For Episode #17, fittingly a prime number, the Pavement Pounders discuss Contact, by Carl Sagan, and the 1997 film adapted from it. Big thanks to Rem from The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast for recommending it!
Full Spoiler alert! Asterisms discussed! Swedish Radio Astronomy considered! The Drake Equation pondered! And also the crucial question of why, for the love of God and the sanity of Seth, don’t movie people run like real people run?
Alternate titles:
- What happens on Vega stays on Vega
- Vega Vacation!
- I’m Getting Only Vega Messages
Pounder Rankings!:
Colin/James/Seth:
- movie
- book
(Unanimity is rare, but it has to happen sometimes. It’s probably in the Drake Equation.)
Notes:
Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Contact:
http://sci-fimoviepodcast.com/sci-fi-movie-podcast-contact/
Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Rise of the Planet of the Apes, featuring Seth:
http://sci-fimoviepodcast.com/sci-fi-movie-podcast-rise-planet-apes/
Carl Sagan’s Letter About the Screenplay:
http://io9.com/5931333/read-carl-sagans-letter-politely-telling-warner-bros-their-script-sucked
Phil Plait’s review of the film:
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/movies/contact.html
Do Astronauts carry suicide pills?
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/10/astronauts-and-suicide-pills.html
Should we broadcast to aliens:
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/be-or-not-be-signaling-aliens-question-seti-n305546
Rise/Set/Transit Times for Major Solar System Bodies and Bright Stars:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/mrst.php
xkcd:
Drake Equation: http://xkcd.com/384/
The Search: http://xkcd.com/638/
Fundamental Forces: http://xkcd.com/1489/
Seth’s Review of Contact:
http://seth.heasley.net/blog/2015/02/book-review-contact-by-carl-sagan