Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: David Cronenberg's "The Shrouds" is a meditation on death, loss, and the power of grief. A grieving tech entrepreneur creates "GraveTech" for a live, 3D view of the decomposing corpse of loved ones. youtu.be/vwh1Fob4VKs?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: In "Long Distance," an asteroid mining vessel crashes into a barren planet, and a survivor learns that he's not alone. Fast-paced, intense tale of tale of endurance. youtu.be/zPDGiJGIgyo?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: 1961 Italian sci-fi potboiler "Battle of the Worlds" pits Claude Rains against a zombie planet threatening Earth. Full color, cool 'lectronic soundtrack, low budget but fun to watch. Full movie: youtu.be/FEhUitAddYs?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: Roger Corman’s cult clunker "Creature from Galaxy 27" (aka "Night of the Blood Beast") streams on YouTube, colorized. A cheesy Alien precursor: the creature implants embryos in humans. youtu.be/b36ZW8xOSII?...

Hugh Forrest, former President and longtime programming lead for Austin’s famed South by Southwest Festival, joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss shifting from running massive events to consulting on smaller community-focused experiences. plutopia.io/hugh-forrest...

Hugh Forrest, former President and longtime programming lead for Austin’s famed South by Southwest Festival, joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss shifting from running massive events to consulting on smaller community-focused experiences. plutopia.io/hugh-forrest...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: An astronaut returns from space with a mysterious alien infection in "The Quatermass Xperiment," the first of four Quatermass films, now remastered in 4K. We could do with more Quatermass these days. youtu.be/6Scm9my7Vaw?...

New @plutopia.io: our conversation with pioneer James L. Wayman on the history of biometrics. "People never have what you think they're going to have where you think they're going to have it.", plutopia.io/james-l-waym...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "There must be security for all, or no one is secure." We could use a visit from Klaatu about now. youtu.be/ASsNtti1XZs?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Alien: Earth" is partly about arrival of the infamous Xenomorph on planet earth, and partly about a world in which synthetic humans or androids are an emerging technology - synths, cyborgs, and hybrids. youtu.be/ZbsiKjVAV28?...

Acclaimed journalist John Seabrook joins Plutopia to discuss The Spinach King, his powerful new book about family, capitalism, and the dark legacy of Seabrook Farms, once a frozen food empire in NJ. A personal journey into buried truths. plutopia.io/john-seabroo...

Plutopia podcast: Chris Tomlinson joins us to unpack his reporting on the July 4th floods in Central Texas — why they were predictable and preventable — and to warn that American democracy is being endangered by aggressive redistricting and other election-rigging tactics. plutopia.io/chris-tomlin...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: The new screenlife "War of the Worlds" adaptation features Ice Cube as a government surveillance pro whose discovery of a secret plot is catalyzed by an alien invasion. Not great cinema, but an interesting approach to a classic story. youtu.be/sjlLLmURlEg?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: Sci-fi fans make trailers for imagined films, including this AI-generated trailer for a "Battlestar Galactica" reboot featuring Rami Malek, Willem Dafoe, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence. Good choices? youtu.be/4oxLLEql9sc?...

Cyberpunk author Pat Cadigan joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss her new novelization of the classic Japanese sci-fi series "Ultraseven." Also science fiction’s role in shaping cultural perspectives, the challenges of AI, and the increasing dangers of misinformation. plutopia.io/pat-cadigan-...

Philosopher Charles Herrman discusses his lifelong study of honor and dignity as cultural forces, framing them as a dichotomy shaping societies and conflicts worldwide. plutopia.io/charles-herr...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: The 2025 reboot of Superman delivers a more relatable, emotionally complex hero: less invincible, more human, and unapologetically progressive. Also a hyper Krypto, diverse metahumans , and a battle with Lex Luthor's surreal villainy. youtu.be/OfpXgjP4AOs?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: In "The Day the Earth Stood Still," the robot Gort was an alien AI in humanoid robotic form. In the story that inspired the film, "Farewell to the Master," the bot (as "Gnut") was actually the master over Klaatu. youtu.be/K6iF5sINVns?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: In "Alien Hunter," a cryptographer probes a mysterious object on the Antarctic ice. The eerie setting echoes "The Thing from Another World." Watch: youtu.be/HTNbj0HbhJg?...

Its been ruddy ages since I did a podcast, so here is a very recent interview that I did about buildings archaeology and Mythbusting with @plutopia.io ... complete with some fetching artwork that I *think* might be AI 🫣😉 plutopia.io/archaeology-...

Buildings archaeologist James Wright unpacks 25 years probing cellars, attics, castles, pubs, and church walls. Wright explains how he marries fieldwork, archival sleuthing, and dendrochronology to challenge cherished legends: plutopia.io/archaeology-...

Watch this compelling interview with @hrdag.org's Patrick Ball on @plutopia.io . "People who commit violence and, even more so, those who apologize for people who commit violence, always lie about it." youtu.be/7mG4Tt5rEEM?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: A pharma company recruits a covert operative for a top secret tropical mission to collect blood from mutant dinosaurs in "Jurassic World: Rebirth." What could go wrong? youtu.be/jan5CFWs9ic?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: We’ve been binging the Jurassic Park/World saga to prep for Jurassic World: Rebirth. The original still rules—our first glimpse of truly lifelike CGI creatures. Hard to top that dino magic. 🦖🎬 youtu.be/bx46tthKXmc?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: Utterly bonkers, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is big, loud, and fast. Built on a sci-fi “rogue AI” premise, it’s neither logical nor believable—but it’s a total blast if you can suspend disbelief. youtu.be/fsQgc9pCyDU?...

A statistician and founder of the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG), Patrick Ball joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss how rigorous data analysis can expose and challenge human rights abuses - even when official data is missing or manipulated. plutopia.io/patrick-ball...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: In the slightly bonkers, very loud "Beyond Skyline," humans fight powerful brain-absorbing bio-mechanical alien invaders. youtu.be/M2w1HMGaqFM?...

The @plutopia.io podcast talks to Neal Baer, TV writer (ER, Law & Order SVU) and editor of The Promise and Peril of CRISPR: plutopia.io/neal-baer-th...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Murderbot," as he has named himself, is a cyborganic SecUnit (security robot) with an interior life and an attitude. He has a dry wit, and is both fond and skeptical of the humans he protects. youtu.be/vEioDeOiqEs?...

Cybersecurity expert Jonathan Kamens discusses his dismissal from his role at the Department of Veterans Affairs by Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), and his thoughts about goals and intentions of the DOGE. plutopia.io/jonathan-kam...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: What causes the unbelievable to happen? Is this the "Beginning of the End"? In 1957, we thought radiation might create swarms of mutant grasshoppers - we made a film about it. Maybe the most schlocky of films triggered by fear of nukes. youtu.be/uqVL8blr-rw?...

Via @rusirius.bsky.social‬, on June 7th Cyberpunks, Mutants & Mondoids gather in San Francisco to "Come to the Gulf of Deliria," an all-night celebration of "The Smarter Kings of Deliria" album by R.U. Sirius & Phriendz, with featuring reality-hacking panels and talks. grayarea.org/event/come-t...

EFF's Cindy Cohn and EFF-Austin's Kevin Welch discuss with Plutopians the history and evolving mission of EFF in defending digital rights. plutopia.io/cindy-cohn-a...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: From the comic-book realm of science fiction, "Thunderbolts*" is the latest Marvel sci-fantasy film introducing a new band of heroes, or maybe anti-heroes, with special powers, chutzpah, and angst. Are we still having fun? youtu.be/-sAOWhvheK8?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: In "The Eternaut," a toxic snowfall blankets Buenos Aires, and survivors face threats from alien invaders... and from other humans. youtu.be/TqT4fDQQqCc?...

Will Kreth of HAND (Human and Digital) joins Plutopians to discuss the future of identity, digital media, and the growing threat of deepfakes. Listen! plutopia.io/will-kreth-h...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Andor" is back - in season 2, the final season, the Rebel Alliance is growing and evolving as Cassian and Bix struggle with personal demons and the moral complexity of conflict at scale. youtu.be/duN-KQgOjYs?...

Canadian climate scientist Michael Tobis joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss U.S.-Canadian relations. plutopia.io/michael-tobi...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Forbidden Planet" forecasts the best use of AI: Robby the Robot functions as a smart distillery. Drink up! youtu.be/84kTbRKy3Vg?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: Hilarious montage of Star Trek bits and pieces assembled and labeled as a supposedly "lost episode" of the series. Amusing fever dream for Star Trek fans... youtu.be/AUMZaR52YaA?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: Epic "Interstellar" begins as earth is dying and humans face extinction, and follows a voyage across galaxies and time searching for an a new home planet. youtu.be/2LqzF5WauAw?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: In "Omni Loop" a woman who writes about quantum physics has a black hole growing in her chest; with a week to live, she uses pills that trigger a time loop, hoping to find a cure before she dies. youtu.be/2URmAUEII9s?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Mickey 17" is an expendable human, subject to cloning via meat printer whenever he dies, which is often. What happens when he manages to survive while a new "Mickey" is printed? Great new sci-fi film from Bong Joon-Ho. youtu.be/osYpGSz_0i4?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "The Substance" is a surreal sci-fi nightmare of a film about an aging woman offered the chance to manifest her essence in a younger body - what could go wrong? youtu.be/LNlrGhBpYjc?...

Alan Watts details the extensive technical infrastructure behind Meow Wolf’s installations, emphasizing the complexity and cost of maintaining them. plutopia.io/alan-watts-o...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: Spoilers required to explain why "Paradise," the series currently streaming on Hulu, is science fiction. Before you watch, you'll have the impression it's a political thriller, which it is...but with sci-fi aspects. youtu.be/tCObCpYScdE?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "The Gorge" is a "rom-mon" (a romantic story with monsters) about two assassins finding love as they guard the supposed "doorway to Hell." youtu.be/rUSdnuOLebE?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "ISS": American and Russian astronauts on the International Space Station are drawn into conflict between their two countries. youtu.be/BywoLxuBgT0?...

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "The First Man Into Space" is a brave/stupid test pilot forced to eject into a mysterious dust, with violent consequences on the ground. Includes a high-speed car chase with a couple of now-ancient automobiles. youtu.be/94TEO7MKHJw?...

Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, a leading expert on electronic voting systems, discusses the vulnerabilities and shortcomings of modern voting technology, particularly the reliability of voter-verified paper ballots and the risks of electronic voting machines. plutopia.io/rebecca-merc...