Fiction Science

Douglas Preston, author of a techno-thriller titled "Extinction," talks about his fictional murder mystery as well as his concerns about the real-world quest to revive the woolly mammoth and other extinct species.

Pete Worden, chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, talks about the real-world search for extraterrestrial civilizations and how it's different from Netflix's "3 Body Problem" series.

Nathaniel Rich, author of "Second Nature," "Losing Earth" and the sci-fi novel "Odds Against Tomorrow," discusses the state of contemporary fiction with Fiction Science co-hosts Dominica Phetteplace and Alan Boyle.

Mars Society President Robert Zubrin, author of "The New World on Mars," talks about the life that future settlers are likely to create on the Red Planet — and why they should go.

Physicist Paul Halpern, author of "The Allure of the Multiverse," traces the history of the scientific quest to detect parallel universes and alternate cosmic timelines.

John Tytus, the president of Pocock Racing Shells, talks about how the technology of rowing has changed since "The Boys in the Boat" won Olympic gold in 1936.

Veteran science writer George Musser addresses the connections between artificial intelligence, quantum physics and the quest to understand the nature of consciousness in a new book, "Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation."

Zach Weinersmith, co-author of "A City on Mars," explains why humanity isn't ready to have people settle down and raise a family on Mars or in any other off-Earth locale.

Quantum physicist Shohini Ghose, author of "Her Space, Her Time," throws a spotlight on more than a dozen women physicists and astronomers who didn't get the recognition they deserved.

How much real-world AI research is reflected in "The Creator," Hollywood's latest cinematic tale about the rise of the machines? We turn to a panel of experts on artificial intelligence and its portrayal at the movies for an in-depth reality check.

John Scalzi talks about his latest satirical science-fiction novel, "Starter Villain," and the parallels to the antics of real-world tech billionaires.

Astronomer Chris Impey, author of the book "Worlds Without End," discusses the study of planets beyond our solar system, the search for alien life, and the long-term prospects for humanity's progress on the final frontier.

Archaeologists Chris Begley and Brittany Brown discuss how times have changed since the fictional heyday of Indiana Jones when it comes to the technologies - and people skills - that they rely on.

Steve Edmiston, a Seattle lawyer and film writer, fills us in on the Maury Island Incident - a UFO sighting that marked the first mention of the mysterious Men in Black and has now inspired a celebration called the Men in Black Birthday Bash.

Jeffrey Manber, one of the pioneers on the frontier of space commercialization, talks about his effort to document the rise of private-sector spaceflight in a series of books he calls "From the Earth to Mars."

Ashlee Vance, the author of "When the Heavens Went On Sale," talks about the romance, the risk and the ridiculousness surrounding four space ventures that were created in the wake of Elon Musk's SpaceX success.

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, the author of a new book titled "Quantum Supremacy" explains how quantum computing works and why it could revolutionize energy, medicine and virtually everything everywhere.

Kim Sherwood talks about writing "Double or Nothing," a James Bond novel that includes 21st-century technologies including quantum computers and climate geoengineering — but leaves out James Bond.

Science-fiction author Daniel Suarez talks about his latest novel, "Critical Mass," which picks up on the vision for space development laid out by physicist Gerard K. O'Neill and the billionaire he inspired, Jeff Bezos.

Quantum physicist Chris Ferrie, author of the book "Quantum Bullsh*t," separates the reality from the B.S. in sci-fi tales including "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

Annalee Newitz talks about "The Terraformers," a sci-fi novel that explores the parallels between an imagined future where corporations reshape planets and an all-too-real present where today's cities are sorely in need of reshaping.

Biologist Robert Lanza and science-fiction writer Nancy Kress talk about "Observer," a novel that delves into Lanza's view that consciousness creates the universe as we know it.

In honor of the release of "Avatar: The Way of Water," we talk with the technical adviser for the $10 million Avatar XPRIZE, plus one of the winning teams, about the parallels between the movie's sci-fi avatars and real-life robotic avatars.

Scott B. Smith, the co-creator of Amazon Prime Video's version of "The Peripheral," talks about the challenge of turning William Gibson's cyberpunk sci-fi novel into a streaming series.

Ray Nayler, author of the sci-fi novel "The Mountain in the Sea," and neuroscientist Dominic Sivitilli discuss how looking into the mind of an octopus can provide insights into the nature of artificial intelligence and alien intelligence.