Exolore: facts-based fictional worldbuilding

In this episode, Nick Perron, host of the Tabletopped podcast, joins Moiya to imagine a world banded with "time rate zones." They explore gravitational time dilation, x-ray protection, tops vs. bottoms, black hole myths, and mob mentality. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Nick Perron is an actor, writer, and host of the Tabletopped podcast. You can fin...

Please enjoy this disruption to the normal Exolore feed! Exolore is a member of Multitude, an independent podcast collective. Together, all of the Multitude hosts make a friendly debate show called Head, Heart, Gut . This episode is a little taste of that show. Welcome to Head Heart Gut, where the Multitude hosts argue about the best things using our head, our heart and our gut. This is a supercut...

It's hard to build a world without thinking about politics. Who has power, what can they do with it, and what happens when political ties turn sour? Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy is here to answer all of my questions about what makes a government. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy is a political scientist, data scientist, professor, circus...

What if Earth was ruled by amphibians instead of gross hairy mammals like us? Roxy Valdez joins me in this week's episode to explain how they answered that very question with the Amphiterra Project. It's a ribbit ing good time! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Roxy Valdez is an illustrator and designer who created the amazing Amphiterra Project . You c...

A sociologist, a biologist, and an astrophysicist walk into a zoom room and discuss what it would be like if everyone had three parents. Here's a hint: it gets complicated real fast. We discuss speculative science, the difficulty of large collaborations, mating types, and ~bedroom activity~ HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Dr. Tamara van der Does is a...

Are you working on a novel and getting a little stuck? Well this episode is all about a software program that can help you through the process, created by fantasy novel writer who knows where all the roadblocks are. Katja Kaine joins me to share her writing tips and describe how she came to build The Novel Factory. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Katj...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer absolutely changed my life, and I know it impacted countless others as well. Sally Tamarkin joins me to talk about what we love and.... don't love about the worldbuilding in this beloved franchise. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Sally Tamarkin is a writer, podcaster, and sensitivity reader who has lots of thoughts on Buffy. C...

Mauricio Garcia tells me all about how perfumes and scents are made. We talk about surprising scent origins, sustainable perfumery, how perfumes match body chemistry, and the ways that smells connect us to other worlds. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Mauricio Garcia is a perfumer and aromatherapist. You can follow his amazing work and check out his d...

A herpetologist and a conservationist join me to imagine life on a rainforest world. We decide it's run by a race of flying fish lizards who love community and pay for things with a toxic fruit. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Chelsea Connor is a herpetologist, birder, artist, and science communicator who shares a love of lizards with #DidYouAnole . Y...

Amanda McLoughin, CEO of Multitude Productions, tells me all about how to build a business from picking a name, to establishing a fair and ethical office culture. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Amanda McLoughlin is a podcaster, entrepreneur, and Forbes media luminary. You can follow her on twitter at @shessomickey and learn about the company she buil...

Mike Schubert joins me to determine the best world we've built on Exolore. Direct any complaints or disagreements to Brandon Grugle. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Mike Schubert is a professional podcaster with a background in engineering. You can hear his voice on his five wildly successful podcasts including Potterless and The Newest Olympian. Foll...

Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein joins me to imagine different universes from scratch. What if the quark was more massive? What if the strong nuclear force wasn't so strong? It turns out the universe is a fascinating and delicate balance. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a theoretical cosmologist, professor, speaker, activis...

Where does the one power come from? Who can use it? Did Robert Jordan mean to have so many references to Irish folklore in his books? Professional TV critic Meghan O'Keefe joins me to answer these questions and so many more about the fantasy series Wheel of Time! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Meghan O'Keefe is a professional TV critic, writer for De...

This week I'm joined by Jess Khoury, a writer and fantasy cartographer, to discuss fictional mapmaking. We talk about how mountains don't bend and rivers don't split, the logic behind human settlements, and how to name your places. Plus, there are dogs. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Jessica Khoury is an author and fantasy cartographer who makes beau...

Globally, cosplay is a multi-billion dollar industry. But what is it? How does one choose or make their cosplays? Guest Emilee is here to share her experience with us! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Emilee is a cosplayer who goes by the name Our Shield Maiden. You can visit her website ourshieldmaiden.com and follow her on socials at @ourshieldmaiden...

Are we in the Matrix? Is Zion in the Matrix?! Is Matrix: Resurrections a sequel or a reboot? How many messages can you fit into one movie? So many questions in this episode, and a special guest to help us answer them. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Mischa Stanton is an audio editing wizard and multi-media storyteller. You can follow them on twitter a...

This week we're imagining the life on a thick atmosphere world. We talk echolocation, cascadian black metal music, vision priorities, bat worship, acoustemology, singing dream sentinels. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Dr. Kristen Lear is a bat conservationist, If/Then Ambassador, and National Geographic explorer! You can follower her on twitter at @...

You asked, I answered! We talk moon formation, grad school tips, my favorite dinosaurs, the ethics and logistics of terraforming planets, and so much more! Happy New Year, Exolorians! Every one of these sentences ends in an exclamation point! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS William Corbett is the future Mr. Dr. Moiya. He's not really online MIDBREAK...

This week we're building the environment of a world with a thick atmosphere. We talk atmospheric escape, sound speeds, banana rocks, and loads more. Don't forget to submit your questions for the upcoming AMA episode here: https://forms.gle/E3QUDWX6WGojwhHb7 HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Shreyas Vissapragada is a PhD student at CalTech studying plan...

Two friends join me to discuss the worldbuilding of the Stargate franchise! We talk about bromances, ancient languages, and the military industrial complex. There's a blood sacrifice and a twist ending! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Dr. Rob Frawley is a biologist and co-host of the excellent podcast, Facts Machine . You can follow Rob on twitter at...

Two friends join me to discuss the worldbuilding of the Stargate franchise! We talk about scientific notation, infectious disease protocols, ancient aliens, and the military industrial complex. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Dr. Rob Frawley is a biologist and co-host of the excellent podcast, Facts Machine . You can follow Rob on twitter at @Sweater...

Malorie Cooper invented Aeon 14, an epic sci-fi universe spanning 7,000 years; 50,000 lightyears; and over 100 books! Malorie and I talked about her sci-fi inspirations, astronomical geography, her favorite storylines, liberated futures, and how it's possible to write 100 books in 10 years. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Malorie Cooper is a NYT bests...

How might life be different on a planet without a magnetic field? I'm joined by an evolutionary biologist and a natural navigator to find out! Buy tickets to the live Exolore recording here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exolore-live-worldbuilding-of-stargate-tickets-172936366327 HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Dr. Emeline Favreau is an evolutionary b...

What does it take to build a fictional culture from scratch? How can you respectfully draw inspiration from real-world cultures? Two anthropologists join me to share their tips! Buy your tickets for the live show on November 2 here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exolore-live-worldbuilding-of-stargate-tickets-172936366327 HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier ( @GoAstroMo ), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST...

Comic artist and game developer, Lindsay Ishihiro, joins me to talk about the thoughtful worldbuilding that went into the simulator game, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist. There are mushroom trees, inclusive romances, and five fascinating seasons. We also talk about the importance of hiring sensitivity readers, so here's a directory (just one of many) where you can find people to help make your creativ...