Substack, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon
So, What is this Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast?
Hello there, welcome to the Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast. Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction and fantasy.
It’s like listening to a panel at your favorite Comic Con, where we will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring science, fantasy, horror, and pop-culture. Separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes.
It will not just be us rambling, fumbling and tumbling down the rabbit hole, but we will invite creators, thinkers and innovators on to join the lively conversation exploring the quirky science in fiction.
We are Jotham (Joe) Austin, II, a research scientist and author; Nick Elizalde, roaster of the coffee bean, entrepreneur and pop culture guru; Georgia Geis (@atomic_number14), librarian, storyteller, and print maker, and Mary Schons (Librarian).
We know you have many choices of entertainment, so we will keep the episodes short, about the time it takes to drink a tasty beverage. So, please join us on this journey down the rabbit hole.
Play below (if on mobile click three-lined bar to expand episodes) or follow the Podcast at your favorite Podcast Provider or you can subscribe below to my newsletter and get email updates:
Substack, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon
You can always email (I do answer back), or follow me online for real time tracking. And keep reading to see what I read or listened to when I had time.
Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, and pop-culture. We will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes.
In Episode 87: The Mini, Joe and Georgia welcome Nick back, recap the Disability in Horror episode, and add a bit more to the conversation. Joe forgot to mention during the episode one of his favorite characters, Nick Andros from Stephen King’s The Stand (which he reads almost every year). They touch on disability representation lacking and casting controversy across both screen adaptations of The Stand, and highlight MCU characters and actors that do it right. Listener Alex also mentioned stories and characters in fiction that he felt got disability right: Graphic novels featuring Hawkeye and Echo. The graphic novel Wytches is problematic and added that in The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon’s disability was portrayed well, but the reason she became disabled was problematic.
Science Holes: Nick talks about a plague death in a Russian lab that is being compared to COVID (the crew puts this into context and you shouldn’t panic). Georgia was intrigued by two Instagram Clickbait Reels, one on LED lights and health (Joe gives tips for critically reviewing sensational findings) and the other claiming fake eggs are already in your grocery cart (a little misleading twist of the facts to get clicks). Then Joe opens a can of worms talking about an AI that was trained on “what goes into a burger” and developed something a panel of 101 tasters liked better than a Big Mac (also came up with a tasty bean burger and a sustainable mushroom burger). Nick was not impressed and challenged the AI to a cookoff.
Subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter for more updates and awesomeness.
Order the Touch of Noir 2027 Wall Calendar by Jim and Georgia—
12 months of all-original art by Jim and Georgia; pre-orders open now, with mailing expected in September
Words // Friends with Sara: Replay on YouTube
Jump to Joe’s Reading (But you should listen to all the amazing authors)
Check out what the RHR crew is creating:
Joe:
Named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of the 35 Writers to Watch!
Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe!
Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else?
Future Events to Hang with the Crew:
Podcast Cross-Appearances
Joe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe Compton
The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer’s This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine
Events & Conventions:
Joe:
Art show Ultrastructure: Science is Fun, with Carol Estes at Promise You Art House in Highland IN, October 10th, 10-3pm
Family Day: Seeing the Invisible World to Build a New One; in conjunction with the fall exhibition: teamLab: Everything Exists in Infinite Continuity, at the Smart Museum of Art In Hyde Park, IL, Nov 14th, 11-3pm
Art and Science lecture about Zombies: Dec 10th
Georgia:
The inaugural 4th Street Print Fest exhibit at Chesterton Art Center is still up (go check out Georgia’s artwork and a panel with Georgia on Nov 7th). The exhibit goes until November 28th.
Black, White and Gray Exhibition — Fulton Street Collective, Chicago
Upcoming Episodes
*The Mini is every other episode!
Episode 88: Crazies
Recorded at Reed’s Local with Melissa and Luc
Episode 90: Witch Please
Guest: Bill Halliar (@skeletongue)
Episode 92: Surviving After the Apocalypse
Guest: Wil McCarthy
Episode 94: Doomsday series 1: Dr. Doom, Science and Alchemy
Guest: Rengasayee (Sai) Veeraraghavan, PhD
Episode 96: Doomsday series 2: Building Dr. Doom and His World
Guest: Julio A. Guerra (@artedeguerra)
Episode 98: Season 3 recap
Guest: TBA
It’s science for Weirdos
Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. And to see all the content (studio images and artwork) subscribe to the Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter!
Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next Rabbit Hole. Love Y’all!
Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe
