The Telescope Show

The Realm Makers' Writer's Convention and Fan Expo are premier events for Christians writing in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Speculative Fiction genres. On this episode, we discuss the guests and content one can find at these world-class events.  www.realmmakers.com Support Nerdy Folks:  Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks  

Scott Minor and his wife founded the Realm Makers Writer's Conference, which is now one of the premier events in the country for Christians who are writing sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction. Now, they have added a fan expo with a full lineup of incredible guests. It's all happening on July 18-20th, 2025 in Grand Rapids Michigan. Tickets and information can be found at www.realmmakers.com  Would you consider supporting Nerdy Folks? Here are ways to get in touch and to give:  Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks  

Who's your favorite X-Men character? Regardless of who your favorite is, we all know the X-Men are at their best when they work as a team. On this episode of the show, we talk about X-Men 97 and highlight the fact that Jesus doesn't just want us to be friends with God, He wants us to be team-mates. 

Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman is the most recent offering from Marvel Animation. It's an action-packed take on one of the most recognized and loved superheros of all time. on to individuals in need mirror's Jesus care for us as individuals. We look at a scripture from the book of John where Jesus clearly says that he is the good shepherd who knows his sheep.  Spider Web Story:  https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/scientists-develop-web-shooters-tech-inspired-by-spider-man/ Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks  

Matt talks about Captain America: Brave New World and about friendship. Do you need a friend? Jesus describes Himself as our friend. Though God is much more than a friend, it is a scriptural way to think about the Lord, which can be very liberating and exciting! Throughout Captain America 4, the friendship stand out memorable and impactful. 

We discuss the finale of Star Wars Skeleton Crew. SM33 was a standout character from the show. Star Wars fans love their droids! Many of the droids we know and love owe their existence to the influence of Isaac Asimov who revolutionized the genre with iRobot. We also talk about upcoming projects from Marvel and Star Wars. 

On this episode, we discuss the first trailers for the new Superman movie and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which is really hit its' stride in episode five. Matt is cautiously optimistic about Superman and has lots of questionf about Skeleton Crew. Will Jod end up a hero or a villian? Will the kids' parents be able to reach them before the pirates do? At the heart of the episode is a discussion about why we love to love and to hate heroes and about who is the ultimate hero. 

The Star Wars fandom seems to be uniting around Skeleton Crew. The show has been described as Goonies in space and blends together a nice confection of nostalgia and lazer-popping fun. We share some of our favorite pre-teen adventures and our predictions for where Skeleton Crew is heading.

This episode weaves together interviews with students who attended MN Youth Convention with thoughts on the recent Apple TV series Time Bandits. Thanks for everyone who stopped by our booth and shared!

Matt and Katie discuss the Rings of Power finale, dividing their thoughts between the Rotten Tomatoes categories of rotten and fresh. They also answer one of life's deepest questions. Which Middle Earth character would do our jobs? It's an episode as thrilling as the Rings of Power finale, if you removed the epic battles, clash between good and evil and state of the art special effects. 

On this episode we get an update about War of the Rohirim and the MCU before diving into our main discussion about Rings of Power Season 2. We talk about themes of integrity and optimism in Tolkeins work. Despite many of his stories being tragic, there is a faith in ultimate good that undergirds Tokein's Middle Earth. 

Sauron continues to weave his web of deception as he claws for more and more power. The Rings of Power work their magic, both for good and ill, and the good guys lean on the power of true friendship. 

We are back from a podcasting break, and we are discussing Rings of Power season 2 episodes 1-4. The slow buildup of season 1 is really starting to pay off. Season two pays off the slow, world-building approach of season 1 with losts of action and a plot that moves along much more swiftly. We discuss the ambitions of Sauron and of Nori the Harfoot and much more. 

The Acolyte finale has come and gone. Now what? Is the introduction of Darth Plagueous enough to warrent a second season? 

This week is all about episode 7 of the Acolyte. It's all leading up to an exciting finale next week! 

On this episode of our series on the Acolyte, Matt and Katie discuss episodes 5 and 6, which were shocking, tense and full of ominous foreboding. Were there romantic undertones in episode 6? Is dating someone aspiring to be a sith lord a good idea? Listen and find out! We also share some new new for Amazon's Rings of Power with premiers on August 29th. 

On this episode of Nerdy Folks Podcast Matt discusses the fith episode of the Acolyte! It's a mostly spoiler-free episode with some predictions thrown in. 

Can episode 4 of the Acolyte set troubled fans' minds at ease? Matt and Katie make the case that episode 4 was very enjoyable, even if there was no fight scene with a wookee jedi. We discuss the power of facing our past in order to move into the future without repeating our mistakes or the mistakes of our family of origin. 

Matt and Katie have fun sharing some wierd news and talking about the Acolyte Episode 3. Did the Acolyte just retcon some important Star Wars Lore? Or is that only one point of view? 

Episodes 1 & 2 of Star Wars the Acolyte have landed! Matt shares his thoughts on these exquisite entries into the Star Wars cannon. We also talk about some LOTR news and about how haveing a robotic sidekick is the truest sign of being a great hero in the Star Wars Universe. 

Matt and Katie continue their discussion about Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. This week's episode was on chapter 3. Frodo encounters a Ring Wraith and finds some good hope as well. We also talk about Katie's fear of spiders and about how the elf Gildor's name sounds a lot like a city in The Princess Bride.   

Matt and Katie begin the Epic journey of reading Lord of the Rings! This week they discuss chapter one. Check out the online discussion in the Nerdy Folks Facebook Group!  https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks  

On this episode, Matt and Katie discuss all the Star Wars Tabletop games by Atomic Mass. They also discuss The Acolyte, which is set to release in June of 2024. Matt and Katie each choose three Star Wars Characters to face off in an imaginare battle that could conceivably be had inside one of these games.  https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks

On this episode, Katie is back! Matt gives the D.L. on Warhammer and a new Warhammer Series that is currently in development and set to star Henry Cavill. There is also another interveiw from Adepticon in Chicago who is a memer of the Tundra Tactics Warhammer Team. 

We traveled to Adepticon in Chicago Illinois and connected with the Dever 40K Wolfpack! The guys were playing Warhammer at the convention and were gracious enough to share their homebrewed approach to Warhammer, which involves integrating on going storylines into the gameplay. Matt also talks about the rebirth of Hero Quest, a tabletop RPG from the 90s that found massive success on kickstarter in 2021. 

Matt caught up with his old friend Jeremy Owen at Adepticon. Jeremy is an experienced competitive tabletop gamer with a lot of insight into the culture of tabletop war games. Adepticon is the San Diego Comic Con of the table top world. It was a blast to get to hang out at the event! 

Matt discusses the video games of 2024 and about his figure skating debut, which really just amounts to skating circles around the ice with his daughter. What's your favorite game of the year so far? 

Matt and Ethan disucss video games as a medium for story telling. They also talk old school arcade games, the benefits of gaming, share some stories of years gone by and talk about how Jesus used story telling as an incredile way to teach. 

Video games are amazing vehicles for storytelling, and now, many of these stories are being adapted for the big and small screen. Matt, Katie and Ethan have some fun on this episode tring to guess the names of some of these games based on their description. How many can you guess? 

Matt and Ethan discuss flying bugs in Helldivers. They also go through a list of the top grossing games of all time including Mario Cart, Tetris, PUGB, the Witcher 3, Overwatch, Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft. Finally, they discuss the possibility that life is just a Virtual Reality.

Matthew and guest co-host Ethan kick off a new series on gaming! They share their personal history with gaming and wax nostalgic about playing on an old-school PC and Sega. They also discuss current games like the Hell Divers, which took the gaming world by storm this year. 

On this episode, we discuss some of the best hero and villain matchups. We also dive into some movie and TV news for Dune, Marvel, Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Alita Battle Angel. Finally, we hit the idea that villains often become the catalysts for heroes to rise up. Similarly, adversity can grow us in amazing ways if we let it.    Movie News Marvel Releases     1. "X-Men '97" (March 20)     2. "Deadpool & Wolverine" (July 26)     3. "Agatha" (Fall 2024)     4. "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" (2024) - animated 2. Dune 2 is out 3. Rings of Power season2 - Maybe summer 4. Star Wars - 2024     1. Star Wars Skeleton Crew TV Series (2024)     2. Star Wars: The Acolyte TV Series (2024)     3. Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 (2024)     4. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2024)     5. Star Wars: Andor Season 2 (2025/Possibly 2024) Movieweb.com article: https://movieweb.com/iconic-hero-villain-pairing/#peter-pan-and-captain-hook Peter Pan and Captain Hook Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty Neo and Agent Smith Batman and the Joker Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader Jim and Dwight - Screen Rant Article https://screenrant.com/best-hero-villain-dynamic-characters-ranked/#jim-halpert-and-dwight-schrute Mark 16:33 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

They all involve teamwork! This week Matt and Katie talk about teams and why you need them in your life. They also recap Marvel's Fantastic Four announcement, discuss Sony's Spiderverse and specu

Matt and Katie continue their discussion on The Marvels on and discuss our fascination with villains on this episode. You'll also get to hear our facebook community share who their favorite villains are and why.  Matt and Katie read from the Offical DCU Encyclopedia and try to guess if less known heroes are heroes or villains. 

On this episode of the show, we share our thought on the latest MCU movie the Marvels. We also share some of your responses to the question of what makes a great hero. Chat GPT makes into and even ranks the conversation. We share some ways we can all be heros and even dig into an official Marvel character guide to discover some unsung heroes who will probably never make it to the silver screen. If you're a fan of the Great Lakes Avengers, check this episode out!

We had the priviledge of recording this live episode of the podcast at Edge Church in January of 2024! The episode kicks off our series about heroes! We talk about Marvel, DC, Superpowers, Superheroes and we pay special attention to Captain America. We had fun playing "would you rather" with audience members and interacting with everyone. 

Matt and Katie discuss how Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny relates to using our time to the fullest. Realizing that our time is limited can be an amazing source of wisdom if we let it. 

On this episode, Matt and Katie discuss time machines. The DeLaurian, Tardis, and Time Map are just a few of the great time machines we encounter in our favorite sci-fi flicks. We also hear an interview from Twin Cities Convention about time travel. Let us know in the comments what your favorite mode of time travel is! 

Einstein's theory of general relativity showed that different observers experience time differently! This theory has real-world implications. No matter how we each experience time, the amount of time we have is limited. Therefore, be thankful and make the most of it. 

This is the second episode in a series on time. For this episode Matt and katie discuss Loki choosing to continuously loop back in time in order to save his friends and the multiverse. Matt and Katie also discuss getting stuck in loops or patterns of behavior and thinking and about how the self-sacrifice of Jesus can disrupt those negative patterns. 

Nerdy Folks was recently at Twin Cities Con! We had a blast meeting people and taking in the offerings at this amazing convention in Minneapolis, MN. We kicked off this new series on time by interview folks about where they would go if they could travel to the future, to the past and anywhere in time on a one-way ticket! Here the article Matt references about types of time travel:  https://www.almostanauthor.com/the-eight-types-of-time-travel/  

The traditional view of what aliens are holds that aliens are simply other forms of sentient life that evolved elsewhere and have traveled through space to reach us. Other theories do exist, including the idea that aliens might be from another dimension. Many cultures belief systems, including Christianity, believe there is an unseen spiritual dimension to our everyday physical reality. Could aliens be from or be connected to a spiritual reality? On this episode, Matt and Katie discuss this idea from their point of view. At one point, Matt mentions a book he read without giving the title. The book is called Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men. 

Matt and katie discuss two famous Alien Abduction stories. The Barney and Betty Hill case and the case of Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson both made a splash in the media and brought alien abduction into the national zeigeist. Matt and Katie also listen to a story told by one of Matt's youth group students and  try to guess if the story is proportedly true or completely fictionalized. How does all this tie into memories of our birth. Listen and find out!

Why do we assume that aliens would show up and annihilate us? Maybe aliens would take pitty on us and actually help us.   Conflicts around the world: Crisis Group International: https://www.crisisgroup.org/visual-explainers/10-conflicts-2023/   Global Conflict Tracker: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker   Geneva Academy: https://geneva-academy.ch/galleries/today-s-armed-conflicts  

Is the U.S. Government in possession of alien technology? Are products we use everyday the result of secret programs working to reverse engineer that alien tech? These are real question being asked by members of congress and by faculty at Harvard university.  Harvard Professor Story:  https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/avi-loeb-harvard-professor-alien-technology-fragments/ Congressional Hearing https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-house-oversight-committee-probes-ufos-and-wider-implications

NASA has an alien Czar. Congress holds a public hearing on UAP sightings. Aliens have been a stable of sci-fi for decade, but it appears that aliens have gone mainstream. Matt and Katie also share 8 noteable alien encounters from a list courated by Chat GPT, who may or may not be an alien intellegence.   Whether or not aliens are out there, many of us and perhaps all of us feel lonly and alien at times. How do we handle periods of lonliness? 

The Telescope Show is now the Nerdy Folks Podcast! We are so excited to be back after a summer hiatus and rebrand! We are kicking off this new season with a series on aliens. This preview offers a taste of what is to come. 

Nick Fure engages in a personal war against a Skrull faction threatening earth, and Matt and Katie are so excited to watch it all go down! They share their thoughts and even make a few predictions. Reminder: this is the final episode before our summer hiatus. By the end of summer the podcast will be rebranded as the Nerdy Folks Podcast!