Science or Fiction?

Science or Fiction is a podcast in which James Smythe, an author and sci-fi fan based in Cardiff, discusses some of his favourite science fiction movies and TV shows with a panel of real-life scientists (including me!). We began recording Science or Fiction in December, as part of a new website called Channelzine.

In Science or Fiction we are not out to debunk the science in sci-fi, but rather to have fun exploring the ideas used and talk about how realistic – or not – we think these ideas are. If the plot involves shrinking a man to miniscule sizes, then we’ll try to think how that could be done. If it involves a black hole that leads to hell, then we’ll give that a go too! Everything we discuss is ultimately given a ‘science quotient’, which is a percentage rating on how scientific we find it.

There have been four episodes so far, with more being recording this week. To date we have discussed Minority Report, InnerSpace, Event Horizon and Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog. Star Trek, BSG, Independence Day, Alien and various other classic movies, books and TV shows are scheduled for recording in the next few months.

Science or Fiction can be found on iTunes, Twitter and Facebook. The Channelzine website will gradually grow over the course of 2009 into a new online media channel/magazine.