Trolling With Logic

#50 - Mission to Mars review

Mission to Mars
In this episode, the Trolling with Logic crew reviews “Mission to Don Cheadle's Tent,” aka “Skittles on Mars,” aka Brian De Palma’s 2000 fantasy film “Mission to Mars.” This movie tells the story of a band of scientific illiterates who are exiled to Mars on an ill-fated mission sponsored by Mars Inc. and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. On the voyage there, the crew succeeds in demonstrating their utter incompetence, yet still somehow manage to land on the red planet unscathed so they can plant an American flag and fail at science even more.
“Mission to Mars” IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183523/

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#049 - Capricorn One Review

In this episode of Trolling with Logic, the team learns that the only thing better than blasting off for Mars is a high-stakes helicopter chase in a desert on Earth. Nathan, Cal, and Jenn review the 1977 action thriller “Capricorn One,” the story of three astronauts who are unwittingly recruited to participate in a government conspiracy to fake a Mars landing and who must run for their lives from government mercenaries when they refuse to play along with the ruse. It’s also the story of an intrepid journalist who helps expose the hoax thanks to the government being powerless to kill him no matter what.

We talk about the cultural impact this film had on the conspiracy-theory community in general and the moon-landing conspiracy theorists specifically and the implausibility of such a massive conspiracy ever getting off the ground. We also ask some important questions: Why are government snipers such poor shots? How much does it cost to crop-dust a field? Will Nathan’s prediction that this movie will get the Michael Bay remake treatment come true? We wrap up with Nathan doing a dramatic reading of Dr. Seuss’ “Fox in Socks.”

Links:

“Capricorn One” on IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077294/

David Robert Grimes, “On the Viability of Conspiratorial Beliefs,” PLOS ONE 11(3): e0151003. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147905.

#048 - Gattaca Review

"For someone who was never meant for this world, I must confess I'm suddenly having a hard time leaving it. Of course, they say every atom in our bodies was once part of a star. Maybe I'm not leaving... maybe I'm going home." - In this episode of TwL Cal, Nate, Jenn and Marty review the cult classic Sci-Fi "Gattaca" which is a dystopian look at a possible designer society where children are screened for genetic deficiences and the problems this would bring.

From wikipedia

"Gattaca is a 1997 American science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin appearing in supporting roles.^[2] The film presents a biopunk vision of a future society driven by eugenics where potential children are conceived through genetic manipulation to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents.^[3] The film centers on Vincent Freeman, played by Hawke, who was conceived outside the eugenics program and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to realize his dream of traveling into space.

The movie draws on concerns over reproductive technologies which facilitate eugenics, and the possible consequences of such technological developments for society. It also explores the idea of destiny and the ways in which it can and does govern lives. Characters in Gattaca continually battle both with society and with themselves to find their place in the world and who they are destined to be according to their genes.

The film’s title is based on the letters G, A, T, and C, which stand for guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine, the four nucleobases of DNA.^[4] It was a 1997 nominee for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

The film flopped at the box office, but it received generally positive reviews and has since gained a cult following."

#047 - Cambrian Geology with Fred Bowyer

Be prepared, this episode of Trolling with Logic is very science-heavy. But that’s why we love it. Nathan, Cal, and Jenna are joined by none other than Jenna’s brother Fred Bowyer! Fred Bowyer studies at The University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, where he is working in a PhD program specializing in the geochemistry of the Ediacaran Period -- the period lasting from about 635 to 542 million years ago -- which preceded the famous Cambrian Period.

Fred provides us with an overview of the research he’s involved with, and how modern geochemical and geophysical techniques and technology have enabled scientists to resolve Darwin’s famous dilemma and come to an understanding of the environmental conditions way back at the dawn of animal life prior to the so-called “Cambrian Explosion.” We talk about what equipment scientists in this field are using, a primer on how fossils form, why pseudoscientific creationist arguments against geological dating techniques are wrong, the question of whether a rise in oxygen precipitate the evolution of animal life in the Cambrian, what dissolving rocks with acid can tell us about prehistoric atmospheres, and more. “Ediacaran Park” may not be as entertaining as Jurassic Park, but hearing from an active researcher in this prehistoric period reminds us of the amazing power and long reach of science and technology to illuminate aspects of the distant past unreachable by earlier generations of scientists.

 

Links:

Andrew H. Knoll and Erik A. Sperling, “Oxygen and Animals in Earth History,” PNAS 111, no. 11 (March 18, 2014): 3907-3908; http://www.pnas.org/content/111/11/3907.full.pdf.

Fred Bowyer’s profile at ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fred_Bowyer/publications

Popular-science books recommended by Fred for those interested in learning more:

Douglas H. Erwin, ‘The Cambrian Explosion: The Construction of Animal Biodiversity’: https://www.amazon.com/Cambrian-Explosion-Construction-Animal-Biodiversity/dp/1936221039

Andrew H. Knoll, ‘Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth’: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Young-Planet-Evolution-Princeton/dp/069116553X

Donald E. Canfield, ‘Oxygen: A Four Billion Year History’: https://www.amazon.com/Oxygen-Billion-History-Science-Essentials/dp/0691168369

Tim Lenton and Andrew Watson, ‘Revolutions that Made the Earth’: https://www.amazon.com/Revolutions-that-Made-Earth-Lenton/dp/0199673462

#046 - Network Review

We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore! In this episode Nathan, Cal and Jenn review Paddy Chayefsky’s 1976 dark satire “Network,” the eerily-prophetic and highly prescient story of a down-and-out television news anchor named Howard Beale whose on-air descent into madness turns him into a populist icon that millions tune in to see. But when his pro-human spirit message runs afoul the agenda of the “corporate cosmology” of the infotainment industry, “the mad prophet of the airwaves” Beale changes course and begins preaching a new message: nihilism.
Links

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/ 
Dave Itzkoff’s book-length analysis of the movie, mentioned by Nathan on this episode: https://www.amazon.com/Mad-Hell-Network-Fateful-Angriest/dp/0805095691 
James Parker, “Madder Than Hell: How Network Anticipated Contemporary Media,” https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/03/madder-than-hell/357572/ 

 

 

#045 - Christine (2016) Review

 Content Warning: In this episode there are lengthy discussions about suicide, mental illness and specifically, depression. 

In this episode we review the 2016 movie "Christine" and the issues arising from the film. Christine is a biographical look at the life and tragic suicide of the news reporter, Christine Chubbuck. Christine infamously shot herself live on air in 1974.

Film synopsis "In Sarasota, Fla., circa 1974, an ambitious, 29-year-old reporter is relentlessly motivated to succeed. She knows she has talent, but being a driven career woman in the '70s comes with its own challenges, especially when competition for a promotion and a tumultuous home life lead to a dissolution of self. With ratings in the cellar, the station manager issues a mandate to deliver juicier and more exploitative stories, a story firmly at odds with her serious brand of issue-based journalism."

If you are affected by the issues raised in the movie or by our discussion, please seek help
samaritans uk: www.samaritans.org/
samaritans USA: http://www.samaritansusa.org/
US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.

Christine on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80097814
Story of Christine Chubbuck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Chubbuck

Synopsis "In Sarasota, Fla., circa 1974, an ambitious, 29-year-old reporter is relentlessly motivated to succeed. She knows she has talent, but being a driven career woman in the '70s comes with its own challenges, especially when competition for a promotion and a tumultuous home life lead to a dissolution of self. With ratings in the cellar, the station manager issues a mandate to deliver juicier and more exploitative stories, a story firmly at odds with her serious brand of issue-based journalism."

Team for this show:
Nathan Dickey
Cal MacDonald
Jenna

Further Viewing & Reading:
Network on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/70044752
Kevin Hines "Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cracked-Not-Broken-Surviving-Thriving/dp/1442222409
13 Reasons Why on Netlfix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80117470
13 Reasons Why (Novel): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirteen-Reasons-Why-Jay-Asher/dp/0141328290
The Bridge Documentary: https://youtu.be/u10VsLsWPc4
Taxi Driver: https://www.netflix.com/bl/title/18907685
R. Budd Dwyer, a Pennsylvania politician who fatally shot himself in front of TV news cameras in 1987: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Budd_Dwyer

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#044 - Treknology with Ethan Siegel

Captain’s Log, Stardate 11708.05. The Trolling with Logic crew welcomes aboard Dr. Ethan Siegel, an astrophysicist with expertise in cosmological perturbations. He has reported on his journeys “Beyond the Galaxy” in his book carrying that title, published two years ago. We have invited him on board to brief us on his latest research endeavor, an upcoming book entitled “Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive.” The question we are trying to answer: Are the technological advances that make possible the universe inhabited by millions of Trekkies an impossible pipe dream, or is such technology becoming more and more achievable with every forward step in understanding and harnessing the physical world?

From tricorders, hyposprays, replicators, and Synthehol to warp drive, holodecks, and the ethical conundrums we must face if we ever get our transporter working, we explore just how blurry the line between science fiction and science is becoming. Is our crew in for a hard awakening, or will Dr Siegel convince us that the next generation of technology is closer to home than any of us realized?

 

Links:

Ethan Siegel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StartsWithABang

Ethan Siegel’s Forbes column “Starts with a Bang”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/

Ethan Siegel’s “Starts with a Bang” podcast: https://soundcloud.com/ethan-siegel-172073460/

Ethan Sigel’s book “Treknology” available for pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Treknology-Science-Star-Tricorders-Drive/dp/0760352631

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As always, many thanks to our patrons. Your support has helped with our web domain and podcast hosting!

Our Patrons:

Avinash Kumar

Josh, Society for Advancement of Science
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVXF–HIS6h1KBqlntnzc-Q

MicroBlogganism:
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#043 - Beware the Slenderman

In May 2014, two 12 year-old girls lured another girl their age into the woods in the town of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Their victim was stabbed multiple times but narrowly survived. What drove these two young girls to commit such an act? They were inspired by the fictional online Creepypasta character known as Slenderman, a very tall, thin, faceless, humanoid figure with tentacles. In another TwL movie review, Nathan, Cal, and Lundi discuss the chilling HBO documentary “Beware the Slenderman,” which examines this incident with actual footage from detectives’ interrogations of the two girls, interviews with the girls’ families, and interviews with psychologists, psychiatrists, and experts in “digital folklore” and meme replication.

Links:

Beware the Slenderman official website: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/beware-the-slenderman

“The Slender Man” page on the Creepypasta Wiki: http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/The_Slender_Man

MrCreepyPasta YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrCreepyPasta

Red Letter Media, “Did Red Letter Media Invent Slenderman?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgq3k2qCZgg

#042 - Comics and Science with Miles Greb

On this episode, Cal and Nathan speak with special guest Miles Greb, a Seattle-based comic writer, folk singer, and advocate for science, skepticism, and atheism. He has authored science-and-skepticism-based comics in the optimistic sci-fi tradition, including “After the Gold Rush,” a series of comics chronicling the adventures of a distant future in which a 16 year-old biologist who grew up on Saturn’s moon Titan returns to a sparsely-populated Earth to find she is the last scientist.

We talk to Miles about the value of comics as a storytelling medium, the importance of optimistic sci-fi in a landscape dominated by pessimistic dystopian stories, why science and the humanities should cross paths, and his experiences advocating for science outreach and education through campaigns like the March for Science.

Links:

Miles Greb’s website: http://www.afterthegoldrush.space/

Miles Greb on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Goldrushcomic

Miles Greb’s Kickstarter campaign for “After the Gold Rush”: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/919052445/after-the-gold-rush-1-3-a-return-to-optimistic-sci

#041 - Fake News & Post Truth with Gleb Tsipursky

Are we living in a post-truth era? What is “fake news,” and what problems does it pose to critical thinkers and reason-oriented activists? What is the alternative to “alternative facts”? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, a consultant, speaker, and author who specializes in behavioral science and the psychology of decision-making. Dr. Tsipursky is the President of the non-profit organization Intentional Insights, dedicated to advocating for truth and reason in politics. He is the author and organizer of the Pro-Truth Pledge, part of a movement designed to reverse the tide of lies and fake news in politics and the wider culture by providing incentives to public figures to base their statements on verifiable truth.

Gleb Tsipursky’s website: http://glebtsipursky.com/.

Gleb Tsipursky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gleb_Tsipursky

Intentional Insights website: http://intentionalinsights.org/

The Pro-Truth Pledge: https://www.protruthpledge.org/

Gleb Tsipursky, “A Science-Based Solution to Lies in Politics,” http://www.patheos.com/blogs/intentionalinsights/2017/06/a-behavioral-science-solution-to-lies-in-politics/.

Gleb Tsipursky, “How to Address the Epidemic of Lies in Politics,” https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-to-address-the-epidemic-of-lies-in-politics/

Gleb Tsipursky’s website: http://glebtsipursky.com/.

Gleb Tsipursky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gleb_Tsipursky

Intentional Insights website: http://intentionalinsights.org/

The Pro-Truth Pledge: https://www.protruthpledge.org/

Gleb Tsipursky, “A Science-Based Solution to Lies in Politics,” http://www.patheos.com/blogs/intentionalinsights/2017/06/a-behavioral-science-solution-to-lies-in-politics/.

Gleb Tsipursky, “How to Address the Epidemic of Lies in Politics,” https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-to-address-the-epidemic-of-lies-in-politics/.

As always, many thanks to our patrons. Your support has helped with our web domain and podcast hosting!

Our Patrons:

Avinash Kumar
Josh, Society for Advancement of Science
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVXF–HIS6h1KBqlntnzc-Q
MicroBlogganism:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MicroBlogganism

Like the show? Support us on patreon :- http://www.patreon.com/trollingwithlogic