January 30, 2017 8:00 pm

Tuesday, Bill Nye and Chuck Nice Talk Science Fiction on TV

Who better to answer fan-submitted Cosmic Queries about science fiction on TV than our own Bill Nye the Science Guy? Bill and co-host Chuck Nice flip channels between Star Trek, Lost in Space, Gilligan’s Island, Lost, and more.

As a long time Trekkie himself, Bill has no hesitation jumping into the conversation about all things Star Trek. From phasers to teleportation, he and Chuck dive deep into the science behind Star Trek. They also discuss how the show’s success was due, in part, to the optimistic outlook it portrayed of the future, as well as the vital role the show played, and still plays, for the empowerment of women. Chuck fantasizes about chatting it up with Mr. Spock and Bill talks about Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura in the original series, and her conversations with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

You’ll also learn which technology from science fiction is right around the corner, like force fields, inertial dampers, sub-space radio, and tractor beams.

Our fans didn’t just ask Cosmic Queries about Star Trek, or for that matter, TV. Discover why the key to making hypersleep a reality for astronauts might involve studying bears and squirrels. A fan also asked us if using seawater and coconuts can power gadgets similar to the ones seen on Gilligan’s Island. Another fan asks what Back to the Future’s “flux capacitor” would be like in reality, which allows Bill to set the record straight on time travel. Also hear why Bill and Chuck have a problem with the stormtrooper armor in Star Wars.

Bill has never been one to shy away from the discussion on climate change, and the subject appears more than once in the episode. As usual, our Lightning Round offers some great rapid-fire questions like: “Is it possible to convert sound waves into energy?,” “What are the chances of humanity recovering after a catastrophic event?,” and most importantly, “Could Rick’s portal gun from Rick and Morty ever exist?”

If you want to surf through science fiction television, then please join us tomorrow night for Science Fiction on TV, with Bill Nye, at 7pm EDT right here on our website, as well as our new All-Stars channels on iTunes Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn. And if you’re an All-Access subscriber, you can watch or listen to this episode ad-free at 7pm, too. (Warning: Adult Language.)

That’s it for now. Keep Looking Up!
– Ian Mullen