This week on the Science Faction Podcast, we’re traveling through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, revisiting the worlds of Stephen King, and diving into the neon-soaked chaos of Cyberpunk. Meanwhile, we’re questioning everything we learned in high school, examining the dangers of permanent daylight saving time, and confronting some sobering new research about alcohol. Plus, Devon checks in on the midterm elections and a changing political landscape in Texas.
Real Life
Devon kicks things off with a look at the midterm election results, particularly in Texas, where the political landscape may be shifting. It’s a new day in the Lone Star State, and Devon has plenty to say about what the results could mean moving forward.
Ben has been preparing for Avengers: Doomsday the only reasonable way he knows how: watching nothing but Avengers movies. From The Avengers in a hotel room to Age of Ultron on a plane, followed by Infinity War and Endgame over the weekend, Ben is getting reacquainted with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. But there’s still the question of the new material from Avengers: Encore. Is there a legitimate way to watch it, or are we all just going to end up hunting for clips on YouTube?
Steven has his sights set on two very different fictional universes. First, Stephen King is returning to the world he created with Peter Straub in The Talisman with the third installment, Other Worlds Than These. What can readers expect from this long-awaited continuation of the fantasy-horror series?
Then it’s back to Night City with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 and the latest additions to the Cyberpunk RED: Combat Zone miniature skirmish game. Monster Fight Club is bringing the Santo Domingo crew into the action with a new box set, giving players even more ways to wage war on the tabletop.
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Future or Now
Devon asks whether permanent daylight saving time might be a terrible idea. A new study suggests that keeping our clocks permanently shifted forward could result in American children making at least two billion additional school commutes in darkness. Researchers also found that fatal pedestrian crashes involving school-aged children were roughly twice as likely during dark mornings compared with commutes after sunrise. Between safety concerns and disruptions to our biological clocks, maybe those extra hours of evening sunlight aren’t worth the cost.
Read the daylight saving time study
Ben takes us on a trip down memory lane with The Retro Codex, a website that asks a simple question: How much of what you learned in school is now wrong? Enter the year you graduated high school, and the site reveals scientific facts, historical assumptions, and conventional wisdom that have since been revised or outright disproven. It’s a fascinating reminder that knowledge doesn’t stand still, even if our high school textbooks did.
Steven wraps things up with some research that might make you reconsider your next drink. A major new study challenges the long-standing belief that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for your health. Researchers found that even relatively small amounts of alcohol may increase the risks of cancer, heart disease, and premature death, with no overall health benefits from drinking. The findings suggest that consuming more than one alcoholic beverage per day can significantly increase long-term health risks. So much for that daily glass of wine being good for your heart.
Read the alcohol and health study
From superhero marathons and cyberpunk warfare to scientific discoveries that challenge what we thought we knew, this episode has a little bit of everything. Join Steven, Ben, and Devon for another round of science, pop culture, questionable wisdom, and the usual Science Faction nonsense.
Thanks for listening to the Science Faction Podcast!
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