Episodes
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2022âs Smile was a Halloween box office and critical surprise hit. Itâs perhaps the best example of a major studio taking elements from the kind of âelevatedâ horror thatâs been perfected by indie studios like A24 and transferring it to a massive, wide release. Actually, now that we think about it, maybe we shouldnât use the word âtransferâ when talking about Smile considering the subject matter.
But this weekâs Does it Fly? is all about the central, horrific concept behind Smile: the transference of terrifying hallucinations, antisocial, destructive, and even suicidal behaviors from person to person. And while thereâs essentially an entity at the heart of the trouble in Smile, you might be surprised at the personal and unconventional directions that this weekâs discussion takes Hakeem and Tamara. Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page to learn more. And, as always, beware of spoilers if you havenât already seen the film!
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ï»żCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
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Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft fills in the gaps of the iconic characterâs history, and we went behind the scenes to figure out just how they did it.
Itâs time for another special Does it Fly? episode! Every now and then the DiF team gets to go behind-the-scenes on an exciting new movie or TV series and talk to the folks who make the concept fly.
This time around, our amazing co-host, Tamara Krinsky, speaks with Tasha Huo, showrunner and executive producer of Netflixâs brand new anime, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. And while the character of Lara Croft is an iconic name in adventure, sheâs had something of a checkered history on screen (some of which we covered in a recent episode). But all of that changes with this new series, which fleshes out Laraâs backstory and fills in the blanks of the stories told in the games in lushly animated fashion. Did we mention that it features the brilliant Hayley Atwell voicing Lara?
Join us for all the exciting details on Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft!
This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, starring Hayley Atwell, Allen Maldonado, Earl Baylon, Richard Armitage, and Zoe Boyle. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is now streaming only on Netflix.
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Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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Missing episodes?
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This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, starring Hayley Atwell, Allen Maldonado, Earl Baylon, Richard Armitage, and Zoe Boyle. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is now streaming only on Netflix.
2001âs Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie is perhaps best remembered for the near-perfect casting of Angelina Jolie as the iconic video game character. And if you think it might seem an odd fit for an episode of Does it Fly? we would like to point out a few things that will correct the record on that front. For while this may not be the most well-loved action movie of its generation, it has all the elements that get us excited to talk about a project.
Well, one element that contains multitudes, we should say. This movieâs âMacGuffinâ has it all! Itâs made from meteorites, which help grant it some strange and otherworldly powers. It only reveals its true power during the confluence of specific astronomical events such as planetary alignments or solar eclipses. It can be used to control time itself, and as you know, we love trying to wrap our heads around time travel story and science logic on this show (see our Doctor Who and Back to the Future and Terminator episodes for examples).
What will Hakeem and Tamara find on this adventure and bring back for us to learn?
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Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
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If youâre of a particular age, the summer of 1989 holds special meaning for you. Specifically, you were almost certainly completely obsessed with Tim Burtonâs Batman starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The film redefined superhero movies for a generation, was a relentless blockbuster at the box office, and kicked off a wave of Batmania that left no merchandising stone unturned well beyond that fateful summer.
But at the heart of that film is Nicholsonâs stunning Joker performance. And one of the elements that makes it so memorable is how it marked the first time that the Joker was depicted in live action as a brilliant, but murderous chemist, just as he was in his very first comics appearance back in 1940. Joker spends the second half of the movie holding Gotham City hostage via âSmilexâ a deadly nerve toxin that leaves its victims with a hideous post-mortem grin on their faces.
These kinds of weaponized poisons are nothing new in the real world, but itâs the specific combination of effects that Smilex creates that make it so notable. Weâre taking a look at the real world parallels, including some disturbingly high profile terrorist attacks that would have made the Joker proud. In the process, we also examine just how this movieâs approach to live action superheroics (and supervillainy) changed everything on the big screen.
Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Of course, you must watch Batman (1989). But hereâs a friendly reminder that we also covered one of Tim Burtonâs other great films, the original Beetlejuice, on an episode of Does it Fly? recently, and you should absolutely check it out right here.
And while the rules of the Joker toxin as we discuss them in this episode apply specifically to this particular Batman movie itâs been around in other media, too. Notably, a generally less lethal version made a few appearances on the classic Batman: The Animated Series, which is always worth a watch, especially now that gorgeous remastered versions are available on HBO Max. A few to consider that might scratch your Smilex-induced itchâŠ
âThe Last Laughâ (S1E15)
Itâs primarily laughing gas here, but you know what itâs supposed to be.
âAlmost Got âImâ (S1E35)
A case can be made that this is the best episode of the series, even though the Joker and his attendant poison only feature in one segment of it.
âThe Laughing Fishâ (S1E46)
Based on several classic issues of the comics (more on one of them down below) this is probably the closest youâll get to the lethality of the original toxin in animated form.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
VX Nerve Agent
Weâre bringing this up here in part because of the extraordinarily well-documented (and almost Joker-esque) assassination of Kim Jong-Nam in 2017. The murder was carried out using VX, a nerve agent and banned chemical weapon that is considered one of the most deadly and fast-acting out there. Let the CDC fill you in, because trust us, you want no part of this stuff.
The Animal Kingdom and Joker Venom
âThere is no venomous animal on the planet that could do [everything the Joker Venom does]. Having said that, there are components of different animal venoms in the animal kingdom that could, in combination. My understanding of the Joker is that heâs quite a smart chemist, so it would be possible to extract the components from those venoms and put them all together.â
More on this subject from Professor Jamie Seymour can be found here.
Now, about that ârecipeâ (do not do this)...
Youâd want a little venom from the box jellyfish, known as one of the deadliest marine animals. A pinch of cone snail venom. And perhaps a dash of the blue-ringed octopusâ fatal defense mechanism.
2001 Anthrax Mailings
A somewhat Joker-esque crime that terrorized an entire nation involved the mailings of lab grown anthrax to high profile politicians and journalists in the autumn of 2001. No less than the FBI itself has a wealth of resources on this incredibly bizarre case.
The Source Material
For those who want to dive a little deeper into the comics, there are two key stories to consider. Note that the idea of Joker injecting victims with a toxin that causes them to die smiling was introduced in his very first appearance, way back in Batman #1 (1940).
But for much of the characterâs criminal career after that he was comparatively harmlessâŠthat is, until 1973âs Batman #251 which brought back the idea of the Joker as a murderer with a penchant for unique chemistry, in a brilliant tale called âThe Jokerâs Five-Way Revengeâ by the legendary creative team of Dennis OâNeil and Neal Adams. This story, along with âThe Laughing Fishâ and âThe Sign of the Jokerâ from Detective Comics #475-476 by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers also formed the basis of the similarly named Batman: The Animated Series episode above. Since then, wellâŠitâs been around a lot, but these are the two real historical keys for those who canât get enough!
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Shortly after the success of Batman, Disney tried to replicate it with The Rocketeer. We took a look at that movieâs iconic jetpack technology here.
We also took a look at another rich guy superhero when we unpacked the science and story logic behind Iron Manâs arc reactor, which you can watch here!
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The Rocketeer. Maybe youâve seen it. Maybe you havenât. If youâre of a particular generation, particularly of an age that had their brains absolutely melted by Tim Burtonâs Batman movie in 1989 (which we have an episode on the way about), then The Rocketeer was one of a slate of summer movies that hoped to replicate the runaway success of Batman. For some folks, it sure did. For othersâŠnotably the general ticket buying public, it fell a little short.
But The Rocketeer is a truly wonderful movie that has accumulated a deserved cult following over the years. Its central concept is simple enough: stunt pilot Cliff Secord accidentally stumbles on to a prototype rocket pack being developed for possible military use. The only problem is that Nazi spies want to get their hands on it. All poor Cliff wants to do is impress his girlfriend. Adventure (and hijinx) ensue on schedule.
Full of spectacular practical effects flight sequences, The Rocketeer, like the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises before it, is a wonderful homage to the movie serials of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Part of its appeal is the simplicity of that âsolo flight via jetpackâ concept, and itâs one that has a fair amount of basis in real history and science! So join us as we take a deeper look at The Rocketeer to determine if Cliff, wellâŠyou know!
Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Folks, if you havenât seen The Rocketeer, do yourself a favor. Itâs available on Disney+ and itâs a delightful, nostalgic, family-friendly, action-packed romp that is a little similar in tone to the Indiana Jones franchise. No sequels or big franchises here, but thatâs part of the charm.
However, that doesnât mean there isnât cool Rocketeer-adjacent stuff for you to check out! Joe Johnston is an underrated director and weâd humbly recommend Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (hmmmâŠa potential future Does it Fly? episode, perhaps?), Jumanji, The Wolfman (a terrific horror movie thatâs due for re-evaluation), and Captain America: The First Avenger.
But for those looking to dig even deeper, the Rocketeer concept was inspired by the movie serials of the 1930s, â40s, and early â50s, specifically Republic Picturesâ excellent King of the Rocket Men (1949), Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1952), and Zombies of the Stratosphere (1953). Movie serials might be tough for modern audiences to digest, but all three of these feature terrific stunts and outstanding wire and model work to simulate flight, and itâs very clear how they influenced the creation of the Rocketeer character and the style of the movie.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
Hero of Alexandria
While this also sounds like a movie title, it isnât. Check out a breakdown of his accomplishments, some of which were years, even centuries, ahead of their time.
Rocket Concepts in 1861?!?
Hakeem is referring to the work of Reverend William Leitch, who wrote an essay called A Journey Through Space which correctly predicted a number of spaceflight principles. Again, weâre talking about 1861. You can read that essay in full here.
The Bell Rocket Belt
100 years after Reverend Leitch, someone did actually build a working prototype of something called a Rocket Belt. Lots more info on that, as well as some remarkable photographs, can be found here. The Nazis had been working on a concept during World War II, as well.
Newtonâs Laws of Motion
You ainât flying without adhering to these rules, which are thankfully broken down in easy-to-understand language right here.
Erroll Flynn Did a Lot of Things, But Not THAT
Adventure movie leading man Erroll Flynn lived, well, letâs just say he lived an interesting life. But one thing he wasnât? A Nazi spy. We suspect that urban legend began with a particular biographer, and some details on that are here.
The Practical Effects of The Rocketeer
The interview Tamara references with Rocketeerâs VFX artist Tom St. Amand can be found here, and itâs every bit as fascinating as she says!
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Want more retro adventures with a Does it Fly? twist? We dove into an infamous scene from the Indiana Jones movies here.
Transformers One is nowl in theaters, and you might be surprised at the scientific discussion we had around it!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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Twitter: @Roddenberry
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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How do you solve an engineering problem like the Transformers? This might be one of the most iconic franchises of the 1980s, but it might also be as scientifically implausible as say, the Power Sword from another beloved â80s property, Masters of the Universe. OrâŠis it? After all, thereâs already technology out there that can autonomously transform and combine, so is it really that much of a leap to think that an autonomous robot might also be able to disguise itself as a self-driving car? The answer might surprise you!
You know what else might surprise you? Hakeemâs apparent phobia of getting squished by giant robots. If a scientist is this worried about something like that, maybe we should be, too! Dive into these concepts and questions as well as the most reasonable, thoughtful unpacking of Transformers basic story logic youâll ever find.
Roll out! No, wait, stay right here to watch or check it out on our YouTube page!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
The Transformers franchise is vast. And we do mean vast. Multiple animated series spanning dozens of seasons and hundreds upon hundreds of episodes plus almost a dozen movies both animated and live action. Oh, and then there are the hundreds of comic books, with at least three distinct continuities. And that doesnât even take into account the lore and character info that was included with the toys themselves. But donât worry, flight cadets, weâre making this easy on you.
For this episode, Hakeem and Tamara dealt with the following pieces of the franchise to really focus their discussion. They areâŠ
The Transformers S1 Episodes 1-3 âMore Than Meets the Eyeâ
The first three episodes of the original Transformers animated series pretty much tells you what you need to know about the Autobots and Decepticons and gives you a reasonable understanding of how they function. This is the cartoon that really started it all, and features the most iconic, recognizable versions of the characters.
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
The first animated big screen Transformers adventure serves as a bridge between seasons one and two of the animated series and also scarred a generation of elementary school age Gen-X-ers. But it enriches the lore of the franchise and also gives a sense of what âdeathâ is like for these characters, so we figured it makes sense as a bookend to those first three episodes.
Transformers (2007)
Michael Bayâs first live action Transformers movie serves as a fresh start for the franchise, features its own take on the lore, and was instrumental in helping our hosts wrap their heads around the physics and engineering of transformation. It kicked off a massive blockbuster franchise whichâŠyou can mostly avoid. However, if you want to go a little further in your viewing, 2011âs Transformers: Dark of the Moon is worth your time for some truly mind-blowing visuals, and 2018âs soft reboot Bumblebee is one of the best pieces of Transformers media out there. Thereâs also a brand new animated prequel, Transformers One, in theaters now, but we hadnât seen that at the time this episode was being produced.
Unfortunately, we donât have the footage of Hakeem in the âvomit cometâ for you to watch.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
Self-Assembling Modular Robots
They might not look like much, but these self-assembling modular robot cubes might be a precursor to Transformer-like technology in the real world down the line. While Hakeem isnât fully on board with the Transformers as we know them in pop culture, he sees the potential in these little weirdos.
Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot (M4)
OK, soâŠTHIS one might be a little bit more in line with what you expect from the Transformers. For those of you who want a more in-depth look at what makes this one tick, you can read the scientific paper here. But really, it needs to be seen to be believed!
Liquid Robots
One way to get around the engineering problem that comes with the sheer scale of the Transformers is by making them REALLY small. Or in this case, liquid. Once again, the article might not fully do the concept justice so hereâs a video for you!
Transformers Vol. 1
While there have been many iterations of Transformers comics through the years, the newest series from Image Comics âEnergon Universeâ by Daniel Warren Johnson is exceptionalâŠand an Eisner winner!
Want to follow in Hakeemâs footsteps and ride the umâŠzero gravity aircraft? Good luck!
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
âŠand speaking of robotsâŠcheck out our discussion of the rules governing the Terminator franchise.
Was Hakeem any kinder, scientifically speaking, to the concept of Iron Man armor? Only one way to find out!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by RSVLTS. Dying to be the star of Spooky Season? Grab this ghoulish gear, if you dare...
A physicist, a pop culture expert, and a paranormal investigator walk into a breweryâŠno, itâs not the start of a joke, this actually happened! Itâs a very different kind of Does it Fly? episode this week. This is our first ever recording with Hakeem and Tamara in the same room, our first in front of a live studio audience, and also the first full blown guest star joining in the discussion. Weâre joined by special guest Aaron Sagers (Paranormal Caught on Camera, Talking Strange) to talk about the plausibility of demonic possession. Oh great, youâve been waiting for our episode on The Exorcist, right? Perhaps because it keeps getting funnier, every single time you see it?
Well guess again boys and ghouls. Weâre kicking off this Halloween season a little early not with one of the most frightening horror films ever made, but rather with a celebration of the âghost with the most.â With a new sequel now in theaters, we wanted to revisit Tim Burtonâs original 1988 masterpiece, Beetlejuice! And since Beetlejuice features its own brand of both possession and exorcism, it offers a uniquely fun lens (specifically, the memorable dinner party scene soundtracked by the great Harry Belafonte) by which to investigate this terrifying conceptâŠwhich has surprising roots in the real world.
So how in the heck did we get a genuine astrophysicist to investigate the reality (or unreality) of demonic possession? And what kind of story rules apply in a movie that is essentially a comedy with horror themes? And how does our special guest help guide Hakeem and Tamara through all of this? And just why are we calling this episode âDoes it Fly After Darkâ anyway?
The only way to find out is to check it out here or on our YouTube page!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Youâve seen Beetlejuice, right? It might just be Tim Burtonâs best film. Thereâs also a sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (donât say it a third time), also directed by Burton, currently in theaters, however we hadnât seen that film at the time we recorded this episode. Now, while you can make the case that Beetlejuice is Burtonâs best movie, weâre quite partial to his 1994 masterpiece, Ed Wood, which features Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance, so if you havenât seen that, add it to your Halloween viewing list ASAP and thank us later.
But allow us to also suggest a few other movies about possession, albeit more traditional ones, to give you something else to worry about. Here they are, presented in the order in which we most highly recommend them.
The Exorcist
Directed by the great William Friedkin, itâs arguably the scariest movie ever made, one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and honestly one of the best movies of the 1970s. See it! (167 viewings optional, of course)
The Exorcist III
Generally speaking you can skip various Exorcist prequels and sequelsâŠexcept this underrated gem. Directed by original Exorcist book author William Peter Blatty, it furthers the story of the original film with a little Zodiac Killer flavor thrown in for extra scares.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Notable in part for being loosely based on a real life case, itâs made even better by Scott Derricksonâs (Sinister, Doctor Strange) moody direction.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
While not the masterpiece of the first two Conjuring films, this one does once again follow real world paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) in a dramatization of an actual case they were involved in.
The Popeâs Exorcist
Notable primarily for Russell Croweâs absolutely bonkers Italian accent as he portrays real-life Vatican exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth. Weâve loved director Julius Avery since 2018âs extremely underrated World War II zombie horror flick Overlord (which is better than this movie, so if youâve only got time for one, thatâs the one).
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
âIt ainât so much the things we donât know that get us into troubleâŠâ
This favorite quote of Hakeemâs (which may or not actually be attributable to Mark Twain) came up in our episode about Back to the Future, as well! Some more scientific context for it can be found here.
Scientific papers on demonic possession
âThis official review aims to clarify the current scientific understanding of the origins, mechanisms, and causes of these seemingly extraordinary experiences. Our analysis includes 52 documented cases of possession, reviewed from literature published between 1890 and 2023 and incorporating insights from psychology, medicine, anthropology, and theology. We examine common symptom patterns, delve into the research conducted, and evaluate how many cases are still unexplained within the existing behavioral science framework.â
You can read the scientific paper on demonic possession that Hakeem references in full here.
Marie Laveau
Learn more about Hakeemâs famous (and magical) relative here.
The Psychiatry of Demonic Possession
âFor the past two-and-a-half decades and over several hundred consultations, Iâve helped clergy from multiple denominations and faiths to filter episodes of mental illness â which represent the overwhelming majority of cases â from, literally, the devilâs work. Itâs an unlikely role for an academic physician, but I donât see these two aspects of my career in conflict. The same habits that shape what I do as a professor and psychiatrist â open-mindedness, respect for evidence and compassion for suffering people â led me to aid in the work of discerning attacks by what I believe are evil spirits and, just as critically, differentiating these extremely rare events from medical conditions.â
Read this fascinating article in full here.
The Oldest Depiction of a Ghost
Hereâs the story behind that eerie Babylonian clay tablet referenced in Aaronâs discussion with Hakeem and Tamara.
Pazuzu
While best known as the âvillainâ of The Exorcist, Pazuzu might be getting a bad rep in pop culture. Or maybe not!
A much scarier BeetlejuiceâŠ
The darker, more horror-focused early development script for the film that Tamara talks about can be read here.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
We recently spoke with the showrunner of Netflixâs incredible new Terminator anime series, Terminator Zero. Itâs a must watch for fans of the franchise.
Beetlejuice isnât the first spooky topic weâve tackled on our show. Check out our deep dive into the magical concepts of The Crow (the original, not that reboot nonsense)!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
Facebook: Roddenberry
Twitter: @Roddenberry
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Terminator Zero, starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero is now streaming only on Netflix.
Weâve got a special episode of Does it Fly? for you this time around. Consider this one a little bonus after our recent episode on The Terminator, because now weâve got an inside look at Terminator Zero, Netflixâs brand new, lushly animated anime series (with an impressive voice cast, to boot) that adds a previously unseen dimension to the entire Terminator franchise.
We sent one of our hosts, the brilliant Tamara Krinsky, to talk to Mattson Tomlin (The Batman, Mother/Android). But Tomlin is currently the showrunner of Terminator Zero, and those familiar with the thoughtful, gritty nature of his other screen work wonât be disappointed by the rigorous knowledge and intensity he brought to this show. And with our pop culture expert, Tamara, asking the big questions, Tomlin unpacks a lot of the central themes of the impressive new show.
Check it out here or on our YouTube page. Oh yeah, and let us know what you think! If you want more interview style episodes of Does it Fly? where your favorite creatives tell us HOW they make your favorite sci-fi, horror, and fantasy projects work, drop us a line in the comments or on our socials!
Check out a few of our favorite points from the interview, which we feel offer a nice parallel to our usual episode structure. But this is a pretty in-depth exploration of Terminator Zero with the showrunner, so donât take our word for it, listen to the episode!
THE SCIENCE
DOES IT FLY: I'm curious, as you were putting the pieces of this together, did you do any research? Did you talk to scientists so that the audience would watch this and say, âyeah, this flies. This works for us.â
MATTSON TOMLIN: Yeah. Probably not to the degree that the PhD guy would be happy with me, but definitely a lot of reading about Turing tests today and about what the capabilities [of AI] are. It's kind of one of those things where, as far as we know and what the public facing information is, we're not quite there yet ⊠I think that the jumps [in capability] are exponential. So there was still a level of invention. It's a sci-fi show, so you've got to make some stuff up, but we also made sure that it never felt like it was fully beyond the bounds of what's actually happening out there today.
THE STORY
DiF: When was the moment during production that you as a writer, as a showrunner, felt like, âyeah, this thing has wings. This thing can fly.â
MT: There's a couple of different answers to that, because it comes in stages. I feel really proud of the show. I think that there are stages ⊠For me, the first time that that happened was while I was writing, and I got through episode four [and then] once I started writing episode five, it's like, âoh, now the plane has taken off, and now we're at altitude, and now, actually, I have to think about landing.â Having these four episodes, and I can I can read that 100 or so pages and go, âI stand by this, this is working now I just need to land the plane.â It's not that I felt like, âoh, I've got this.â But I felt like there was enough material that there's a story that is being told now that feels worth telling. That was kind of the first time.
The second time was definitely once art started to come in from [anime studio] Production IG, and seeing the level at which they were executing and [knowing] this is going to look beautiful. I think then the third time was certainly the working on the score and working with [Terminator Zero composers] Michelle Birsky and Kevin Henthorn and finding a sonic identity for the score that felt like Terminator, and at the same time, does its own thing. We didn't just want to be playing the same stuff, it needed to feel inherently its own.
THE VIBE
DiF: Why was the decision made to do this as an anime?
MT: From a creative standpoint, you're just able to do things that haven't been done before, because if you're making a movie and a movie that's in a franchise like Terminator, then there are certain expectations, certain beats that it has to hit. And, you know, those movies are $100-200 million movies. A [movie of that scale] is going to be a certain kind of thing. And this isn't that. Not only because it's animated, but because it's an anime. So it creates these variables ⊠It's an opportunity to kind of breathe a lot of new life into it âŠit was kind of driven by story and an opportunity to just do something the franchise hadn't done before.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
We also took a deep scientific look at the paradox that so much of the entire Terminator franchise revolves around. Check it out here.
The Crow remake is in theaters now, so we recently took a look back at some of the science surrounding the magic of the original film. Watch it here.
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
Facebook: Roddenberry
Twitter: @Roddenberry
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Terminator Zero, starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero is now streaming only on Netflix.
âCome with me if you want to learn.â
OK, fine, thatâs not what anyone says pretty much anywhere in the Terminator franchise. But havenât you ever wondered just how some of the time travel concepts that set up one of the most successful and beloved sci-fi movie and TV franchises of all time work?
This episode is really only dealing with the âgrandfather paradoxâ as it relates to The Terminator (1984), James Cameronâs original sci-fi horror masterpiece that pretty much strapped a stardom rocket to Arnold Schwarzeneggerâs back and helped redefine the boundaries of sci-fi and action storytelling on screen. It also kicked off one of the most sprawling and beloved science fiction franchises of a generation.
Check it out here or on our YouTube page!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
While weâre pretty much only focused on that first film for this episode, if you want to expand your Terminator knowledge, it can feel like a lot. When in doubt when youâre navigating a big franchise that occupies different places on its own timeline, we always advise you not overthink it and just watch in release order. So weâll give you that along with some suggestions to make this as fun and painless as possible.
The Terminator (1984)
If you want a sci-fi action movie thatâs filmed with the pacing and sense of dread of a horror movie, you canât go wrong with the original. A legitimate classic of 1980s genre cinema, it has endured for a reason. If you only watch one movie in the franchise, this is the one!
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
If you only watch one other Terminator movie, make it 1991âs bigger and more technically groundbreaking sequel. For those of you who want a more summer blockbuster action sensibility as opposed to the first filmâs horror undertones, you can just go ahead and watch Judgment Day on its own, as it does an excellent job getting you up to speed even if you havenât seen the original. Bigger action sequences and some eye-popping special effects make this one essential viewing.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Probably not as bad as youâve heard, but not exactly essential viewing either. This one builds out the lore of how Skynet rose to power and has a few bonkers battle sequences, but if time is of the essence, stick to the first two movies. Itâs also the first entry in the franchise that starts messing with the canon in ways that future installments try to smooth out.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
The franchiseâs first expansion into TV has a devoted cult following, and with good reason! Still, thatâs a lot of viewing hours, and it isnât strictly faithful to the lore of the series as a whole. This can be viewed as its own self-contained alternate timeline within the Terminator universe.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Terminator Salvation is a direct sequel to the events of Rise of the MachinesâŠand thus a prequel to the first film. And despite starring Christian Bale at the height of his stardom as John Connor, itâsâŠwell, letâs just say itâs not essential viewing. But if youâre keeping track so far, the canonical events of the franchise go from the first three movies to this oneâŠwhich depicts events prior to the first film. Got it? Good, because it ainât getting any easier!
Terminator Genisys (2015)
This one is essentially a reboot of the entire franchise andâŠyou know what? You can skip it. Trust us.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Somewhat maligned upon release, but better than youâve heard! Weâre back in alternate timeline territory, though, as this film ignores everything other than the first two movies and instead acts as a direct (if belated) sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Honestly, worth your time, especially if youâre looking to condense the franchise to a more digestible three films (in this case The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Terminator: Dark Fate)
Terminator Zero (2024)
Netflix is the exclusive home of this first animated Terminator outing, made by the same anime studio who brought the classic Ghost in the Shell to screens. Terminator Zero functions both as a self-contained Terminator adventure (meaning you donât necessarily need knowledge of the rest of the franchise to enjoy and understand it) and also as something that enriches the lore of the films. Lushly animated and boasting a cast that includes Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, AndrĂ© Holland, and Ann Dowd, serious fans wonât want to miss this.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
Grandfather Paradox
The central concept of this episode and the one we wanted to explore the most! This article has the most succinct explanation of a rather headache-y concept weâve ever seen. â...the idea that a cause must precede its effect. The paradox suggests that a cause is eliminated by its own effect, thus preventing its own cause and essentially becoming reverse causation.â It goes on to explain some of the other scientific concepts that inform this pretty well. For a little additional context, you can also check out this piece.
The Bootstrap Paradox
The other paradox that informs our discussion (and pops up often in pop culture time travel stories). Our question isâŠwhy is Northrop Grumman writing about this. WHAT DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARENâT TELLING US?!?
Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Hey, remember this one from our episode on the transporter from Star Trek? We donât think you can do any better for quality book-learninâ on the subject than this article from CalTech.
Relativity Train
In case our animation illustrating Hakeemâs point about viewing actions in a train traveling at a different speed than the observer, Harvard University made a pretty substantial meal out of the experiment which you can read about (and watch) here.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Just a reminder, if you havenât watched our exploration of Xenomorph biology as it was explored in the first Alien movie (which also happens to be one of our most popular episodes), nowâs a good time to get to it!
Check out our episode on the most infamous moment in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie, not our episode. Oh, you know what we mean!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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Alex Proyasâ 1994 The Crow is a genuinely great film, released at a time when âcomic book moviesâ werenât an all-encompassing pop culture phenomenon, and one that plays very much like a unique action-horror film (rather than a superhero one). We canât recommend it, or its unbelievably badass soundtrack album, enough. The Crow has a little of everything: itâs a horror movie, itâs a love story, itâs a twisted superhero origin story and revenge tale, and itâs a unique time capsule of a particular moment in pop culture history.
But all of those things have been discussed to death elsewhere, right? Are we breaking down the unique ways that Eric Draven kills the men who wronged him during his life? Nope. Are we delving into the philosophies surrounding the prospects of life after death? Not this episode! Are we walking about how cool it would be to make friends with a crow? Abso-freakinâ-lutely!
An under-discussed part of The Crow is the role that an actual, physical crow seems to play in Ericâs journey of post-life revenge. The bird is somewhat magical, but not a complete manifestation of the supernatural. In fact, it functions very much like the concept of a âfamiliarâ often found in fantasy literature. So thatâs the topic weâre taking a birds-eye look at this time around. And believe it or not, thereâs a LOT to unpack. Seriously, you have no idea how smart crows are, or just how feasible some aspects of the magical familiar might have roots in real science.
Want to find out more? Watch it right here or on our YouTube page.
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Unfortunately, you canât divorce The Crow from the real life tragedy that surrounds it, notably the untimely accidental death of star Brandon Lee during filming. Shudderâs Cursed Films season 1 episode 4 deals with this, and itâs worth a watch if you want more background on this infamous moment in cinema history.
There are a bunch of mediocre sequels to the original film (and even a TV series!), but we donât recommend them. Anyway, the only piece of The Crow franchise that we considered for this episode was that original, classic 1994 movie. However, if you want to get a sense of just how great a talent Brandon Lee was, and how this movie SHOULD have kickstarted a new phase of his career that would have brought him a level of mainstream stardom, allow us to recommend 1991âs Showdown in Little Tokyo (co-starring the great Dolph Lundgren!) and 1992âs Rapid Fire. Neither are exactly masterpieces, but they sure do kick some ass and Brandon is a natural.
For someâŠless friendlyâŠbirds, you absolutely should watch Alfred Hitchcockâs The Birds if you havenât already. Youâll be perfectly happy not having any of them as your familiars.
And of course, thereâs a new reboot of The Crow in theaters now.
Thereâs some crossover with our further readings below, but this New York Times video that asks (and kind of answers) the question of âhow smart are crowsâ is quite a watch!
Oh, and the movie that freaked Hakeem out as a kid? That's a 1975 weird one starring none other than William Shatner in one of his...less memorable...rolls, called The Devil's Rain.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
But before we get into the scientific and mythological readings to go with this episode, allow us to suggest that you give James OâBarrâs original comic series that launched this franchise a read. Itâs harrowing, beautiful, violent stuff, and just different enough from the movie that you wonât feel like you know everything thatâs gonna happen!
OK, now back to your regularly scheduled science-y stuff.
Familiars
It will come as no surprise to anyone that there isnât a ton of serious scientific writing on the subject of familiars. But the more ânew ageâ corners of the internet have done their homework, and the above article is a compelling read.
Crows in Mythology
Crows and ravens are recurring symbols in a number of religious and mythological traditions. Learn up on them in case one decides to quiz you.
Crows and Masks
In case you need proof that you should never wrong a crow, because they WILL remember your face.
How to Befriend a Crow
Weâre serious. From no less a source than M.I.T!
Crows use tools!
Not only do crows know how to make and use simple tools to accomplish their goals, it apparently puts them in a really good mood, too!
The Eyes of Jackdaws
No, that isn't the name of another horror movie. But Hakeem talks about this study on how these particular birds can read human expressions.
Weâre kicking off our Halloween celebrations early, so go light some candles and read Edgar Allan Poeâs âThe Ravenâ for some kicks. âNevermore.â
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
We recently unpacked three gadgets and concepts for the 60th anniversary of James Bond in Goldfinger. Watch it here!
Ever wonder about how Indiana Jones led to the invention of the PG-13 rating? Weâve got the video for you!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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Love it or hate it, Alien Resurrection wonât be ignored. The final film in the Ripley saga of the Alien franchise (before it branched off into Predators, prequels, and other distractionsâŠmore on that below), Alien Resurrection has always been something of a hot-button issue with fans. Maybe not as much as Prometheus, but still! Any movie that deals with cloning a beloved character (who had been granted a heroic death in the previous film), complete with âgenetic memoriesâ is bound to push some buttons, but thatâs not even the biggest thing this movie adds to the franchise.
Alien Resurrection heralds the arrival on the scene of a new kind of Xenomorph. Specifically, a human/alien hybrid made via the same shady experiments that helped âbring backâ Ripley. As a result, we get a Xenomorph that (among other things) no longer lays eggs and instead can reproduce in a slightly more recognizable/mammalian fashion. And hoo-boy, do Hakeem and Tamara have questions about this one! From the handling of cloning to the hybrid alien itself, this episode of Does it Fly? is for you if the gooier corners of the Alien universe are your cup of acid blood.
Check it out here or on our YouTube page!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Before we get into the intricacies of the Alien franchise, allow us to also recommend one of Tamaraâs favorite movies, Code 46, an underrated 2003 film from director Michael Winterbottom which deals with a few similar themes of ethics within biotechnology as they regard our discussion about Alien Resurrection.
Obviously, concepts from Alien Resurrection are what we focus on in this episode, but if you havenât seen the movies that precede it, too, then you might be a little lost. Those areâŠ
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Alien 3 (1992)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Now, the franchise continues on after that, albeit to mixed (and sometimes controversial) results. Those areâŠ
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Both of the above movies are inessential, and take place BEFORE the events of the first film, or even the other prequels. Speaking of which, for the last decade or so, the Alien franchise has been more concerned with exploring the days before the first film, which brings us toâŠ
Prometheus (2012)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
And now, currently in theaters is Alien: Romulus, which takes place between Alien and Aliens. Get watchinâ!
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Of course you do!
Cloning
Central to our discussion about the Xenomorph/human hybrid in Alien Resurrection is the question of cloning. Granted, this is a tough one to read up on, but this fact sheet from the National Human Genome Research institute is a good start. Also, doesnât the fact that thereâs a National Human Genome Research Institute in the first place make it sound like weâre already living in a sci-fi movie?
Genetic Memory
Hakeem (and science in general) state that when you clone an organism, youâre making a twin of it, you arenât creating an exact duplicate that also contains memories and learned experiences. That, of course, blows a pretty big hole in Alien Resurrection right out of the gate. That being said, thereâs some interesting reading to be done on the subject both here and here, although neither really support the movieâs central premise.
Hybridization
âI find it really interesting that when this baby comes out and Ripley is created, both are hybrids of alien and human. So the question is, can you splice together genes like that.â For this one, we couldnât resist going back to the National Human Genome Research Institute for some hard information. See also: Retroviruses.
Tuskegee Experiment 26:50
One of the darker chapters of American 20th Century history involved the deliberate infection of African-Americans with syphilis in order to study the disease over a period of time. Itâs monstrous that something like this was sanctioned by official government agencies, and we shouldnât forget that this is part of our recent past so that it never happens again.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Just a reminder, if you havenât watched our exploration of Xenomorph biology as it was explored in the first Alien movie (which also happens to be one of our most popular episodes), nowâs a good time to get to it!
Check out our episode on the most infamous moment in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie, not our episode. Oh, you know what we mean!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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Twitter: @Roddenberry
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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You know the scene. A grisly human sacrifice. A terrified archaeologist looking on in horror from the shadows. A poor religious fanatic has his still-beating heart torn from his chest by a high priest before bursting into flames. While this seems like the kind of scene that would have been perfectly at home in a John Carpenter movie in the 1980s, instead it comes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second entry in the franchise (albeit a prequel to 1980âs Raiders of the Lost Ark), and one which takes a decidedly darker tone than the relatively family-friendly adventure of the previous film.
That moment is alleged to have given birth to the PG-13 movie rating, for one thing. But it also kickstarted a small but specific subset of pop culture fascination: the concept that someoneâs heart could be manually removed from their chest with no tools, using only the skills (sometimes mystical in nature) of an adversary. Fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise take note: long before Kano was rippinâ hearts out, Mola Ram was doing itâŠand with better fashion sense, to boot!
And while it SEEMS like the realm of pure (if icky) fantasy, itâs still worth breaking down whether any element of this gruesome little party trick has basis in scientific reality. And if that doesnât quicken your pulse (sorry), weâve got behind the scenes tidbits on what made it all look so good, how this singular moment helped force the MPAA to institute PG-13, and more!
Now, time for a little heart-to-heart with Tamara and HakeemâŠ
SUGGESTED VIEWING
While Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is indeed the second Indiana Jones movie, itâs actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. That being said, we always endorse watching big franchises in release order rather than timeline order, because prequels tend to get a little self-referential. Watch Raiders first, then Temple of Doom, then the third film (which takes place after Raiders), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. These are the only Indiana Jones movies!
OK, not really. There are also fourth and fifth films, the generally maligned Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the somewhat better Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (the only film in the franchise not directed by Stephen Spielberg). Your mileage may vary, but if nothing else, Raiders of the Lost Ark is generally considered one of the greatest action/adventure movies of all time!
And for those of you who can sanction Jim Carreyâs buffoonery (sorry, a little Tommy Lee Jones humor there), Hakeem recommends an alternate take on the heart-ripping concept, as seen in Dumb and Dumber.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
Ancient Heart Extraction Rituals
âYou have to appease those gods, so what better way than with human sacrifice! Donât have a volcano handy? Take out their heart.â
(Hakeem references a scientific paper about heart extraction in Mesoamerica. We generally try not to link to things that arenât readily and easily available to read, but in this case, the above abstract and this excerpt are the best we could do. But itâs so cool, we couldnât pass it up.)
Consciousness and Organ Function
While Hakeem throws cold water (or hot flames) on the idea that the heart itself can continue beating with no additional equipment after separation from the body, he briefly references the extremely grisly speculation that guillotine victims remained conscious after their heads were separated from their bodies. Thereâs further study on that, but we try not to think about it.
See also: Neuromuscular Junction
Thuggees
âWhile the Thuggee cult that they drew from was a real thing, they were robbers, they did murder folks, and they did all of this to serve Kali and did it in the name of this particular god, they did not take part in human sacrifice.â
The PG-13 Rating
âAt the time this movie came out, it was rated PGâŠand there were a lot of parents who were taking their kids to see thisâŠand then thereâs this heart being ripped out of a chest, which terrified kids!â
See also: The MPAA website that Tamara references which confirms the Temple of Doom connection can be found here.
We also cannot recommend highly enough J.W. Rinzlerâs incredible The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Story Behind All Four Films.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Ever wonder what makes the DeLorean in Back to the Future go? So did we! So we decided to answer those questions once and for all!
Twisters is in theaters now and we took a look at the science of the film, via the lens of the original 1996 movie!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
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How realistic is the science of time travel as depicted in Back to the Future?
Back to the Future just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Letâs put that in perspective for you: Back to the Future is now older than the period of time that Marty McFly traveled in that first film, where he rocketed at 88mph from 1985 back to 1955. And while the concept of using a weird, well, concept car as a time machine might seem a little quirky, it certainly didnât hamper this flick, which is generally considered a pretty timeless classic, despite its â80s trappings. For the record, we consider it one of those classics, too!
And while we generally believe that you probably shouldnât spend too much time thinking about the logistics of time travel (although we already covered a little of that in our episode about the TARDIS from Doctor Who), the specific mechanisms of time travel in Back to the Future are just too cool and appealing (not to mention iconic) to ignore. So in this episode, Hakeem and Tamara tackle it all! What are the specific rules of time travel in the Back to the Future trilogy? Whatâs the significance of hitting 88mph in order to go back in time? Is there a real world equivalent to the flux capacitor? And, of course, the age old question⊠âwhat the hell is a gigawatt?!?â
All this and more in the latest episode ofâŠDoes it Fly?
SUGGESTED VIEWING
At this point itâs hard to imagine any of you havenât at least seen the original Back to the Future, one of the most beloved movies of the 1980s. But we suppose itâs possible that a few of you might not have watched the entire trilogy. Well, guess what? Those movies rule pretty hard, too and Hakeem and Tamara went through all three films to make sense of the time travel science and story rules. Get going!
Thereâs also Expedition: Back to the Future which is a fun capstone to the filmâs legacy, the DeLorean, and more. Check it out on Max!
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
âIt ainât so much the things we donât know that get us into trouble. Itâs the things we know for sure that just ainât so.â
Hakeemâs quoting Mark Twain via his friend, Professor Edward W. Kolb, has some additional scientific context in the link above!
The scientific case for time travel.
âIt turns out that our speed through space squared plus our speed through time squared is equal to the speed of light squared. So all things in the universe that exist are always moving at the speed of light through spacetime. So if you move more quickly through space, youâll move more slowly through timeâŠso the higher the energy situation, the more slow the time travel is.â
Tachyons
âThese are hypothetical particles that can only travel greater than the speed of light.â
(Look, we know Hakeem was pretty harsh on these hypothetical particles, but theyâre pretty darn cool anyway.)
(1.21) gigawatts!
âWhat the hell is a gigawatt?â (Marty McFlyâŠnot Hakeem or Tamara. Theyâre much more articulate and thoughtful).
(flux) Capacitors
âA capacitor is something that stores energy. They come in different geometrical configurationsâŠâ
The Many Worlds Interpretation
âBut when you make a measurement, you can only ever actually see one state at a time. So the âmany worlds interpretationâ basically just says that when you make an observation, the only thing youâve discovered is what world youâre in. Every possible outcome actually occurred.â
Scirens
Certainly by now youâve checked out Tamaraâs incredible other project dealing with the intersection of science and storytelling, right? And if not, what are you waiting for? Go now!
And while youâre here, might we suggest making a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation?
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Twisters is in theaters now and we took a look at the science of the film, via the lens of the original 1996 movie!
Star Wars: The Acolyte just completed its inaugural season on Disney+. Time to learn how lightsabers workâŠand why none of you should have them!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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Twitter: @Roddenberry
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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The (air) pressure is on as we dive into some on-set stories, Wizard of Oz references, and barometric gossip as we break down the science and story logic behind a beloved 90s movie: 1996âs Twister.
Alright, buckle up, because we're diving into the whirlwind world of Twister! Picture this: back in '96, director Jan de Bont dropped a disaster thrill ride that had us all glued to the screen, courtesy of writers Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin. It's about a bunch of gutsy storm chasers in Oklahoma, led by the tornado-whisperer Jo (Helen Hunt). Meanwhile, her ex, Bill (Bill Paxton), shows up with divorce papers just in time for a tornado party. But hold onto your weather-predicting prototypes - Jo unveils her brainchild, Dorothy, a cutting-edge weather gadget packed with sensors that could rewrite tornado research, which promises to beef up our tornado warning systems from a measly three minutes to a solid 15. Of course, no good blockbuster is complete without a villain. Enter Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes), a rival chaser with a snazzy device of his own, the DOT 3, which is basically a knockoff Dorothy. Talk about stormy competition! Cue a wild chase through tornado alley, with trucks in ditches, Dorothy prototypes flying, and power lines crashing down faster than you can say "F5!"
And hereâs the kicker: amidst all the chaos, Twister isn't just Hollywood blowing hot air. Itâs inspired by real-life storm science, like the TOtable Tornado Observatory (TOTO), which paved the way for Dorothy. Sure, TOTO had its quirks (ever heard about its tango with an Oklahoma storm?), but it laid the groundwork for sticking sensors in tornadoes like nobodyâs business.
So, while Twister cranks up the drama to eleven (seriously, who drives into an F5 tornado?) it sparked serious conversations about the future of tornado research. Could Dorothy's sensor-packed canisters really hold up in the eye of a twister? The juryâs out, but in this episode, one thing's for sure: whether you're a weather buff or just in it for the flying cows, Twister makes you believe in the power of science, storms, and a good ol' fashioned summer blockbuster.
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Unfortunately, the only recommendation youâre going to get here is the film itself! Donât worry, itâs not a slog â Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a young Alan Ruck are a lot of fun. Buckle up for two hours and come back to us when youâre ready to challenge colleagues to get scientific measurements as fast as you can. You know, the crazy stuff.
And thereâs even a sequel, Twisters, in theaters now! Just note that we hadnât seen Twisters when we were researching this episode, so weâre only discussing the original movie here, spoilers and all.
FURTHER READING
Want to get a little deeper into the science - on set, within the film, and in real life? We got you. Here are some references for all of those hoping to start jumping into tornadoes!
Tornado Measuring
âWhat youâre talking about, about gathering data, can really be looked at like a scientific principle. All the data that is possible to get, thatâs what you want to get. Ideally, youâd have satellites. Youâd have ground base sensors.â
See also: Response Times and Intensity
TOTO
âBalls in a barrel in windy conditions wouldnât stay in a barrel. Most would probably stay in as it spinned around!â
Barometric Pressure
âThey have such low pressure⊠that homes basically explode. High pressure on the outside, low pressure on the inside, that makes an explosion occur.â
See also: Pressure Measurements and Intensity Distribution
The VFX Challenge
âVisual effects are the effects that are done after youâre done shooting. Special effects, or sometimes referred to as practical effects, are done on set. The origin of this film starts with visual effects.â
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Star Wars: The Acolyte just completed its inaugural season on Disney+. Time to learn how lightsabers workâŠand why none of you should have them!
Canât get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly wonât want to miss our episode detailing how Starlightâs powers might work!
A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters now, and we took a look at how those aliens might have evolved their unique (and deadly) powers.
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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In the vast galaxy of science fiction, few weapons shine as brightly as Star Warsâ lightsaber. From its classic hum to its array of colors, the lightsaber has captivated generations, transcending its origin to become a timeless artifact of adventure and heroism.
And as a kid, who didnât have imaginary battles with their lightsabers? Now, imagine if those weapons really existed! We delve into the world of Star Wars and analyze the science behind the lightsabers as well as the importance of this crazy device in the movies but also in our livesâŠ
The lightsaber exists at the nexus of advanced technology and timeless mythology, serving as a powerful symbol of the âStar Warsâ universe. Their unique designs, impactful glow, and distinctive sound make them an iconic piece of sci-fi history. But with this great honor comes a lot of questions. What are lightsabers actually made of? Are there any existing modern technologies that could bring us closer to a real life lightsaber? And just how important is this mystical weapon to the Jedi and Force users in general?
All this and more will be explored in our latest episodeâŠ
SUGGESTED VIEWING
The lightsaber and its lore plays an integral role in all nine films of âThe Skywalker Sagaâ and those are the movies that make up the spine of the Star Wars universe. We assume youâve probably seen them, but if you want a refresher just for this episode, you should consider revisiting Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), all of which have points we referenced in our discussion.
And while the Star Wars universe on television already seems a little overwhelming, our hosts also took a dive into some episodes which specifically expanded and explored lightsaber function and history. If you want to check those out, they areâŠ
Star Wars: The Clone Wars S5E6 âThe Gatheringâ
This one shows Jedi students on a quest to find kyber crystals to complete their lightsabers.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars S5E16 âThe Lawlessâ
The first glimpse of the mysterious Darksaber in action.
Star Wars Rebels S3E15 âTrials of the Darksaberâ
More info and context for the Darksaber, arguably the most important lightsaber variant in current Star Wars canon!
The Mandalorian S2E8 âThe Rescueâ
If youâre hoping to see the Darksaber in a live action context, this is the episode for you.
For those of you looking to really dive into the entire Star Wars universe and donât know where to begin, wellâŠgood luck! When it comes to viewing orders for big franchises that take place across long periods of time, we generally endorse watching everything in ârelease orderâ rather than âtimeline order.â For example, that means you watch the original trilogy first, then the prequels, and so on down the line.
But especially with Star Wars, thereâs always the temptation to try and do things in story chronological order. And who are we to say no? So for you brave souls who want to try and âstart at the beginningâ for the galaxy far, far away, hereâs how youâd do itâŠ
Star Wars lore has become so sprawling that itâs now broken up into distinct storytelling eras.
THE HIGH REPUBLIC
Star Wars: The Acolyte (TV)
Currently the earliest piece of live action Star Wars lore, The Acolyte takes place 100 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga films.
THE FALL OF THE JEDI
These films and TV series detail the period when the Jedi lost influence over the galaxy, the Clone Wars, and Anakin Skywalkerâs fall to the Dark Side.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Film)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (Film)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Film)
REIGN OF THE EMPIRE
These films and TV series set the stage for the classic, original trilogy of Star Wars films, as the Empire rampages across the galaxy and the seeds of the Rebellion are sown.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (TV)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Film)
Obi-Wan Kenobi ( TV)
Andor (TV)
Star Wars Rebels (TV)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film)
AGE OF REBELLION
The most famous period in Star Wars history! You probably know all about these already.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (Film)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Film)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (Film)
THE NEW REPUBLIC
So far, this era has only been explored on TV and not in film, but it details the âlost yearsâ between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
The Mandalorian (TV) â Seasons 1 & 2
The Book of Boba Fett ( TV)
The Mandalorian (TV) â Season 3
Ahsoka ( TV)
Star Wars Resistance (TV)
RISE OF THE FIRST ORDER
The latest period in Star Wars history thus far explored!
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (Film)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (Film)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (Film)
And these anthology shows take place throughout the Star Wars timeline, but are fun additional viewing:
Star Wars: Visions (TV)
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (TV)
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (TV)
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
Lightsabers - The Physics of Science Fiction
âIt looks like a metal thing. It could be like a sonic screwdriver or something like that. But when it is initiated, a beam of light or a beam of plasma, depending upon who you ask, is emitted. And it's like a weapon. It's like a solid object that's really hot, can cut through metal.â
How Plasma Cutters Work
âEverybody wants to own a lightsaber, but no one should⊠That is a dangerous piece of equipment. If it's going to slice through things the way it does. We have technologies that do that. We have lasers that cut metal. A plasma cutter is what it's called.â
What is a photonic crystal? The reason why photonics-electronics convergence technology is needed, and the details of research
âBut if you hit a light beam from the side, it's not a solid thing. Right? So you know what we see with the battles where lightsabers are bouncing off of each other, just pure light of any no wavelength would not be able to do that. When I started looking into could you confine light in such a way, I discovered something that's new and it's called a red Rydberg blockade, where they create what is known as a photonic crystal, where you can make photons sort of bond with each other in a sort of way.â
See also: Creating heralded hyper-entangled photons using Rydberg atoms and Rydberg atoms in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres
Ben Burtt & the Sounds of Star Wars
âI think that one of the reasons that this has become such an iconic thing is in part due to the production design of it, and specifically the sound design of it. Ben Burtt was the sound designer, and he actually has said that the lightsaber sound was the very first thing that he worked on for the Star Wars universe, when the original trilogy was being done.â
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Canât get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly wonât want to miss our episode detailing how Starlightâs powers might work!
A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters now, and we took a look at how those aliens might have evolved their unique (and deadly) powers.
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When it comes to the A Quiet Place franchise we kept coming back to one big question: What are the biological factors that would allow these terrifying aliens who terrorize Earth to hunt via sound alone? The aliens, often referred to as âdark angelsâ in the films, have a number of distinct characteristics which will inform our questions.
For starters, they're blind but incredibly sensitive to sound, which gives them an instinct to kill everything that emits the slightest noise. They are also incredibly strong and fast and they possess armored skin which protects them from most kinds of weapons, including bombs and fire. The only ways to kill them (so far) are to drop them into deep water (since they canât swim) or by emitting high-frequency sound which causes the armor on their heads to open and expose their only vulnerable part: their ears.
In this episode we will dive into how this alien echolocation differs from what we see in animals native to our planet, and the environmental factors that might have contributed to how and why these creatures evolved as they did. And then there are all the story elements to consider, from the sound design (and lack thereof) of the films themselves, the question of childbirth in a world where uttering a sound can get you killed, and much more. Oh yeah, and then you might want to find out who from the film thought this movie should have been called Donât Fart. Itâs all fair game in Does it Fly? episode 12!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
This episode is FULL OF SPOILERS, donât say we didnât warn you! So, weâd recommend you watch both A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II. Keep in mind, we recorded this episode without having seen A Quiet Place Day One (in theaters now), so thereâs no spoilers for that film.
And if youâve seen the entire franchise and still need this creepy itch scratched, when watching A Quiet Place, Hakeem also thought about the 2018 film Bird Box (you can find it on Netflix) starring Sandra Bullock, where the threat is sight instead of soundâif you see the force extinguishing humans, you die. Itâs kind of creepy, but definitely a good horror watch before going to bed!
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
Echolocation
âLet's talk about the anatomy of these aliens... They are big and strong. Their limbs are incredibly long and at the end they have these claw-like hands... Their heads are made of these plates that open to reveal the fleshy parts underneath. But their exoskeleton and the plates on their head, those things are virtually impenetrable. So, in order to kill it, what they've discovered is, is that with the right high frequency pitch... The monster just freaks out all the plates, opens on his head, making it vulnerable, and then they can take it out.â
See also: Engaging Silence: Behind the Daring Sound of A Quiet Place
Hearing in Cockroaches, Spiders, Elephants and Other Animals
How Cockroaches Experience the World
âThere are some animals that use air movements [to listen]. One of my favorites is one of my least favorites⊠I was a kid in New Orleans. And if you live in New Orleans, especially in the 1970s, you have to deal with a monster even scarier than the one in this movie⊠They're called roaches.â
See also: Do Cockroaches have ears?
The Earthâs terminator Line
âThere's that ring that separates the light side from the dark side, what we call the terminator in astronomy. And at the terminator [on planets that do not rotate] there will always be incredibly strong winds. So you will need something like those big claw hands to just sit there against those winds.â
See also: The Moon's Terminator Line
Project Hail Mary
âAndy Weir, who wrote The Martian which then became a movie with Matt Damon, also wrote Project Hail Mary, which I don't want to give too much of it away, but⊠a big part of the book is trying to figure out and understand the aliens' background [and] the kind of world that they come from.â
How A Quiet Place Sound Designers Made Audiences Afraid of Their Own Noise
âEthan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, who were actually nominated for an Oscar for sound editing for the first film⊠said: âBy working on scary films as sound designers, we can become the puppet masters of the audience's emotions in an invisible way as opposed to the image. A great picture editor, Walter Marsh, had this wonderful saying along the lines of âimages come in through the front door, but sound comes in through the back doorâ.â
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Canât get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly wonât want to miss our episode detailing how Starlightâs powers might work!
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Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
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âTony Stark was able to build this in a cave, with a bunch of scraps!â
Yes, Jeff Bridgesâ Obadiah Stane is both furious and incredulous when he delivers that line in 2008âs blockbuster and zeitgeist-defining Iron Man movie. If weâre being real, weâve often wondered about that, as well. Never mind the less than ideal circumstances under which Tony Stark designed and built the power source for the Iron Man armor, not to mention its dual nature as a lifesaving device and an incredibly efficient fusion-type power generator. Oh, and then thereâs the fact that its basis is an entirely new element, known as palladium in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Yes, despite the MCUâs admirable commitment to internal consistency and logic, we admit that the ARC Reactor is a lot to swallow. But that doesnât mean we love it any less! And when we love something at Does it Fly? thatâs our cue to dig into both the science and story logic behind it to see if it fliesâŠjust like some repulsor-powered jet boots.
In this episode we look at everything from the elemental nature of the power source to the amount of force the reactor might constantly be generating (not to mention how that would function when surgically embedded in a human body) to the philosophical and ethical questions raised around superhero-level technology in the real world. Want to find out if Iron Man really flies? This episode is for you!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
At minimum, to understand this episode, you should probably have watched the first Iron Man (2008) movie, which is also the very first movie in what would later become known as the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe. Weâre assuming that if youâre on this page and youâve read this far, youâve already done that. But limiting us to that would be no fun at all, so Does it Fly? is proud to present (in the tradition of our Planet of the Apes saga complete and correct viewing order) the complete and official guide to Tony Starkâs entire saga on screen in the MCU.
If youâve never watched a single MCU flick and just want to follow Iron Manâs adventures, this is the way to do it in the correct order. We promise youâll see every imaginable use of the ARC Reactor by the end of it. And just for fun, weâre even including a guide to all the different ARC Reactors used in each of these films!
Iron Man (2008)
Palladium Arc Reactor Mark IPalladium Arc Reactor Mark IIIron Man 2 (2010)
Palladium Arc Reactor Mark IIIIvan Vankoâs Arc Reactor (Mark I Whiplash Armor)Ivan Vankoâs Arc Reactor (Mark II Whiplash Armor)The New Element Arc Reactor Mark I (this is also used in The Avengers)The Avengers (2012)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
The New Element Arc Reactor Mark IIAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
The New Element Arc Reactor Mark III (also seen in Captain America: Civil War)Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The New Element Arc Reactor Mark IVAvengers: Infinity War (2018)
The New Element Arc Reactor Mark VAvengers: Endgame (2019)
The New Element Arc Reactor Mark VIFURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
Tokamak Fusion Reactor
âAn ARC reactor is something that actually exists, we call it a tokamak reactor. It probably weighs thousands of tons, and theyâve barely solved the big problem of plasma crashes. These thingsâŠhave been in development for decades and theyâre notorious for these plasma instabilities. It must generate a plasma in order to generate fusionâŠâ
Deuterium
âThe issue is the byproducts, like radiation. Fusion has less radiation than fission does. But you still want to avoid as many byproducts as possible.â
See also: Tritium
Quantum Tunneling
âYou have to have a lot of energy, high intensity, and high temperature.â
See also: Net positive fusion and Cyclotron
âThe Intersection Between Genius and Accessâ
âItâs scientifically provenâŠthey used who gets a patent as the metric for scientific success. And guess who gets a patent? Those who in their childhood were exposed to patent-getters.â
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Canât get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly wonât want to miss our episode detailing how Starlightâs powers might work!
And in case you missed it, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes still in theaters, donât miss our deep dive into whether that movie series might be an unsettling depiction of our actual future!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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*Roddenberry Entertainment participates in affiliate programs and may receive a small commission for links on this page*
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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You wouldnât believe the number of potential topics surrounding Amazon Prime Videoâs The Boys that we discussed before settling on this oneâŠand that includes some that were absolutely (in the spirit of the show itself) NSFW. But ultimately, we decided to go with breaking down the secret of Starlightâs powers.
For those of you who might not know, Annie January, known as Starlight, is a member of The Seven, a group of superheroes funded and managed by Vought International. Generally speaking, Starlight is one of the only members of the Seven with selfless, benevolent motivations, but becomes disillusioned when she sees the dark secrets of Vought and her teammates. Starlight can fly and manipulate light. Her trademark power is electricity conversion: she can absorb the ambient electricity from her surroundings in order to fuel her powers which can often manifest as focused blasts of light from her hands. It is unclear if these blasts are made out of plasma or pure light energy. They can manifest as either heat, concussive force, or blinding light.
Why Starlight? Sheâs the most central character on the show with powers who also isnât morally reprehensible, for one thing. But more importantly, we felt her power set was the one that would provide the most interesting discussion points to start us off. We may get to some of your other problematic faves from The Boys in future episodes, so donât worry!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Ordinarily, weâd direct you to specific episodes of The Boys that deal heavily with Starlightâs powers and origin (similar to how we gave you episode recommendations in our episodes on Star Trekâs Transporter or Doctor Whoâs TARDIS). But since The Boys is so heavily serialized, and individual episodes might not make a ton of sense in a vacuum, you may as well watch the whole series. And if you havenât watched The Boys on Amazon Prime Video yet, just what the heck are you doing reading this? Go! And THEN watch our latest episode!
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
Oh, and before we get into the scientific concepts that help generate Starlightâs powers, you might already know that The Boys TV series was based on a comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darrick Robertson. The entire series has been collected in some handy omnibus editions, and itâs just different enough from its TV counterpart that you should check it out!
Electric Fields
âIn order to understand electric fields, thereâs a related thing called electric charge. The fundamental units of electric charge are found in matter. Those are electrons, which have negative electric charge and we use that as the standard of one unit of electric charge, and the protonâŠwhich has positive electric charge thatâs equal in magnitude to that of the electron which to me is a crazy coincidence because the electron is just one single thing but a proton is a composite system of quarks and gluons.â
See also: Straight Line Motion and Rotational MotionLight-Matter Interaction
âIf I have a wall, the light does not pass through it. So that means that the light is actually interacting with those atoms and those molecules in that wall and the light is being absorbed, itâs not making it out the other side. But if I have a window, which is also made of matter, but itâs transparent. But why is it transparent? Itâs because the matter, which is primarily the electrons, areâŠIâm going to use a word that isnât really appropriate but makes senseâŠIâm going to personify matterâŠthey choose not to interact.â
Ion Pumping
âEvery cell in your body has the ability to create an electric charge and just become a tiny little battery. They do this thing called ion pumping where they kick sodium and chlorine ions out of themselves. Ions have a positive electric charge so that leaves the cell interior with a negative electric charge. For example, the electric eel, when they want to generate their electric current, they take those ions back into themselves but then they do what a storm cloud does. What a storm cloud does to generate a lightning bolt is it separates the negative and positive charge in the cloudsâŠand the charge is going to flow and make a connection with the ground.â
See also: Electric EelsVirtual Particles
âThere is a mirror realm of fields and a mirror realm of particles. We exist and interact, weâre made up of real particles, real electrons and protons. Our electric fields are real electric fields. But then we discovered that there are so-called virtual particles that make up these fake virtual fields.â
See also: Higgs BosonWANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
The new era of Doctor Who is in full swing on Disney+ right now, so in case you missed it, now would be a great time to revisit our Who-centric episode about the TARDIS!
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
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Twitter: @Roddenberry
*Roddenberry Entertainment participates in affiliate programs and may receive a small commission for links on this page*
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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WaitâŠdonât we already have VR headsets? Not like the ones in Netflixâs 3 Body Problem, we donât! Weâre diving headfirst into one of the most talked about sci-fi TV hits of the year to unpack just how close to reality wearable tech like this showâs (dangerous) headset might be. Spend some time with us as we look at parallels with modern neurotechnology, and stick around to learn who Hakeem and Tamaraâs favorite scientists are. And what does Copernicus have to do with all this, anyway? All this and more in the latest episode of Does it Fly? now available everywhere.
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Weâre switching the order up this week, because, reallyâŠweâre assuming youâve already watched 3 Body Problem on Netflix. But just in case you havenâtâŠget going! Weâve already spoiled chunks of it for you!
Anyway, youâre lucky the viewing section is so light (compared to the massive amounts of homework we assigned for our Planet of the Apes episode last week) because thereâs some cool reading to go along with this weekâs episodeâŠ
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
If you enjoyed the show, youâll want to check out the books that itâs based on, known as the Remembrance of Earthâs Past trilogy Liu Cixin. Those books are The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Deathâs End. A perfect way to pass the time while you wait for future seasons of 3 Body Problem on Netflix!
Now as for the science end of thingsâŠ
Three-Body Problem (physics)
âWeâre not talking about that today!â (OK, fine, itâs the wrong three-body problem, but itâs still pretty cool, so check out the link.)
Neurotechnology
âThat [VR headset as seen in Netflixâs 3 Body Problem] falls under a somewhat mature now, but definitely super-active field of research and development called neurotechnology. These are brain-human interfaces that occur in numerous ways. And right now, theyâre being used mostly for good, not for planetary invasionâŠ.â
â...Thereâs basically three ways we can interface with the brain: magnetic fields, light, and magnetic resonance imaging [see also: MRI] The thing here is the wireless ones are all high resolution/large volume, but they donât have the same degree of specificity as the implants [see also: Neuralink]. So thatâs where we exist right now, where you can modulate brain activity. This is really good for paraplegics, where they have a system thatâs mounted on their skull [see also: BCI].
SQUID (superconducting quantum interface device)
âSquids are these amplifiers, or incredibly sensitive detectors. They can detect something like a single photon of very low energy.â
Copernicus
âBranded as a heretic for daring to suggest that the entire universe does not revolve around the Earth, but that the Earth revolves around the sun, which I think is a great metaphor for humanity, which is discovering that the Earth is not figuratively the center of the universe and that there are other folks out there.â
Rosalind Franklin
Winner of the inaugural Tamaraâs Favorite Scientist award on DiF! See also: The Harvard Computers
Ibn al-Haytham
Winner of the inaugural Hakeemâs Favorite Scientist award on DiF!
And hereâs some bonus reading for you that deals with the tech as it appears on the showâŠ
3 Body Problem's Headset Is Not the VR We Want â It's Our Worst Nightmare
3 Body Problemâs VR Tech Got a Big Glow-Up from the Books
3 Body Problem VR Headset Review: Magical Tech In Need Of More Apps
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
The new era of Doctor Who is in full swing on Disney+ right now, so in case you missed it, now would be a great time to revisit our Who-centric episode about the TARDIS!
And for everyone keeping up with Star Trek: Discovery every Thursday (as well as Trek fans of all kinds) we broke down the plausibility of the transporter right here.
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
Facebook: Roddenberry
Twitter: @Roddenberry
*Roddenberry Entertainment participates in affiliate programs and may receive a small commission for links on this page*
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
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What would it take for our future to look like the one depicted in the Planet of the Apes franchise?
We love it when one of our topics needs no introduction. Certainly, youâve seen at least one movie in the Planet of the Apes franchise, right? One of the most venerated film series in sci-fi history, and with good reason! So in this episode, weâre diving into the central question of the entire franchise: is it possible that apes will evolve far enough to match humans in intellect, reason, and more?
Hakeem will take you through the evolutionary and physiological questions posed by the franchise, as well as some compelling studies that indicate that some elements might just be possible. Tamara breaks down the central concept of ape evolution through the lens of three films in the franchise: the original classic Planet of the Apes (1968), Tim Burtonâs Planet of the Apes remake (2011), and series reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Get your bananas ready, because weâre (sorry) going ape this week!
Remember that you can join in on the conversation in the comments on our YouTube page, so be sure to like, subscribe, and come back for more!
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in todayâs episode? Here are a few recommendations!
Evolution
You canât discuss anything related to the Planet of the Apes franchise without first understanding the concept that human beings evolved from these relatives of ours. How far weâve come is another story.
Macaque Speech Experiment
âThe narrative my entire life has been that [primates] just donât have the physiology [for speech]...But it turns out [that macaques] do have all the physiological qualities necessary for speech. But what they donât have is the brain. If they had a human brain in their physiology, they would be speaking.â
Upright Walking
âLook at the ape behavior in Planet of the Apes. Clearly, itâs a brain change. If you think about it, thereâs really three different things. One, theyâre thinking like us using emotion and logic. Two, theyâre speaking. And three, theyâre walking upright, theyâre no longer knuckle-walkers. That last one to me is actually the most difficult one, because the research seems to show that if they have the brain change that weâve already had, and of course weâre relatives, then they could be speaking, being rational, and reasoning the same way we do. But how do you go from knuckle walker to upright walker? Thatâs another piece of recent research.â
La PlanĂšte des singes
You guessed it, this French novel by Pierre Boulle is better known as the source material for Planet of the Apes! Sometimes youâll find it under that title, other times as Monkey Planet. Either way, itâs not the exact same story as the film, and features its own twist ending.
SUGGESTED VIEWING
The Planet of the Apes franchise is VAST and might seem a little intimidating to folks who arenât familiar with it yet. But for the purposes of whatâs discussed in this episode, all you need to watch is Planet of the Apes (the original 1968 classic starring Charlton Heston), the 2001 remake directed by Tim Burton and starring Mark Wahlberg (which is better than youâve probably heard, but isnât the most essential entry), and 2011âs Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which serves as both a reboot of and prequel to the original series of filmsâŠand whose sequels lead directly up to this summerâs Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (in theaters now).
However, for those of you who want to go ape (sorry, sorry, weâre trying to delete it) on the Planet of the Apes franchise, hereâs the official Does it Fly? approved viewing order. As a general rule, we firmly believe in watching things in the order they were released, rather than where they take place on the timeline. The franchise begins with five films:
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
These original five movies range from genuine classics (the first is one of the great sci-fi films of all time) to cult flicks that are still absolutely worth your time. Less essential, but still cool for completists, is the 1973-1974 Planet of the Apes TV series, which seems to take place earlier in the timeline than the original films but may or may not be canon. This was followed by an animated series, Return to the Planet of the Apes, which might take place further in the future than Battle for the Planet of the Apes, but in all likelihood isnât canon at all. Similarly, the 2011 Tim Burton Planet of the Apes movie is a completely different timeline/story, so you can ignore it if you wish (well, except to understand the stuff that we discuss in this episode).
Then thereâs the modern series, which could be watched as prequels to the original films, but are really just the start of a brand new franchise. Theyâre all good, but both Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes (both directed by Matt Reeves of The Batman fame) are two of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st Century. The order is as followsâŠ
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Get watching!
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
The new era of Doctor Who is in full swing on Disney+ right now, so in case you missed it, now would be a great time to revisit our Who-centric episode about the TARDIS!
And for everyone keeping up with Star Trek: Discovery every Thursday (as well as Trek fans of all kinds) we broke down the plausibility of the transporter right here.
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
And donât forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
Facebook: Roddenberry
Twitter: @Roddenberry
*Roddenberry Entertainment participates in affiliate programs and may receive a small commission for links on this page*
For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]
âYou maniacs! You blew it up!â
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