Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe) and Liesel Reinersmann (of being my sister) tackle the topic for a couple minutes.

SPOILERS (very mild) for WandaVision Episode 4, "We Interrupt this Program."

Welcome to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about the science and tech of the MCU! Each episode, I sit down with a science expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 6 stars Jill Oberski and Jordi Rozenman who talk with me about Ant-Man and his teeny tiny friends. They can fly, build, farm, and bite, and they are endlessly fascinating. But can we control them with prop hearing aids? Find out in this episode!

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

Welcome to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about the science and tech of the MCU! Each week, I sit down with a science expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 5 stars Po Chakrabaty and Liz Schmitt who talk with me about the robots we've seen across the MCU, from metal friends to attempted overlords. What can we do now or in the future vs. what are some virtually impossible tasks we see robots do in the movies?

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

Welcome to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about the science and tech of the MCU! Each week, I sit down with a science expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 4 stars Suveen Muthaudhu and Lauren Bland, who talk with me about vibranium! It's Captain America's shield/frisbee, Black Panther's suit, and Ultron's whole body. What is it? How does it work? Come learn about materials science with us!

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

Welcome to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about the science and tech of the MCU! Each week, I sit down with a science expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 3 stars Caitlin Levine and Chad Walling, who talk with me about Ultron and the Internet. Is the NEXUS really a thing? Why did I make a podcast episode about a 20-second scene in the least popular Avengers movie? 

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

Welcome to The Marvels of Science, a podcast from me, Dave Reinersmann, about the science and tech of the MCU! Each week, I sit down with a science expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 2 stars Nate Miller and Heather Calhoon, who talk all things Groot! They're very charitable with their scientific assessment of Groot. 

(Also yes, I debated making this whole description just "I am Groot" over and over again.)

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!

Welcome to The Marvels of Science, a podcast about the science and tech of the MCU! Each week, I sit down with a science expert and a "color commentator" to discuss the plausibility of a character, bit of technology, or sci-fi phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 1 stars Mike Long and Laura Conrad, who discuss with me Iron Man's Suit! I wanted to start with what I thought would be a more realistic piece of tech. Turns out...not so much. 

If you know any science experts or funny people, send them my way!