『Unobtainium Podcast』のカバーアート

Unobtainium Podcast

Unobtainium Podcast

著者： Adam Sigel & Dr. Amy Mainzer
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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.

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2026 Cognito Entertainment. All rights reserved. SF アート 科学
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  • Bonus Mini-Episode – More on Astrobiology with Dr. Betül Kaçar

    Bonus Mini-Episode – More on Astrobiology with Dr. Betül Kaçar
    2026/08/18

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    10 分
  • 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

    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
    2026/08/11
    Episode DescriptionWhat 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 SummaryThe Holocene Epoch & The Greenhouse EffectHost Dr. Amy Mainzer (UCLA astrophysicist) and director Adam McKay open with a discussion on the fundamental stability of Earth's climate over the past 12,000 years (the Holocene epoch). This stable climate enabled the rise of organized human agriculture.The Physics of Greenhouse Gases: Amy emphasizes that climate change physics is rooted in standard quantum mechanics. Molecules of greenhouse gases like CO2 absorb specific infrared light wavelengths emitted by the Earth, increasing molecular motion which manifests as trapped thermal energy.Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI): McKay highlights the extreme rate of trapped energy entering the biosphere—equivalent to the energy of roughly 12 Hiroshima bombs per second—moving the global climate past normal seasonal variations at an unprecedented pace.Science vs. Political Inaction & Media GaslightingMcKay shares his experiences speaking with scientists, politicians, and media professionals. Despite unequivocal empirical data, political structures and profit-driven media ecosystems frequently downplay or miscommunicate existential threats.Scientific Communication Dilemma: Scientists often struggle to convey urgent warnings without being labeled as alarmist or shut out of public discourse.Evolutionary Blindspots: Humans are evolutionarily hardwired to react to immediate, visible threats (e.g., an approaching predator) rather than invisible or complex systemic crises (e.g., viruses, greenhouse gas accumulation, or distant space objects).Behind the Scenes: The Leonardo DiCaprio "Network" SpeechThe hosts discuss the key scene where Dr. Randall Mindy (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) breaks down on live television.Tension Between Data and Incentives: DiCaprio advocated for a dramatic, classic "network speech" to capture a scientist's raw emotion when empirical data clashes with corporate greed, political complacency, and media circus tactics.Loyalty to Science: The narrative underscores that while individual scientists have human flaws, the scientific process itself relies on peer review and observed reality, standing firm against corporate gaslighting.Oligarchs, Geoengineering, and the "Nugget of Hope"Interference in Deflection Missions: In Don't Look Up, humanity's initial, viable plan to divert the comet using space shuttles is subverted by a billionaire tech mogul seeking to mine the object for valuable minerals, which mirrors real world influence by powerful billionaires on the public.The Power of Science: Despite the film's apocalyptic climax, Amy and McKay identify a core message of persistence: scientific solutions exist to mitigate existential threats, provided public interest and rigorous peer review take precedence over short-term financial interests.Follow Unobtainium Podcast! Website: unobtainiumpodcast.comWatch full episodes on https://www.youtube.com/@unobtainiumpod Stay connected: Instagram: @unobtainiumpod TikTok: @unobtainiumpod Bluesky: @unobtainiumpod.bsky.social X: @unobtainiumpod For Adam McKay:https://www.instagram.com/mr.ghostpanther/ www.yellowdotstudios.com #DontLookUp #AdamMcKay # LeonardoDiCaprio #NASA #ClimateChange #physics #AmyMainzer #unobtainiumpodcast #MovieBreakdown #SciFiMovies #GreenhouseEffect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    35 分
  • 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."

    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."
    2026/08/04
    Episode DescriptionHow 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 SummaryAmy 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 why making Don't Look Up required close collaboration between filmmakers and scientists. In reality, detecting and diverting a long-period comet would take roughly five years (and likely longer) to save humanity from the impact. This is the time needed for design reviews, international management, and spacecraft development. However, cinematic pacing demanded a condensed, high-stakes timeline.Asteroids, Comets and NASA's Planetary DefenseOrbital Mechanics: To fit the film's timeline realistically, Dr. Mainzer modeled the fictional threat after long-period comets coming from the outer solar system (similar to Comet NEOWISE, discovered in 2020). These objects approach the Sun rapidly on their first appearance, limiting advance warning.NASA’s Real Planetary Defense: The film’s "Oglethorpe" character reflects NASA’s actual Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which coordinates with international space agencies and emergency response networks (like FEMA) to track potential threats and plan mitigation strategies.Kinetic Impactors (The DART Mission): Kinetic redirection—knocking an object off-course by crashing a spacecraft into it. NASA successfully demonstrated this with the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, altering an asteroid’s orbital speed. However, kinetic impactors require years of lead time to successfully nudge an object away from Earth.Fictional Solutions vs. Geoengineering RisksIn Don't Look Up, the government abandons kinetic deflection to attempt a dangerous mining operation using "micro-targeted quantum fission explosives" and autonomous drones.Nuclear Explosions & Shotgun Blasts: Attempting to blow up a comet near Earth risks turning a single large impactor into a cluster of radioactive fragments.Parallels to Geoengineering: This reckless high-tech fix mirrors real-world geoengineering proposals (like solar radiation management via atmospheric particle injection to alter planetary albedo). Such unproven, large-scale intervention carries immense systemic risk and unpredictable consequences as the film bares out.Allegory, Corruption, and Human BehaviorPoliticization & Incentives: The conversation addresses how scientific consensus gets derailed by political interests, corporate lobbying, and social media manipulation. McKay highlights how careerism and financial incentives blind political and media classes to existential threats.Hyperbolic Discounting: The economic concept of humanity's tendency to prioritize immediate, short-term rewards while ignoring long-term risks.The Role of Art: They conclude that while science delivers inconvenient truths, art and satire provide the necessary emotional outlets for society to process existential dread and translate fear into systemic action. Follow Unobtainium Podcast! Website: unobtainiumpodcast.comWatch full episodes on https://www.youtube.com/@unobtainiumpod Stay connected: Instagram: @unobtainiumpod TikTok: @unobtainiumpod Bluesky: @unobtainiumpod.bsky.social X: @unobtainiumpod For Adam McKay:https://www.instagram.com/mr.ghostpanther/yellowdotstudios.com #DontLookUp #AdamMcKay #NASA #DARTMission #NeowiseComet #PlanetaryDefense #PlanetaryScience #unobtainiumpodcast #MovieBreakdown #SciFiMovies #KineticImpactor #AsteroidDeflection25 for 25 by Kjartan Abel. by kjartan_abel -- https://freesound.org/s/768490/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    28 分
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