Science Fiction

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. Audio

Elizabeth Holmes is serving prison time for fraud after convincing the world she had developed a simple blood test that could diagnose a range of diseases. Professor Duncan McGillivray looks at… Audio

This episode we look at a villain's secret weapon - Zero Point Energy. In The Incredibles Syndrome uses Zero Point Energy to freeze the heroes and get away with his crimes against humanity. Audio

Neutronium comes up in Star Wars, Star Trek and many of the Marvel Comics. It's a hypothetical substance made purely of neutrons. Jan Eldridge, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of… Audio

In the Ender's Game series, philote is a particle that enables communication across the galaxy. Dr Krista Steenbergen talks to Bryan Crump about the realities of such a thing. Audio

Director Keelan Walker on his new short film Bringing Mere Home, the Maori filmmaker talks about his shift from documentaries and into drama. Audio

In 2019, computer scientist Riz Virk wrote a book called The Simulation Hypothesis, which outlined the 10 stages of technology development that would take us to the Simulation Point. He joins the show… Video, Audio

Professor Nicola Gaston, MacDiarmid Institute Co-Director and Professor of Physics at the University of Auckland talks about Dragonriders of Pern  science fantasy series written by American author… Audio

Associate Professor Geoff Willmott, MacDiarmid Institute Deputy Director for Commercialisation and Industry Engagement and Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Auckland speaks to Bryan… Audio

Tony Starks's Iron Man suit enables him to fly, it has weapons and it's basically indestructible. What on earth (or space) is it made of? Audio

Dilithium Crystals have been around since the origins of Star Trek. They regulate matter and anti-matter in the Starship Enterprise's warp core. But what are they? Audio

Flubber has been around since 1961 when the mad scientist Professor Brainard discovered the flying rubber. It got a re-vamp with Robin Williams in the late 90s, but how realistic is it? Audio

Sci Fi / Sci Fact is a new podcast series in which scientists from New Zealand's MacDiarmid Institute talk to RNZ host Bryan Crump about whether some of science-fiction's most popular concepts could… Audio

Listen in to hear New Zealand's brightest scientific minds discuss the merits of pop culture plot-drivers. From Wolverine's adamantium-fused skeleton to Star Trek's dilithium crystals. Audio

MacDiarmid Institute Principal Investigator and Professor of Chemical Sciences at University of Auckland, Duncan McGillivray gives us his scientific take on Reconfigurable materials - Liquid metal… Audio

 'Celestial Incantations' combines sounds from within our solar system and beyond with acoustic instruments on a collaborative album by musicology professor Kim Cunio, UK artist Diana Scarborough and… Audio

Last month, New Zealander Rob McCallum became the deepest diving Kiwi ever after achieving a preliminary depth of 10,925 metres (35,843 ft) at the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trump… Audio

Associate Professor Geoff Willmott, MacDiarmid Institute Deputy Director for Commercialisation and Industry Engagement, and Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Auckland gives us his… Audio

Professor Bill Williams, MacDiarmid Institute Principal Investigator and Professor in Biophysics and Soft Matter at Massey University talks us through the science of Tenet, the 2020 sci-fi film… Audio