Does It Fly?

• The Real RoboCop is Much Closer Than You Think

  RoboCop may be “the future of law enforcement” but he might also be much closer to reality than anyone ever dreamed or feared. Join us as we unpack this classic 1987 movie and the central concept that drives it.“Come quietly or there will be…trouble.”Officer Alex J. Murphy (R.I.P.)This episode of Does it Fly? is brought to you by our friends at Omni Consumer Products, who would like to encourage you to visit beautiful Delta City, Michigan, America’s safest place to live…or else!Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop (1987) is genuinely one of the finest science fiction films of the 1980s. Its unique blend of biting satire and over-the-top violence and gore set it apart from the endless parade of Reagan-era hyper violent action movies and the unique “media breaks” and corporate culture feel remarkably (perhaps disturbingly prescient) almost 40 years after release. Hell, we might even argue that the cynical vision of the future on display in RoboCop was too optimistic given the state of the world these days, but that’s neither here nor there.Because the central conceit of RoboCop, using cybernetics to enhance a human for the specific purpose of perfecting law enforcement, may have seemed like the stuff of science fiction in 1987, but it’s a little closer to the realm of science fact today. Just how close is another story, but that’s for our hosts, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky, to decide. With that in mind, we’d like to remind everyone of the Prime Directives of our show (not to be confused with Starfleet General Order 1…we are a Roddenberry Entertainment production, after all):Explain the Science of RoboCopUnpack the Story Logic of RoboCopDiscuss the Vibes and Questions that RoboCop RaisesUphold the Law(Wait, no! That last one isn’t ours).Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers to these questions and more!https://youtu.be/uBbq29Tu7_cSUGGESTED VIEWING The RoboCop franchise is…well, let’s pretend that it isn’t a franchise. There is one perfect movie from director Paul Verhoeven and then there are fainter and fainter echoes in the form of two big screen sequels (and one reboot), a pair of live action TV series, one average (if bizarre) animated series and one truly unwatchable one. Seriously, the 1987 movie is an all-time genre classic and is not to be missed, and that’s the crux of our discussion in this episode.But there’s also a truly amazing four part documentary about the making of that film called, appropriately, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, which somehow manages to be every bit as compelling as the movie itself. Highly recommended for those who want to get an almost Tamara-like deep knowledge of this brilliant film.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! The Future of Law EnforcementTo build a cybernetic police officer, you require three key ingredients: powered exoskeletons, general robotics, and BCIs (brain-computer interfaces). All of these are pretty broad subjects, but the links will take you to what we believe are the easiest (and coolest!) overviews for the layperson.Robot Police Dogs“Woof, woof, you #@&*$!” Ted TalkMy Stroke of InsightGiven how much of Robo’s origin story revolves around a traumatic brain injury and his essential recovery from that, Tamara recommends My Stroke of Insight, which you can find anywhere, but we recommend purchasing from here if you can.“OCP Runs the Cops!”We also recommend Radley Balko’s Rise of the Warrior Cop for further insight on the militarization of police. It was written back in 2013 but like RoboCop, it’s still incredibly relevant today.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For a more recent take on a sci-fi dystopia, allow us to recommend our Squid Game episode!Just for comparison with another hero who uses robotics and cybernetics, we took a look at the science of Iron Man, as well!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  49:30
• Building the Perfect Superhero Suit

  “No capes!”Edna ModeIt’s hard to believe that in this age where superhero movies have conquered (and some might say ruined) moviegoing in ways that never seemed possible even 20 years ago, but Disney and Pixar’s The Incredibles was truly a revolutionary superhero movie. An animated film utilizing all original characters that lovingly plays with all of the tropes of the superhero genre in suitably comedic ways without ever drifting into parody? Unthinkable at the time and still feels pretty fresh today!But one of the best things The Incredibles (and its underrated sequel, The Incredibles 2) did, almost for the first time ever on the big screen, was explore the logic of superhero costumes. Even though it’s a family-friendly animated movie, in The Incredibles, super suits are more than just decorative, they’re functional, and thanks to the hilarious and unforgettable Edna Mode, we learned just why some of the favorite design elements of many beloved superhero costumes are strictly forbidden in this world.So on this episode of Does it Fly? we are taking a look at the very concept of the super suit. Not just the why of them in terms of the story, but the how in terms of design and functionality. And as we often do find, we’re a lot closer to certain elements in the real world right now than you might think…SUGGESTED VIEWING We based the majority of today’s research on this episode on two legitimate animation masterpieces, Brad Bird’s The Incredibles and The Incredibles 2. The broader logic of superhero suits has been explored in countless other places, but it’s particularly well done in early episodes of The Flash (both the recent CW TV series starring Grant Gustin and the earlier 1990 version starring John Wesley Shipp). We’d like to think that everything discussed in today’s episode is applicable across superhero media, though, so feel free to use our findings in your own headcanon as and where appropriate!FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Building the Perfect Super SuitHakeem specifically calls out brand names such as Kapton and Kevlar as being potential “super suit materials” that already exist in the real world. You might recognize Kapton as the material used to make “space blankets” but its unique thermal and conductive properties also make it a key piece used in circuitry where significant heat can be generated by processing power. Kevlar is best known as the material used to make lightweight bulletproof vests and other types of modern body armor. Copper has also shown considerable promise as an antimicrobial that can be incorporated into other materials.Whether or not you have elastic powers, you might want to incorporate technology known as Shape Memory Materials which are currently being perfected by NASA. Many of the materials named here fall under the category of “metamaterials” which will likely become more commonplace in the years to come.Oh yeah, and maybe one day some of these can make you invisible, too. And those “biomimetic sharkskin suits” that Hakeem references? The jury is still out on them.Why The Incredibles is HistoricTamara brings up the fact that The Incredibles was the first Pixar movie about human characters because of the difficulty in getting the subtleties of humans, such as hair, to look convincing on screen. Read more about it here.The Geneva ConventionsHakeem makes the point that superhero suits could also be seen as a way to identify “combatants” similar to the protections offered to soldiers under the Geneva Conventions.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t the first time we’ve tackled superheroes on Does it Fly? so you might want to check out our episodes on Batman, The Boys, and Iron Man to get a better sense of the real world concerns that superheroes (and villains) might face.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  45:18
• The Surprising Science of Disney’s Snow White and True Love!

  From the poison apple to the kiss that awakens Snow White to a philosophical and scientific exploration of the nature of love itself, this episode has it all!“Zzzzzzz…”Snow White (circa 1939)Ah, love is in the air. Someday, YOUR prince (or princess) will come, dear Does it Fly? fans. Of this, we are certain. Why? Because even something as seemingly metaphysical as love, like everything else in the universe, is governed by certain scientific principles! Crazy, right?When we first started thinking about the concept of “true love’s kiss” as most famously depicted in the 1939 Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (not to mention countless other versions of the story), we were more concerned with the actual mechanisms of the poison in the apple that renders poor Snow White comatose, and what it would take to deliver an antidote solely via a gentle kiss on the lips. And while we do indeed cover all of that in the latest episode, our discussion spirals outward into broader philosophical discussions about the very nature of love itself! In the process, we learn a bit more about both of our hosts, and maybe (choking back tears) a little about ourselves, too!Check out the latest weirdly romantic and wistful episode of Does it Fly? now!SUGGESTED VIEWING We based the main part of our discussion for this episode on the Disney’s 1939 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But while you’re at it, give 2007’s Enchanted a look, which gives a number of the classic Disney princess (and Snow White specifically) tropes a new spin!To take things a little further afield, if you want to know the origins of the term “true love’s kiss” as far as we know, it goes back to William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Sir Laurence Olivier’s 1955 screen version is generally considered to be the finest version of it to make it to film. Get some culture in your life!And if you really want to get out there, Hakeem mentions Sam Harris’ exploration of MDMA and the concept of love in many forms, which is explored here.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Smelling SaltsWe’re willing to bet that everyone has seen smelling salts used in cartoons or old movies but few of you have actually experienced them. Here’s how they work, though.“Love Brain”Ah, say those words that every girl longs to hear… “oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin.” OK, maybe not those words exactly. That being said, the matter of “chemistry” when it comes to love and sexual attraction is in fact a literal thing! Let the big brains at Harvard explain.Consent and Snow WhiteFor a nuanced take on one of the questions that has come up around the matter of “true love’s kiss” check out this article Tamara found in The Princess Blog!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?You know what pairs really well with this episode? Our exploration of Elphaba in Wicked, which you can watch right here!Another fairy tale trope (albeit one that was used to much more spooky effect) is the concept of the “familiar”, something we explored in detail in our episode about The Crow. Check it out!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  52:01
• The Biggest Science Flaw in Invincible

  There's one big reason why Invincible season 3 will never be the realistic superhero animation that it truly wants to be...“It’s like peeing your pants on purpose!”Omni-Man“Iconic” is a word that’s overused to the point of meaninglessness, but it’s pretty safe to say that the power of flight is the one most associated with being a superhero. There were plenty of super strong heroes in myth, legend, and even popular culture for centuries, but combining that with the power to defy gravity and fly is where what we know of as a “superhero” really begins to take shape. Even Superman, in his earliest stories, couldn’t outright fly, and was instead “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” a power often described as being limited to about 200 yards at a time. Eventually, self-directed flight became more convenient from a storytelling perspective…not to mention cool.Sure, there have been plenty of “explanations” given for superheroic flight in various stories through the years, but nobody has ever tried to fully explain the reasoning behind it as well as Invincible. Originally a brilliant comic from Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, it has been adapted into an equally brilliant adult animated series on Prime Video. With Invincible season 3 now finally here, we thought it might be a good time to take a look at the Invincible concept of self-directed humanoid flight, whether it makes sense in the story, and if there’s any scientific hope whatsoever that one day humans might be able to shake loose the bonds of gravity.Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers to these questions…WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/FlILlAncxZQSUGGESTED VIEWING Look, all of Invincible on Prime Video is masterful superhero storytelling. Less nihilistic than The Boys but every bit as thought-provoking and violent, you really need to check it out. That being said, pretty much everything you need to know about the rules of flight as they’re portrayed in this show come from the first three episodes of season one. But trust us, you’ll want to watch more.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! The Law of Conservation of MomentumNot to spoil everything right up front, but this basic law of physics pretty much crushes our dreams of ever flying like Invincible. Let NASA explain…they would know!GravityGravity is another one that’s kind of tough to get around. Again, we figured NASA probably has the best explanation here.Spacetime DiagramsThere’s no easy way to summarize these, but especially for our audio-only listeners who couldn’t see our visualization, this should help.“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”For some variations and historical context on that Archimedes quote go here!Birds do it. Bees do it…But we can’t? That’s not fair! Here’s how birds and insects are able to fly, though.And for the non-scientific stuff…The article that Tamara quotes about the matter of making Mark Grayson bi-racial in the TV series can be read in full here.Hakeem refers to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, a truly incredible podcast which did a series on  World War I called “Blueprint for Armageddon” which can be found here. We’re big fans. And also, do not forget that Invincible was an AMAZING comic long before it was a TV series. Need something to while away the long wait between new Invincible seasons? Want to get even further ahead in the story? Invincible from Image Comics is the way to go.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t the first time we’ve tackled superheroes on Does it Fly? so you might want to check out our episodes on Batman, The Boys, and Iron Man to get a better sense of the real world concerns that superheroes (and villains) might face. And for a different kind of superheroic flight, check out our episode on The Rocketeer, too!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  51:21
• What the BEST Star Trek Movie Gets WRONG About Science!

  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock are built around one key piece of technology which may or may not have real world implications.“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!”Admiral James Tiberius Kirk, 2285There are countless reasons why fans love Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Up until that point, it was the most action-packed installment of Star Trek ever put on screen, so that certainly has something to do with it. William Shatner delivers an all-time great career performance in this one as Admiral James T. Kirk, full of downright Shakespearean drama with his old enemy, the diabolical Khan Noonien Singh. It’s got at least one of the most memorable, shocking, and poignant moments in franchise history. Or maybe it’s just Ricardo Montalban’s magnificent chest. Who’s to say?But possibly lost amidst all that magnificence is the fact that The Wrath of Khan is built around a truly great piece of science fiction with the Genesis Device. A project designed to help Starfleet terraform barren worlds is also potentially the ultimate weapon in the galaxy, given that in creating new life it first has to wipe out anything else that’s there. Of course the wrong people want to get their grubby mitts on it!In this episode we’re diving into just what it would take to truly terraform an alien world, and whether the Genesis Device follows its own rules in the Star Trek universe. Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…SUGGESTED VIEWING Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanYou mean to tell us you’re watching or listening to a Roddenberry podcast and you somehow haven’t seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? We sure hope you watched it before this episode spoiled the absolute hell out of it for you! But in all seriousness, there’s a reason this is the most critically acclaimed and beloved Star Trek movie of all time and why we chose it for this week’s topic. Star Trek III: The Search for SpockBut also, you can’t watch The Wrath of Khan (or get a full picture of the scope of the Genesis Device’s implications) without also watching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Forget that even number/odd number nonsense about the Star Trek movies, this one is just as essential!Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 22 “Space Seed”And just in case you’ve never done this, we also highly recommend “Space Seed” which first introduced Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh. It doesn’t have anything to do with terraforming in space, but it’s a classic bit of Star Trek lore, nonetheless!The Evolution of Planet EarthWant a real life taste of what the Genesis Device does…except over the course of millions/billions of years instead of minutes/hours? This video is pretty cool.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! TerraformingWhile still primarily a science fiction concept, the idea of using terraforming to make a planet or moon into something that can support life as we know it is gaining considerable steam as we look to our nearest neighbor, Mars. See also: Bionengineering“Is there life on…Venus?”Wait, that’s not how the song goes! But the key here is that while Mars gets all the attention as the planet in our solar system with the most potential to support life, there’s also a chance that Venus could, as well. Key to that is the presence of phosphine in the atmosphere, which scientists have gone back and forth on, but recently found new evidence that it may be present.“PIXAAAAAAR!”Read more about that funny connection between a beloved animation studio and these beloved Trek movies here.“Colonized by earth bacteria”It doesn’t take long, just to give you an idea of how quickly “life finds a way.”The Mars TrilogyTamara brings up Kim Stanley Robinson’s acclaimed trilogy about terraforming our nearest planetary neighbor, Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. There’s also the follow-up The Martians which is a collection of short stories that expands this universe further.Project Hail MaryAnother Tamara recommendation this week is the Hugo Award-nominated Project Hail Mary from sci-fi author Andy Weir. You might also recognize Weir’s name as the author of The Martian, which was adapted into a beloved film from director Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon.The Wrath of Khan: The Novel!Even if you’ve seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan dozens of times, Vonda N. McIntyre’s superb novelization of the film is full of surprises that will enrich your understanding of the story and your love of Trek in general. For extra credit, follow it up with her equally great (possibly better than the film it’s based on!) novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Go back to the very beginning with the first ever episode of Does it Fly? which tackled another iconic Star Trek concept: the transporter. Watch it right here!We’re not particularly big on the whole Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate around these parts, so for those folks who love ‘em both, check out our episode on lightsabers right here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBlueky: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

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  48:02

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