CUNY TV's Science Goes to the Movies

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Will today's sci-fi fantasies become tomorrow’s science realities? Top working scientists review popular movies, resulting in lively and informative conversations about what science is happening now, what science is heading towards us in the future, and what’s just fun fiction. Faith Salie is a tele…

CUNY TV


    • May 19, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 106 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from CUNY TV's Science Goes to the Movies

    Can Star Trek's "Enterprise" Really Hide in a Brown Dwarf?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 26:42


    Lisa Beth Kovetz & Emily Rice of CUNY's Macaulay Honors College dig into black holes, brown dwarfs and Star Trek's "Strange New Worlds!"

    Infotainment and The Weather

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 26:44


    In the climate-change allegory, "Don't Look Up" the media failed to report the reality of an oncoming comet. Are we doing the same with our ever wilder weather? CUNY's Prof. Jimmy Booth; CUNY Alums Dr. Veeshan Narinesingh and Joe Rao weigh in.

    Kingsborough ChefMark D'Alessandro Discusses The Bear

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 26:43


    Prof. and Chef, Mark D'Alessando, Dir. of Culinary Arts, at CUNY's Kingsborough Community College joins us to talk about Hulu's "The Bear," why the science of baking can become so obsessive, and why community colleges have the best culinary arts degree.

    chefs bear prof hulu cuny culinary arts kingsborough community college
    The Intelligent Empathy of Dolphins with Prof. Diana Reiss

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2023 26:45


    Dolphins are often as creative and personable in real life as they are on the screen. Author and Prof. Diana Reiss Director of the Animal Behavior and Conservation Program at CUNY's own Hunter College joins us to explain why

    "The Gilded Age" and Archeological Discoveries in NYC"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2023 26:45


    HBO's "The Guided Age" details NYC's antique, ultra-rich, without giving much thought to the city that made it possible. Joining us to talk about what lies under our city, is triple CUNY alumna Alyssa Loorya of Chrysalis Archaeological Consultants.

    Gifted Children and other Superheroes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 26:43


    Author and UConn Prof. Betsy McCoach joins us in a discussion about "Raising Dion" and gifted children.

    Mistakes of the Jedi - Revenge Of The Shrinks

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 26:45


    Dr. Robin Rosenberg, The Clinical Psychologist Who Wrote Your College Text Book, “Abnormal Psychology,” And The Uber-Editor Of The Oxford University Press, “Superhero” Series Discusses Anakin Skywalker And Attachment Disorders.

    The Truth and Fictions of Past and Current HIV Cures

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2022 26:45


    How have attitudes and treatments for HIV changed over the decades? CUNY Prof. Denis Nash discusses past & current HIV treatment and cures and the circa 1980 attitudes of "It's A Sin" (BBC) versus the realities of Jared Frieder's 2022 film "Three Months"

    Failure and Ignorance and Murder Mysteries!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2022 26:45


    Dr. Stuart Firestein, Columbia U. neuroscientist, author of “Ignorance” and “Failure” joins us to discuss to compare and contrast murder mysteries with the public perception of how science gets done!

    failure ignorance murder mysteries columbia u stuart firestein
    Author Wendy Suzuki discusses Dune's “Litany Against Fear"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2022 26:45


    Fans of Frank Herbert's “Dune” know “The Litany Against Fear” by heart and repeat to themselves in times of strife. To talk about other things you might do in a stressful situation, we spoke to neuroscientist, Wendy Suzuki, author of “Good Anxiety.”

    What's Going On In Your Dog's Mind? HouseBroken and The Thin

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2022 26:45


    In “HouseBroken,” Lisa Kudo's poodle, “Honey” psychoanalyzes the pups who come to her couch for group therapy. At the Hunter Thinking Dog Center, Sarah Elizabeth Byosiere studies the behavior and cognition of domestic dogs.

    dogs thin housebroken
    Hank Zipzer, Henry Winkler and the Neuroscience of Dyslexia

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 26:44


    Author/Actor Henry Winkler and neuroscientist Dr. Sally Shaywitz (Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity) discuss the underlying causes of dyslexia through the lens of the BBC TV series, “Hank Zipzer,” based on Winkler's semi-autobiographical novels.

    Authors of "30 Second Space Travel" discuss The Expense

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2022 26:45


    On the next Science goes to the Movies, we're looking at the science of the Expanse with Charles Liu, Karen Masters and Allen Lui, three astrophysics who wrote the book on the key ideas, inventions, and destinations that inspired Space Travel.

    Dune's Ornithopters and How Real Dragonflies Fly with Prof.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2022 26:46


    In the movie “Dune” the Ornithopters move like real dragonflies, but could a machine that size and weight ever really move like that? Our guest, Prof. Jane Wang of Cornell's Department and Physics and Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering explains.

    “Free Guy” Meets Real A.I.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2021 26:47


    In the fun flick “Free Guy” Ryan Reynolds plays a bit of intelligent computer code that achieves sentience, SORT OF. CUNY Prof. Anita Raja explains the real life limits of machine learning and what parts of Blue Shirt Guy could actually be true.

    “The Aeronauts” and Measuring Real Climate Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2021 26:45


    In the 1860's people believed the weather was too chaotic to ever be predicted, but today our smart phones update weather conditions to the hour. CUNY's own Dr. James Booth discusses the film “The Aeronauts,” meteorology, and our changing climate.

    Genetics and the "Next 500 Years" with Dr. Chris Mason

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2021 26:45


    In X-Men or Jupiter's Legacy, genetically altered superheroes push the limits of human biology to save the world. IRL, geneticist, Dr. Christopher E. Mason, thinks we should alter our biological limits to save our species.

    “Forgiveness and “Uncle Frank” with Dr .Mark D'Agostino

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2021 26:46


    In the movie, "Uncle Frank" after years of psychic abuse both large and small the titular Uncle Frank finds it in his heart to forgive his family. And that's great for a movie. But how does it translate to real life?

    Robotic Surgery!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2021 26:47


    When the 2-DASH-1B surgical robot attached Luke Skywalker’s new arm, our collective creative minds were blown, and visions of autonomous robotic surgery begin appearing across the sci fi spectrum! A look what’s happening in real robotic surgery!

    Dystopian Worlds and the Game Stop Short Sale

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2021 26:46


    SciFi money is either the utopian “plenty for all” or worlds of shortages and the very, very powerful crushing everyone else. With that in mind we're look at the GME Short Sale that became a short squeeze for some wealthy hedge fund investors.

    Vinod Menon Explains Real and Fictional Programmable Matter

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2021 25:12


    One of Star Trek: Discovery’’s most exciting, fictional advancement is something called “programmable matter," and in real life at the City University of New York, Prof Vinod Menon one of our favorite guests - is working on making it so!

    Dr. Charles Liu Explains the Real and Fictional Multiverse

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2021 26:36


    CUNY's own Dr. Charles Liu discusses the difference and overlaps between the scientific/ mathematical concept of the multi-verse, and the pop-culture/art vision of the multi-verse.

    Medicine on Star Trek and Drinking in Westeros

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2021 25:55


    Two fantasy extremes are quickly becoming a part of our IRL culture: Medicine in Star Trek - Drinking Westeros! in Dr. Mark D’Agostino (Co-Founder) and Bluestone Psychiatry moved their practice to telemedicine long before the quarantine hit

    How Dark Were The Dark Ages? A look at "The Clock and TheCamshaft

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2020 25:35


    Were most people in the European Middle Ages really as stupid as Daniel Radcliffe’s Miracle Workers character Prince Chauncley? In his new book "The Clock and the Camshaft” Forbes writer, John W. Farrell delves into Dark Ages ingenuity.

    Birdbox and Real Blindness with Holly Bonner

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 26:44


    Remember back, when everyone was taking the “Bird Box Challenge” trying to do complex tasks while blindfolded and sometimes alone. Well, fast forward to the Covid 19 quarantine and that fiction is the real-life experience of today’s guest.

    What Movies and TV Get Wrong About Lawyers and the Law

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 26:40


    CUNY Law Prof., Natalie Chin and working family attorney, Ellyn J. Stein join us to confront misconceptions about the role of real lawyers with a special look at the role of lawyers in social justice movements

    "93 Days" & "Contagion" Real and Fictional Virus Wars

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2020 26:44


    On this episode we look at the very moving Steven Gukas film “93 Days,” plus Steven Sodderburgh’s startlingly prescient film “Contagion.” Our guest is Dr. Mark Siddall of the AMNH, curator of the Disease Eradication Exhibition, “Countdown To Zero.”

    Warp Drive

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2020 26:28


    We’re looking at how two versions of Star Trek starships engines address speed of light limitations as they cross the universe with Dr. Ethan Siegel, theoretical astrophysicist and author.

    Genetics and The Incredible Hulk

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2020 26:46


    CUNY’s own Prof. Sebastian Alvarado (Queens College) is back with a look at the Incredible Hulk -- plus real scientists taking the form of superheroes – and one old economist who might be kind of a supervillain.

    Quarantine!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2020 26:28


    In this episode, front line, emergency room doctor Larry Wells joins us via Zoom to discuss proper use and fit of protective masks, how and when to wear gloves, and which symptoms should get you going directly to the ER.

    A look at Lulu Wang’s, “The Farewell”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2020 26:25


    A look at Lulu Wang’s, “The Farewell” with CUNY's own Dr. Elsie Jolade, Clinical Professor and Coordinator, at Hunter-Belleview School of Nursing.

    The Current War

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2020 26:46


    Prof. Damian Sciano joins us to explain what Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse were really fighting over in the movie, “The Current War” and why that old battle still matters to us today.

    Ford v Ferrari

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2020 26:30


    Clement E. Drummond, Director of Automotive Technology from CUNY’s Bronx Community College explains the cars, the engines, and the speed of the GT40 as seen in the film, “Ford versus Ferrari.”

    Super Soldier Serum

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2020 26:37


    Professor Sebastian Alvarado of the City University of New York wrote an excellent book called “The Science of Marvel” and we got him to come on the show to explain how we too can make Super Soldier Serum -- maybe.

    “Midnight in Chernobyl”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2020 26:46


    Adam Higginbotham’s new book, “Midnight in Chernobyl” is a shortlist finalist for the Carnegie Medal -- and for good reason.

    John Wick Gets Bullets Right (mostly)!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2019 26:45


    John Wick Gets Bullets Right (mostly)!

    The Science of "Rick and Morty"

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2019 26:32


    The Science of Rick and Morty” – because some of Rick’s science is kind of-sort of real-ish.

    How Technology Changed Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2019 26:34


    Did technology change music? Of course it did. In his book, “Capturing Sound How Technology has changed Music” Prof. Katz considers the changes that occurred when technology invaded music.

    How Does an Elephant – Or a Space Ship – Fly?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2019 26:25


    In the world of Disney logic, the little elephant Dumbo can fly because he has very large ears. We’ve invited a NASA Engineer to explain what it would take to get that elephant into the air and when we can expect our jet packs to arrive.

    How Did Voldemort Get So Evil?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2019 26:39


    The vile Lord Voldemort was once a poor, lonely orphan. But then, so was Harry Potter. So, what happened? NYU Langone Psychiatrist Dr. Karen Rosenbaum talks sociopaths and Lord Voldemort this week on Science Goes to the Movies.

    Autonomous Navigating and the Alien Robot Invasion

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2019 26:13


    In “Transformers,” Decepticons come to Earth and stomp across our planet like they own it. But don’t worry – in real life it takes a lot of work just to teach a robot not to smash itself into a tree.

    Screaming at the Screen: Physics Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2019 26:45


    Sometimes science has to bend a little to make the plot of a movie work better and we don’t want to criticize those choices, but we do want to make fun of them.

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