Does It Fly?

• Putting M3GAN on Trial!

  “I have a new primary user now…me.”The title character from M3GAN being bratty.When the first trailers for the original M3GAN arrived, nobody quite expected it to be one of the horror movie sensations of recent years. But it sure did! Or, we should say, she sure did. Because like all the best horror movie protagonists who go by their first names alone (Freddy, Jason, you get the picture), M3GAN became a pop culture force all her own.And for all the fun ridiculousness contained in that film (and, presumably, in the sequel, M3GAN 2.0 which is now in theaters), it actually raised some interesting philosophical questions. Of course, here at Does it Fly? we’re interested in the actual mechanics of building and designing M3GAN herself, but we also are fascinated by the implications of using a realistic A.I. as a therapeutic device. Maybe M3GAN isn’t the most nuanced subject for those conversations, but we dive into them, nonetheless.We also had some of the most fun we’ve had this year in our final section, putting M3GAN “on trial” for her actions, with our hosts, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi (prosecution) and Tamara Krinsky, Esq. (ok, not really, but she’s a hell of a defense attorney in this case) throw vibes out the window this week, so we’ll see you in court!All this and more in the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…https://youtu.be/nteIYlCFAUISUGGESTED VIEWING If you’re reading this, you already saw M3GAN, right? Good. If not, despite its somewhat campy reputation, it really is a fun piece of sci-fi with a horror edge and it absolutely deserved to be the box office hit it was. Just note that we hadn’t seen M3GAN 2.0 at the time of recording.While 2004’s I, Robot isn’t beloved by Asimov purists (see our “further reading” section below), it’s better than its reputation suggests and comes from frequently underrated director Alex Proyas, so that’s good enough for us if you want a little context for the “three laws of robotics” discussed here.Tamara also brings up Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report as a film about a technology that has theoretically good intentions…until it’s put into practice and immediately abused. 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 Your M3GAN (please do not do this)There are three elements of M3GAN that are rooted in science fact but ultimately keep her as science fiction.Fine Motor ControlWe’ve mentioned the incredible work in humanoid (and canine) robotics being done by Boston Dynamics before, but they don’t quite have the dexterity of M3GAN…yet.“Apparent Reasoning”Getting into all of the ins and outs of artificial intelligence and the debates surrounding it is beyond the scope of this show, but even ardent A.I. supporters admit that “true general intelligence” or the ability for machines to actually reason, isn’t a thing…yet. Read more here.Power DensityEven assuming these other things were possible, the battery life of M3GAN is beyond the current “power density” of anything out there…for now.Asimov’s LawsAs Tamara references, courtesy of Asimov’s short story collection, I, Robot…see if you can spot how many of these M3GAN breaks!A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.Kids, Technology, Attention Spans…As Hakeem and Tamara discuss, while technology can be used therapeutically for kids, like anything else, there are potential drawbacks, particularly with attention spans. The Fisher-Price bear hackEven though this happened over a decade ago, it’s still a warning light to heed!Hakeem’s Favorite AstronautOK, yes, Cady Coleman does seem pretty awesome.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For other humanoid robot fun with deep and potentially terrifying implications, have you seen our Blade Runner episode? Or might we suggest RoboCop?The new How to Train Your Dragon is currently in theaters and we took a look at the evolutionary possibilities of dragons right here.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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  48:40
• The Evolutionary Case for REAL DRAGONS!

  How to Train Your Dragon is only the latest piece in a cultural puzzle that dates back thousands of years. How realistic are dragons, anyway?“While other places have ponies or parrots, we have…dragons.”When you think of modern day animated classics, the first projects that people tend to think of are the titans of Disney/Pixar. But under no circumstances should you sleep on the brilliant people at Dreamworks Animation who have their own share of legitimate masterpieces in the form of the Shrek franchise, last year’s brilliant The Wild Robot, and the endlessly impressive How to Train Your Dragon franchise. And when it comes to the central concept of that franchise, dragons, well…the folks at Dreamworks have done it about as well as anybody ever has!Think about it. The use of dragons in storytelling far transcends the “pop culture” label. Forget movies, TV, and animation, there’s literature, mythology, and something in our collective unconscious that compels us to keep returning to the familiar imagery associated with them. While we usually associate dragons with a particularly European flavor of fantasy, if you pick any culture or society, you’ll probably find a dragon myth or story. That’s how pervasive they are.Not only that, but they’re timeless! Some of the biggest franchises of not just the last century, but this century, prominently feature dragons. Lord of the Rings, Dungeons & Dragons, Game of Thrones, and yes, How to Train Your Dragon are proof that some old-fashioned concepts never really go out of style. Is it possible that with a slight evolutionary shift we could have ended up with dragons crowding our skies? And why IS the dragon concept so universal, anyway?All this and more in the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…https://youtu.be/Ww84E8udLrASUGGESTED VIEWING We based much of our discussion in this episode on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, specifically How to Train Your Dragon, How to Train Your Dragon 2, and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. We hadn’t seen the live action remake that’s currently in theaters at the time of recording.But while we have your attention, we’d like to direct you to a nearly forgotten piece of dragon-related media. 1981’s Dragonslayer is a remarkably dark piece of fantasy from a forgotten period where Disney was experimenting with more adult themes in its work. It’s not quite Game of Thrones but there’s plenty of gore and some sexy themes that you wouldn’t expect. It’s also the rare dragon flick that’s genuinely scary at times!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! Flying Reptiles?!?While it’s natural to think in terms of the pterodactyl when thinking of real world parallels to dragons, those weren’t the only flying reptiles of that long ago age. But you might also want to consider a reptile that is still flying around today, the Draco lizard, when you wonder how dragons might eventually evolve. As long as they have hollow bones….Convergent Evolution and Evolutionary BottlenecksHakeem takes us on quite a journey as he tries to explain the processes by which dragons could have evolved. But two fo the key concepts involve evolutionary bottlenecks (which likely influenced human development) and the concept of convergent evolution, which would help explain why dragons were to develop very specific and distinctive traits (check out a bunch of real world examples right here).But What About Fire-Breathing?You might think that a fire-breathing dragon is far-fetched, but we’d like to remind you of the existence of the electric eel, the bombardier beetle, and the spitting cobra, all of which have distinctive self defense mechanisms that are pretty alien to humans. So the idea that a dragon could contain methanogens in its gut that provide the fuel for a fire might not be that far-fetched after all!Read the Books!A quick reminder that the How to Train Your Dragon movies were based on a book series by Cressida Cowell. Check ‘em out!“We have wonder…”That lovely quote from Dean Deblois that Tamara found comes from the documentary special feature, Where No One Goes: The Making of How to Train Your Dragon 2, which covers a lot more ground than just that second movie!The Hero’s JourneyAs Tamara points out, if you haven’t read Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, that will unlock so many touchpoints in the stories you love that you won’t look at your favorite franchise the same way again!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For some of our other takes on excellent modern animation, check out our episodes on The Incredibles and Big Hero 6!Need more Does it Fly? fantasy deep dives in your life? We’ve examined The Witcher and Lord of the Rings in previous episodes!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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  51:04
• Could The Traps in The Goonies REALLY Work?

  "Ye intruders beware.Crushing death and grief,Soaked with blood,Of the trespassing thief."With that ominous passage inscribed upon a map, the timeless adventure of The Goonies begins. And what an adventure it is! Equally influenced by golden age of Hollywood swashbuckling pirate movies like Michael Curtiz’s Captain Blood, vintage movie serials that also inspired the likes of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Carl Barks’ classic Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics, The Goonies is almost a literal thrill-a-minute film. Packed with (sometimes literal) cliffhangers, subterranean mazes, maps, mysteries, and traps. So many traps! The kinds of traps you might associate with classic Scooby-Doo cartoons but brought to live action with stunning realism and peril all with a Rube Goldberg flair. Traps that wouldn’t be out of place in producer Spielberg’s Indiana Jones franchise, made all the more perilous because it’s a cast of kids being put in danger.So when it came time for us to think up a concept to celebrate the (wanna feel old?) 40th anniversary of The Goonies, we had two choices: It was either the traps or how it’s possible that Cyndi Lauper could turn what could have very easily have been a mediocre soundtrack cash-in like “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” into a piece of songwriting perfection…or the traps.  We went with the traps. And considering how much ancient history is riddled with real life deathtraps, well…you might be surprised at what we find when we start delving in to the mechanisms of these devices. It’s not just whether they work…it’s whether they would still work hundreds of years later!Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…if you’re good enough…https://youtu.be/-b-Pm2yTHYMSUGGESTED VIEWING Seen The Goonies? Good, go watch it again. Haven’t? Go watch it twice. You can thank us later.But also, you might want to check out a couple of other ‘80s classics that are part of this film’s DNA. The Goonies falls somewhere on the spectrum between Steven Spielberg’s (who produced this film) all-timer Raiders of the Lost Ark and Rob Reiner’s R-rated coming of age quest movie Stand By Me. You might also want to check out The Monster Squad as a film which tried to mimic this movie’s magic in a different context. And of course, its legacy is felt pretty keenly in Stranger Things…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!There are two key ingredients to the traps as depicted in The Goonies, both of which are very rooted in real life: the legacy of Rube Goldberg and the actual security measures from ancient tombs and structures.Rube Goldberg MachinesYou might not realize it, but you know what a Rube Goldberg Machine is. If you ever saw a Looney Tunes cartoon where some absurdly complicated device with many steps performs a simple task (usually set to this distinctive music) then you’re already familiar. And while reading about Rube Goldberg and his bizarre creations is one thing (which you can do here) you really should see them to get the full effect.“Tomb Security”The trope that everyone is familiar with thanks to everything from Indiana Jones movies to Pirates of the Caribbean to DuckTales is…mostly true! Maybe not in terms of giant boulders being triggered to roll over you, but in lots of other ways.Usually, these are depicted as part of some kind of “curse” that befalls would-be grave-robbers. Other times they are based in the very real discovery of what appear to be unfortunate human sacrifices. In all cases, these “security measures” are part of elaborate attempts to keep sacred sites undisturbed. And in one, there’s even an “army” standing guard…if only they moved!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?The allegedly final installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise is in theaters now and we examined an iconic moment from its past!Final Destination Bloodlines is here and we went back to the very beginning to examine the central concept of the franchise. 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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  50:13
• The Mission: Impossible Technology That's ALREADY HERE!

  “This podcast will self-destruct in 5 seconds…”We’ve often talked on this show about the potential of science fiction to become science fact. It’s fairly common for even the most out-there concepts discussed here to be on the verge of becoming reality, even if they don’t yet fly in the real world, they sometimes will soon. It’s more rare for us to tackle a concept that seemed like pure fantasy at the time but that has almost become reality in the present day.But such is the case with Mission: Impossible III and the voice cloning device. As you’ll see in this week’s episode, this is one piece of spy tech that is suddenly no longer as unrealistic as it was in 2006 when the movie was released. But perhaps more relevant for today are the ethical implications around the existing technology’s use…or misuse, as is so often sadly the case.Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? to learn more…Watch the video version of this episode here! https://youtu.be/9fRFdjq0iR4SUGGESTED VIEWING The Mission: Impossible franchise now encompasses a whopping eight movies when you factor in the release of this year’s Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Something tells us that movie isn’t the final anything for these movies, but that’s another story. ANYWAY…Our episode today is based primarily around Mission: Impossible III, directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. And if those names sound familiar to folks tuning in to this Roddenberry production, you’re right, and Tamara gets into just how pivotal this movie ended up being for Paramount and some other key franchises in the episode. Hold your horses, we’ll get to it!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!Voice Cloning via A.I.As Hakeem points out, this technology seemed pretty far-fetched in 2006 when Mission: Impossible III was released, but actually exists (kinda) today! While there are websites out there that will allow you to enter text and get audio that mimics a celebrity voice, we’re not super sure how we feel about that. But here’s a pretty well regarded text to voice A.I. service for you to play around with.The Physiology of Voice ChangingFor a quick overview of how your voice actually works, you’ll want to go here. This should give you a new appreciation for how impressionists are able to uncannily mimic other human voices (not to mention non-human sounds). Think of legends like Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, or the incomparable Rich Little for people who didn’t need tech to do this. It’s the kind of thing that everyone thinks they can do, but it’s a unique talent when it can be done right.Noise CancelationIt’s obviously not a 1:1 ratio here, but the science of how noise canceling headphones work is informative when it comes to how this theoretical device might be able to change your voice in real time as you’re speaking. That Poem is RealThe poem that Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Owen Davian is forced to read at gunpoint in this movie in order to get his voice saying every possible sound in the English language? It’s real and it has a kind of amusing story from its author behind it.The Mission: Impossible and Star Trek ConnectionSome of what Tamara details about the early production and creative struggles of Mission: Impossible III can be found here. For some earlier connections between the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises, check this out!The Challenges of Voice ActorsA.I. has become a central issue in the labor struggles facing all creative talent recently, including actors. Fortunately, one group of voice actors has banded together to try and get more recognition for their craft.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?The Mission: Impossible movies follow in the tradition of the James Bond franchise in their embrace of wild but plausible technology. We took a look at not one, not two, but three pieces of such tech in our episode on Goldfinger which you can watch here.Final Destination Bloodlines is in theaters now and we went back to the very beginning to examine the central concept of the franchise. 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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  49:45
• Are Real Replicants From Blade Runner Coming?

  Blade Runner takes the concept of A.I. to its logical conclusion by merging it with artificial consciousness and biology. Is this the future we’re headed toward?“Wake up, time to die!”LeonWhen Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner was first brought to the screen in 1982, the notion of “artificial intelligence” as we have come to know it, was a niche subject at best. If you can believe it, the idea of a personal computer in every home (never mind in your pocket) was enough of a novelty for most people that the concept of androids so lifelike that you could barely tell them apart from actual human beings felt about as far-fetched as a lightsaber or a chestburster, despite the film’s low key and distinctly film noir approach to science fiction.Ah, but what a difference a couple of decades makes. Today your social media feeds are flooded with lifelike AI images of people who don’t exist, swarmed with engagement by bots, depicts video of events that never took place and even music that was never composed by a human. People talk to ChatGPT when they’re lonely. While that’s still an order of magnitude away from putting an indistinguishable artificial intelligence into a similarly indistinguishable biomechanical body, who knows what advances in technology might bring us in another 20 years?Which brings us to our latest episode, which as you can probably figure out, is putting the concept of replicants from Blade Runner to the test.Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here… https://youtu.be/GU8SgYWDaMISUGGESTED VIEWING There’s more to the Blade Runner franchise than you might initially suspect, but for our discussion in this episode we only focused on the two feature films, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. Everything you need to know is contained in those, and honestly, there are those among us who think the sequel might surpass the original in some ways.But if you want to dive into the entire screen franchise in timeline order, we’ve got a handy viewing list for you.  Blade RunnerBlade Runner Black Out 2022 (anime short film)Blade Runner: Black Lotus (anime TV series)2036: Nexus Dawn (short film)2048: Nowhere to Run (short film)Blade Runner 2049FURTHER 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! Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel forms the basis for the entire Blade Runner franchise. It’s considerably different from the first movie, although elements of it also made it into Blade Runner 2049.Building Replicant BodiesThere are two key parts of the scientific debate surrounding replicants. Let’s start with the physical, because these aren’t mere robots, they’re biological organisms in their own right. Hakeem points to the field of regenerative medicine (perhaps best known to the general public for work with stem cells) for its ability to grow working organs and body parts in lab conditions as the first key to bringing artificial humans to life in a way that would be almost undetectable.See also: organoids and artificial wombs for some of the more stunning possibilities.Artificial ConsciousnessThere’s a difference between artificial intelligence (which is a rapidly evolving field and one we continue to litigate the ethics of as it relates to creativity) and artificial consciousness. The replicants as depicted in Blade Runner, especially the film’s villain, Roy Batty, would seem to have achieved consciousness and an attendant awareness and fear of their own mortality. And there are indeed people studying the possibility of artificial consciousness and the ethical implications that might come with that.Talk to us when there’s artificial empathy, then we might feel better (and of course, there’s a test for that!).“Night, Wet, Smoke”The three key visual ingredients Ridley Scott used to create his sci-fi noir are discussed in detail here.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For a different look at artificial life, cybernetics, and the intersection between humanity and machine, check out our episode on RoboCop right here!This isn’t the first Ridley Scott movie we’ve tackled here. Check out our look at the original Alien and the terrifying perfection of the xenomorph right here.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow Does It Fly? 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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  54:44

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