Fly Me to the Moon

"All your base are belong to us!" 

In this latest episode of his weekly science show Explorations, Dr. Michio Kaku covers the danger of solar flares, the forty year struggle ahead of Japan to deal with the nuclear disaster, how global warming will bitch slap the U.K. (and Scotland, too), and welcomes special guest Dr. Michael Shermer to debunk conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, he doesn't touch on reactionary bully Newt Gingrich's recently declared dark dream of outer space imperialism. Gingrich, a politician who constantly demonizes "secular atheists", is blissfully ignorant of the irony of his naming Isaac Asimov, a signatory to the Humanist Manifesto, as an inspiration. Hopefully one day Earth will have a colony on the Moon -- an international colony established for peaceful, scientific purposes.

Explorations

Non-Western Science

As you've probably noticed, I listen to a lot of podcasts. So many, in fact, that I get behind in my listening all the time. That's why I'm just now getting around to this episode of Against the Grain. It's an interview with the philosopher of science Sandra Harding discussing non-Western ways of thinking. I know there's a tenancy among some to dismiss this kind of thing out of hand as some kind of Lysenkoism, but I think there is some merit to this viewpoint. Also, I think it's germane to sf given that the Western scientific perspective is the one that informs most of the genre.

While it's a stimulating discussion, I do have to quibble with her use of the word "science" as a sweeping generalization. That term covers such a broad spectrum that it's about as specific as "footwear", which can mean anything from sandals to waders. So while the points she raises may be valid in relation to ecology or medical science, I don't see how they would be applicable to, say, research into superconductors.

And I also find it interesting that although she never actually uses the term her philosophical approach is very close to that of Pragmatism. It always amuses me how often people hold de facto Pragmatist views, often without realizing it. Like that time William James wrote to H. G. Wells after reading one of his non-fiction books and not only claimed him as a philosophical kinsman but also declared, "You're a pragmatist!"

Non-Western Science (49 mins, 37 secs)

Wake, Watch, Wonder

Speak of the devil. No sooner did I mentioned Robert J. Sawyer in my last post than I found this short Bookbits interview with him talking about the latest volume in his WWW Trilogy.

Wonder - The final book in Sawyer's trilogy about The Singularity (05 mins, 54 secs)

The Now Show -- in spaaace!

The discovery by NASA's of the planet Kepler-22b gave Britain's topical news program The Now Show an excuse get a little spacey. Get ready to laugh at some Star Trek and Star Wars references (and brace yourself for an unexpected defense of that clank-head Clarkson). The show will only be up for a week, so enjoy it while you can.

The Now Show 9 Dec 2011

Unstuck in Time

Mind Over Matters recently featured an interview with Prof. Gregory Sumner, author of Unstuck in Time: A Journey Through Kurt Vonnegut's Life and Novels.

Prof. Sumner clearly has great respect for the author and makes a good case for his continuing relevance. Unfortunately he's also eager to conspire with Vonnegut in distancing him from the dreaded label "science fiction." Vonnegut had no problem publishing in magazines like Galaxy Science Fiction and If (then being edited by Frederik Pohl), but the minute he hit the big time he did everything he could to renounce any connection to the genre. It's an understandable if not entirely admirable stance to take, and it's too bad Sumner didn't do more to set the record straight. The fact is that Vonnegut relied on sf tropes throughout his career, no matter how hard he and his biographer may try to deny it.

Interview with Prof. Gregory Sumner

Futures

As you may know, the prestigious science journal Nature features a science fiction story in each issue in a section called "Futures." The stories are always very good and are usually by people actually working in the sciences. In 2007 editor Henry Gee published an anthology of the short fiction, Futures from Nature.

Nature also has an excellent weekly podcast and they've recently added an extra in which Henry Gee reads the sf story from the current issue. This week it's "Gifts of the Magi" by Anatoly Belilovsky, who has been described elsewhere as "a New York pediatrician who learned English from Star Trek reruns." (You can find the previous podcast stories in the archive.) They're soliciting feedback from their listeners about this extra, so if you enjoy it and you want to hear more sf along with your science news shoot them an email letting them know.

The Dunwich Horror

Before H. P. Lovecraft's novelette The Dunwich Horror (1928) was made into a campy film in 1970 it featured on 1940's radio. Staged as a live broadcast this radio play stars Academy Award winning British actor Ronald Colman and is much more faithful to the original story. The audio is a bit scratchy, but that works in the show's favor and lends itself to the feeling of hearing a remote feed.

Suspense (01 Nov 45) "The Dunwich Horror" 25m43s


[via the Internet Archive]

The Body Snatchers

John Dickson Carr's radio adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Body-Snatcher" (1884). Gaslight notes that the promotional campaign for the story was quite sensational. "Unique and gruesome methods of advertising were used...and much attention was drawn to the story. In London, posters were displayed of so ghoulish and startling a character that they were suppressed by the police."

Suspense (24 Nov 42) "The Body Snatchers" 29m32s


[via the Internet Archive]

The Signalman

Before Agnes Moorehead made Darrin Stephens' life miserable she had a long career in film and radio. She appeared in more episodes of Suspense than any other actor or actress. The "first lady of Suspense," as she was known, stars here in an adaptation of Charles Dickens' "The Signal-Man." H. P. Lovecraft mentioned this story in his study, Supernatural Horror in Literature (1927), remarking that it is "a tale of ghostly warning...and touched with a verisimilitude which allies it as much with the coming psychological school as with the dying Gothic school."

Suspense (23 Mar 53) "The Signalman" 28m54s

Mystery Science Radio Season 2 Promo

Just when you thought it was safe to download mp3 files...

Mystery Science Radio: Season 2 Promo/Halloween

The Hitchhiker starring Orson Welles

The talented Orson Welles stars in "The Hitchhiker." You'll probably recognize the story, which was later adapted for The Twilight Zone. In an entertaining introduction he promises the tale contains none of the "phosphorescent foolishness" of so many other spook stories.

Suspense (02 Sep 42) "The Hitchhiker" 29m17s


[via The Internet Archive]

The Pit and the Pendulum

Another tale calculated to keep you in suspense - or at least get you into the Halloween mood. Today, the suave Vincent Price stars in John Dickson Carr's adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale, "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1843). Price was so talented that he could easily have carried the whole show with a straight reading of the story, but it's still an entertaining treatment.

Suspense (10 Nov 57) "The Pit and the Pendulum" 24m40s


[via The Internet Archive]

Riabouchinska

In order to get into the Halloween spirit this year I've decided to post some old episodes of the CBS Radio drama Suspense. First up, an eerie mystery story from none other than Ray Bradbury.

Suspense (13 Nov 47) "Riabouchinska" 29m33s

[via The Internet Archive]

Having a Wonderful Time

I know I've already posted links to the Canadian radio drama series Vanishing Point adapting J.G. Ballard's stories, but "Having a Wonderful Time" seems so relevant to the current world financial situation that I can't resist posting it again.

Having A Wonderful Time

The Adventures of Superman

Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 09
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 10
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 11
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 12
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 13

As our story concludes, Superman defeats the evil Zaran's plans to invade the Earth.

This is going to be the last of my posts on Superman. For more classic Superman check out the podcasts Golden Age Superman and The Thrilling Adventures of Superman.

The Adventures of Superman

All-Star Superman?

Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 05
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 06
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 07
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 08

Superman's "most unusual and exciting adventure" continues.

One thing to remember when listening to these old shows is that they were performed live on air. Even the sound effects were created on the spot. No retakes or post-production edits in those days.


For more classic Superman check out the podcasts Golden Age Superman and The Thrilling Adventures of Superman.

The Adventures of Superman

Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 01
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 02
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 03
Mystery Of The Lost Planet Part 04

Now with organ music. The alien Anthar takes Jimmy to his planet in a space shell. Don't take gravity beans from strangers, kids.

For more classic Superman check out the podcasts Golden Age Superman and The Thrilling Adventures of Superman.

The Adventures of Superman

The Radar Rocket Part 14
The Radar Rocket Part 15
The Radar Rocket Part 16
The Radar Rocket Part 17
The Radar Rocket Part 18
The Radar Rocket Part 19
The Radar Rocket Part 20

Can Superman and friends survive the hordes of underground lunar army ants?

Episode 16 has very bad sound quality for the first 5 mins. or so, and it even starts to tune to a different station for a second, but the rest of the show is fine.


For more classic Superman check out the podcasts Golden Age Superman and The Thrilling Adventures of Superman.

The Adventures of Superman

Superman must fly to the moon to rescue Jimmy & co. who have encountered strange beings on the far side of the moon.( It wouldn't be until 1959 that the Soviet space probe Luna 3 would photograph the far side of the moon.) Trivia: It turns out that Superman's X-Ray vision is blocked by regolith.

The Radar Rocket Part 06
The Radar Rocket Part 07
The Radar Rocket Part 08
The Radar Rocket Part 09
The Radar Rocket Part 10
The Radar Rocket Part 11
The Radar Rocket Part 12
The Radar Rocket Part 13


More technical troubles. The files posted to the Internet Archive are mislabeled again. Episode #9 is really a duplicate of episode seven, and #8 isn't there at all. But I didn't notice any gaps in the story, so I'm assuming the numbering is just off. I'm not going to mess around with renaming them this time. Instead I'll just skip #8 & #9.


For more classic Superman check out the podcasts Golden Age Superman and The Thrilling Adventures of Superman.

The Adventures of Superman

I'm skipping ahead to a storyline with some pronounced sf content (aside from Superman being an E. T.).

The Radar Rocket Part 01
The Radar Rocket Part 02
The Radar Rocket Part 03
The Radar Rocket Part 04
The Radar Rocket Part 05

Leapin' lizards! Jimmy Olsen is trapped in space aboard the radar rocket. Can even Superman save him?

Aside from some basic facts about the Earth's moon the science gets kind of silly, even for a kid's show. Take this fun quiz and see how you compare to the characters in this episode. You're stuck in orbit 16,000 km above the Earth. Do you a) jury-rig a radio transmitter and send an SOS, b) adjust the rocket engine to act as a signal flare, or c) attach weights to pigeons and throw them out of the spacecraft with messages tied to their dead, little feet? Yeesh.


For more classic Superman check out the podcasts Golden Age Superman and The Thrilling Adventures of Superman.