Does It Fly?

• The Abyss and the Science of Breathing Underwater

  It’s been welcoming to see the re-evaluation of James Cameron’s 1989 underwater sci-fi opus The Abyss in the last few years. While sometimes lost in the shuffle alongside his other blockbuster credits (including the similarly aquatic megahits Titanic and Avatar), The Abyss has been undergoing something of a renaissance, fueled in part by a gorgeous 4K restoration and a director’s cut that adds new elements to the story. And while Cameron is known for insisting on a certain amount of verisimilitude in the technological workings of his films, The Abyss in particular utilizes one seemingly science fiction concept that is actually science fact to such an effective degree that they actually demonstrate it in the movie for real.And that’s the science of breathing underwater. We don’t mean with scuba gear. We mean actually allowing your lungs to fill with liquid and extracting the oxygen and expelling the carbon dioxide. And if that sentence doesn’t make you nervous enough, we’re also going to get into what an elaborate and arduous experience filming The Abyss was for its cast and crew.All this and more on the latest waterlogged episode of Does it Fly?…https://youtu.be/kki6j_LsBHo?si=fe4yKP7dGxmhxZKxSUGGESTED VIEWING Believe it or not, there are two versions of The Abyss. There’s the original theatrical cut which runs at about two hours and 15 minutes, and it’s the one that most of you are probably the most familiar with. But there’s also a director’s cut which came a little later that adds about a half hour of additional story and detail to the already packed film. Normally, we tend to find that theatrical cuts are edited the way they are with good reason, but when James Cameron decides he wants to get nerdier and more in-depth (sorry) with a story like this, we give him the benefit of the doubt.Not only that, if you get a chance to watch that director’s cut in its 4K restoration, well, you’re really in for a truly immersive (sorry, sorry) experience. Never mind the additional story beats and background details about a world on the brink of war, The Abyss is just a stunning visual and technical achievement, and having this restoration lovingly overseen by Cameron makes it a must watch, even if you’re already familiar with the original.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! In With the Good Air…To get your head around the science of breathing underwater, you first might want to have a better understanding of how your lungs function for their generally intended purpose.Breath of WaterThe science of “liquid ventilation” is indeed very real and there are scientific studies and practices surrounding it. You can read an overview of that here. In particular you might want to check out information on perfluorocarbon which is what they’re using and studying to make this happen. Even more info can be found here. (And yes, as you’ll see, the scene with the rat in The Abyss was absolutely real).Filming The Abyss Was No Sea CruiseSome details on the physically arduous process of filming an underwater movie of this scale can be found here.About That ResponseThe folks making this movie took its science so seriously that they wouldn’t let a critic’s accusation that they were scientifically inaccurate stand. The fun response Tamara cites can be found here.DragonflySomehow, Hakeem seems to have undersold just how cool this space exploration program really is. More details here!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t the first James Cameron movie we’ve covered here. Check out our episode on The Terminator for more fun!Disney’s new take on Snow White is in theaters now and we took a look at the science behind that story’s most iconic moment. Watch it here!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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  44:02
• The Horrifying Reality of THE MATRIX

  Released in 1999, The Matrix has become a timeless sci-fi classic. Whether it’s the groundbreaking visual effects, the positively bonkers action sequences, or the disturbing looks at a world that has been consumed by AI and virtual experiences, there’s something that will resonate with just about any member of the audience, even a quarter century after its initial box office success. But there’s one moment in particular that perfectly illustrates the true horror at the heart of The Matrix. Since the titular concept of the film can only exist because humans have all been placed in a form of stasis, with their very bodies used to power the machines that now rule the world and create their shared reality, the big reveal of how that works needs to be suitably disturbing. And boy, does it deliver. When Neo (Keanu Reeves) chooses to wake up to actual reality, he’s revealed as a hairless body, covered in goo, with feeding and breathing tubes stuffed down his throat. While not quite the iconic moment that the bullet time fights and martial arts sequences are, it might very well be the most powerful moment in the film or its sequels.It’s a moment that has stayed with us for over 25 years, which is why today we’re asking the question: does the human body really generate enough electrical power to essentially serve as a battery?Take the red pill in the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers…https://youtu.be/9e-CZiFpd6oSUGGESTED VIEWING We based the majority of today’s discussion just on the first film in the franchise, which is, of course, 1999’s The Matrix. If you need a viewing order, it’s followed by The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003. But we’ve gotta say, you’re missing out if you don’t check out the bizarre and cool The Animatrix, which fills in a lot of backstory. And count us among the folks who think 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections is a much sharper movie than it gets credit for.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 Simulation ArgumentEver wonder if you’re living in a computer simulation? The roots of that argument come from Nick Bostrum and the details on it can be found here.How Much Power Output From Humans?Believe it or not, there have been respectable studies about the potential for the human body to generate power for small devices from everyday activities. A summary can be found here with some more in depth information here. Somewhat related, it’s worth considering the difference between the efficiency of solar energy power and the use of power from biofuels.The Matrix Starter PackThere are three books that are key to understanding the themes of The Matrix, and it seems they were required reading on set of the film. They are: Jean Baudrillard’s 1981 philosophical treatise Simulacra and Simulation, William Gibson’s seminal work of cyberpunk fiction Neuromancer (which has yet to get the screen adaptation it deserves), and 1995’s Out of Control by Kevin Kelly.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For a more recent take on a sci-fi dystopia, allow us to recommend our Squid Game episode!The disturbing practical effects of the Neo awakening scene does recall some of the more unsettling cyberpunk aspects of RoboCop, which we covered here.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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  41:31
• FINAL DESTINATION - Can You Really Cheat DEATH?!?

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”Han Solo (wait…wrong franchise!)Ever just get one of those feelings? A faint chill, a little crawling of the skin that tells you that maybe the path you’re currently on is the wrong one and that something terrible is about to happen. You’ve heard the saying “like someone just walked over my grave,” right? Well, some Hollywood genius decided to build an entire film franchise around this concept with Final Destination and the franchise is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary and gearing up to release its sixth film (Final Destination Bloodlines) later this year!That first Final Destination movie is packed with memorable moments. And gruesome as some of them are, most of the deaths in Final Destination are things we’ve all lost sleep over, whether it’s a mid-air disaster, a bus accident, and others. But unlike other horror movies, it isn’t about the deaths so much as it is about Death…the very personification of Death, who isn’t amused when someone sees what’s coming and escapes their fate. And while you probably don’t have to worry too much about Death itself taking revenge on you, the concept of precognition, the ability to see or sense events before they happen, isn’t as far-fetched as you might think. We have a scientist to dig into that, and a pop culture expert to make sure that Death’s plans all vibe on screen. What have our hosts foreseen? Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? to find out!https://youtu.be/fOHjYRr4S_ISUGGESTED VIEWING There are five (currently released) Final Destination movies, but we focused our discussion this episode on the first film, 2000’s Final Destination from director James Wong who also had a hand in the screenplay with Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick.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! Clairvoyance and PrecognitionJust like Hakeem says about his own experiences, scientific study of these phenomena isn’t getting laughed out of the room in academia these days. Will that continue? Well, we’ve got a feeling…Cognition + Time = ?To be fair, Hakeem didn’t present this exactly as an equation, but these are the two key components of precognition. Key to this is “the relativity of simultaneity” which has weirdly come up in other episodes, but is particularly relevant here. See also: The Andromeda ParadoxQuantum EntanglementWe’re not entirely sure we follow Hakeem here, but it seems to involve both you and your future self. Which isn’t strictly the definition of quantum entanglement, but it’s still pretty awesome!The True Story of Final Destination Well…sorta! But as Tamara pointed out, one of the writers did indeed have this movie percolating for a while because of an allegedly real event. Imagine how different things would have been had this movie only ended up as an episode of The X-Files. It could have happened!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?We try not to do TOO many horror movie episodes, lest we incur Tamara’s wrath, but check out our episodes on Smile (for some more weird modern horror) and The Wolf Man (for some classic monster action)!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DOES IT FLY? on:♦ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1♦ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doesitflypodAnd don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment for more sci-fi insights:♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roddenberryofficial/♦ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roddenberry♦ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/roddenberrypod.bsky.socialFor Advertising Inquiries: [email protected]

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  48:18
• 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

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