Barry Luokkala is a physicist and physics professor with Carnegie Mellon. He wrote a book on science and science fiction after he found that students enjoyed the class so much and he had enough material to write a book on the subject. We discussed the book.
0:39 – Barry talks about how he developed this book.
2:24 – Barry talks about the focus of the book and how it introduces students
to science through science fiction movies and shows.
5:04 – Barry talks about how he approaches science fiction versus science fantasy.
8:37 – Barry talks about what movies and filsm most inspire aspiring scientists.
11:39 – Barry talks about Asimov’s robot novels.
12:54 – Barry talks about HAL 9000.
14:33 – Barry says Transcendence is the best movie right now that explores quantum computing.
19:47 – Barry has tried to avoid zombies and biology in his book. There isn’t enough science behind the idea. He also discusses Frankenstein as a science fiction novel. He then discusses a Kepler book that was science fiction.
22:24 – Barry discusses other writers who wrote science fiction in the 1600s.
24:48 – Barry talks about the giant ships in Indepedence Day and the science behind their hovering.
31:32 – Barry has a page on the Carnegie Mellon physics department webpage.
Links of interest
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4614-7891-1
https://www.cmu.edu/physics/people/faculty/luokkala.html
For more “Full Contact Nerd” please find me at http://crisalvarez.com, follow me on Facebook at crisalvarezwlc, on youtube at Cris Alvarez and on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi
Guests: Barry Luokkala
Host: Cris Alvarez
Tags: science fiction, science, carnegie mellom, zachary quinto, physics, singularity, time, space, matter, universe, extraterrestrial, biology, biotechnology, star trek, planet of the apes, artificial intelligence, robotics, doctor who, isaac asimov, forbidden planet, i robot, 2001, HAL 9000, Transcendence, Interstellar, frankenstein, zombies, Kepler, Die Another Day, Independence day, Jurassic Park