Episode 481: The Post-Movie Funzies

Science Faction Podcast

Pre-show Patreon Only: Void Train and other train games, Fallout 4

This episode contains: A chill post-Thanskgiving episode with Steven and Ben. Turns out people get tired after eating smoked turkey and phǒ (phǒ real? phǒget about it), at least people over 40. Good times with family. These kids are talking and love Bluey. If you’re of a certain age, you may not know Bluey, but you should. Are there new Bluey episodes? Not yet, but there is a new Bluey video game. Ben apologizes for talking about old Steam Deck issues, but he’s really not sorry, is he? Anyways, the most recent update (3.5) fixed the issues his son had, so this is just an old man shouting at the cloud. BTW, 30 years ago was not 1970, Steven. You poor thing. Steven was not prepared for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off on Netflix, which looks like the comic book, has all the actors for the movie, and then runs with a “What If?” story, completely changing the Scott Pilgrim story at a fundamental level. Our patron Renee met Mark Hamill while she and her family were all dressed like Leia. Mark Hamill is so lucky. Ben asks Steven to go on a date to see The Abyss Special Edition for his birthday, but it’s in Santa Maria, and Steven will never spend another birthday in “that hellhole” if he can help it.

Brain Matters: Our brains are not able to 'rewire' themselves, despite what most scientists believe, new study argues.

According to the article, two scientists argue that the commonly held belief that the brain can rewire itself and repurpose regions for new functions after injury or deficit is flawed. Through analyzing previous studies, they found no compelling evidence that areas like the visual cortex of blind individuals or uninjured areas after stroke took on entirely new functions.

Instead, they believe the brain enhances existing latent abilities through learning and repetition, not completely changing functions. So for example, when someone loses a finger, the area for that finger already got some input from neighboring fingers, it just enhances that after amputation. Their view is that understanding true brain plasticity limits is important for patient expectations and rehabilitation approaches. The brain's ability to adapt comes from hard work, not magical reassignment of resources.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231121175335.htm

Pure energy (like that song from Information Society, and Leonard Nimoy): Generating Power on Earth From the Coldness of Deep Space.

This article discusses the concept of generating power on Earth by utilizing the coldness of deep space. It explores the principles of thermodynamics, thermoelectric power generation, and radiative cooling. The article also presents various prototypes and experiments conducted to harness energy from the coldness of space, including the use of selective emitters and negative illumination photovoltaic cells. While the technology is still under development, it shows potential for powering low-power electronics and lighting, offering a sustainable energy solution.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy-from-cold

Mid-show Patreon Only: Limp Bizkit is making a comeback? Maybe you don’t want to hear it.

Science Fiction: Steven finally saw The Marvels with his wife. He liked it, but his wife was lost. Why is that? Well, if you haven’t seen Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Wandavision, Secret Invasion (but not really), LOKI, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuANTumania, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers Endgame or X-Men: The Last Stand, maybe you’re gonna be a little lost. Steven and Ben both agree: that’s a little much for the normies, but it’s also a little much for these tired old comic book nerds (like our valiant podcast hosts). With so much discussion about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ben says we’ve got to talk about something else, so what does he do? It’s DC time. My Adventures with Superman is a cartoon on Adult Swim and Max that is worth watching, and Ben gives just enough spoilers to whet Steven’s appetite. Maybe you would like it too. Steven always forgets that Superman is Ben’s jam, at least when anybody other than Zach Snyder is at the helm. What is Ben’s favorite Superman movie? Wouldn’t you like to know.

Post-show Patreon Only: The Flash movie, we have thoughts on how to fix the MCU