Sci Fi / Sci Fact

MacDiarmid Institute experts talk to Bryan Crump about an idea from science fiction, if it holds up to scientific scrutiny & if it'd work in reality. (Yeah, the Big Bang Theory guys would love this).

Hosted by Bryan Crump

A bright blue background with stars and a few graphic elements drawn in perspective. A shiny title 'Sci Fi' in the top right corner and 'Sci Fact' in the bottom left corner.

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All episodes:

The Terminator | Exoskeleton

Season 6 / Episode 1
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator is a cyborg sent back in time to change the future. Duncan McGillvray discusses the metal that makes up the murderous robotic endoskeleton.
A still from Terminator Genisys, the fifth in the series about time-travelling robot assassins.

Spiderman | Web

Season 6 / Episode 2
Spiderman swings from the top of New York's high-rises, fighting crime and beating super-villains. But could spider silk really hold up a full-grown man? Dr Paul Hume and Bryan Crump discuss the super qualities of spiderwebs.
A giant inflatable Spider-Man is displayed on the red carpet for "Spider-Man: Far From Home" World premiere in Hollywood.

Discworld | Octiron

Season 6 / Episode 3
Kate Andrew tackles Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books in this episode, with a particular focus on the Octiron, the element of magic which makes up the disc's hub.
Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Ghostbusters | Proton Packs

Season 6 / Episode 4
The Ghostbusters would never have caught their prey without proton packs. Emily Kendall talks to Bryan Crump about how they worked in the movies and whether they could work in real life.
Ghostbusters

Total Recall | Turbinium

Season 6 / Episode 5
In Total Recall Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a construction worker who recovers memories as life as secret agent trying to stop the mining of Turbinium on the planet Mars.
The words Total Recall on a night sky background from publicity for the 1990 movie

Harry Potter | The Philosopher's Stone

Season 6 / Episode 6
The Philosopher's Stone in the Harry Potter books can change metal into gold and create an elixir of life. Erin Leitao tells Bryan Crump whether either ability is within our reach.
The Philosopher's Stone as shown during a Warner Bros Studio tour on the Making of Harry Potter

MacGyver | Optical Pump

Season 6 / Episode 7
MacGyver was an 80s icon, with his mullet and ability to turn anything into a tool to save the day. Karen Thorn looks at one episode where the action hero turns some historical artifacts into a laser.
MacGyver (Tv)Year: 1985-1992Richard Dean Anderson (Photo by Photo12.com - Collection Cinema / Photo12 via AFP)

Black Widow | Pheromones

Season 6 / Episode 8
Scarlett Johansson's character in Black Widow has to fight pheromones in order to beat the evil villain. Anindita Sen explains how pheromones work and whether they could control humans.
No caption

Superman | Kryptonite

Season 6 / Episode 9
Kryptonite is a green crystal-like material found on Superman's home planet - Krypton. The radiation from the rock weakens Superman. Professor Bill Williams tells us if there are any real life equivalents to Kryptonite.
The Man of Steel

Tinfoil Hats | Faraday Cages

Season 6 / Episode 10
Claims that a tinfoil hat will protect the wearer from electromagnetic fields and mind control have been around for many years but do they actually work? Justin Hodgkiss joins Bryan Crump to answer that question.
A suspicious man wears a tinfoil hat against a stormy sky.