Unobtainium Podcast

What makes the deep-space horror classic film Alien (1979) one of the scariest science fiction movies ever made? Amy and Adam explore science, psychology, and the enduring power of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. In space, no one can hear you scream—but there’s plenty to talk about.   Full Summary In this episode of the Unobtainium podcast, astrophysicist and planetary scientist Dr. Amy Mainzer (...

Episode Description   Is Godzilla Minus One just a wonderful homage to the classic monster movies or is it the ultimate warning about nuclear energy? 🦖⚛️   In this episode of Unobtainium, Adam and Amy break down the real science, historical context, and emotional power of Godzilla Minus One . Joining the conversation is Professor Stephanie Diem , a nuclear physicist and engineer, and Pr...

Episode Description Blade Runner is famous for its flying cars, neon cyberpunk skylines, and bioengineered replicants—but its most enduring questions are about what it means to be human. In this episode of the Unobtainium podcast, hosts Adam and Amy are joined by renowned roboticist Hiro Ono to explore the cutting-edge science and philosophy behind Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece.   How clo...

In this episode of Unobtainium , Amy, Adam, and UCLA planetary scientist Dave Jewitt (discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) explore Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey —a film that remains one of the most scientifically realistic depictions of humans in space and a transformational moment for sci-fi cinema. From the physics of artificial gravity and existing in vacuum to HAL 9000, human e...

In this episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam and Amy sit down with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to unpack the science and mythology of Star Wars. Together, they explore whether the Force resembles anything in real-world physics, from gravity and electromagnetism to quantum mechanics and multiple dimensions. The conversation dives into hyperspace travel, wormholes, faster-than-light sto...

In this episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam Sigel and Amy Mainzer are joined by astrobiologist and evolutionary scientist Betül Kaçar to explore the real science beneath Jurassic Park. Could dinosaur DNA really survive inside amber for 65 million years? How close are modern scientists to resurrecting extinct species? And what happens when humanity gains the power to rewrite life itself? The...

In this mind-bending episode of Unobtainium Podcast, hosts Adam and Amy are joined by neuroscientist and bestselling author David Eagleman to unpack the science behind Inception. They explore what dreams actually are, why the brain creates them, and whether concepts like dream manipulation, shared dreaming, mind hacking, and incepting your subconscious could ever become real. The conversation move...

What if the greatest time travel device in movie history is just a glowing Y-shaped excuse to ask bigger questions about science, storytelling, and human imagination?   In the premiere episode of Unobtainium Podcast , Hollywood writer/producer Adam Sigel and rocket scientist Amy Mainzer launch a smart, funny deep dive into the science of science fiction through one of cinema’s most iconic inv...

The Unobtainium Podcast is hosted by Adam Sigel, a Hollywood producer-writer, and Dr. Amy Mainzer, an astrophysicist. Together, they explore the science in science fiction. Each episode unpacks the Unobtainium behind movies—what’s real, what’s cinematic, and why filmmakers bend reality. This is for the nerds, sci-fi fans, film junkies, and anyone curious about the science behind the story. Hosted...