Democratic Primary Governor’s Race, Uncharted Places On Earth, Wisconsin Laws Increasingly Decided In Courts, Tatooine

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We may think the world has been completely explored, but we talk to a guest who says the world is still pretty mysterious. He shares some of the most secret places on Earth. Then we explore the impact on the science community from a fictional planet from Star Wars. We also look at some of the most high-profile laws in Wisconsin that are being decided in the courts instead of legisative chambers. And we hear a report on the Democratic primary governor’s race.

Featured in this Show

  • 'Star Wars' Fans Use Fictional Planet Of Tatooine As Tool For Explaining Science

    A long-ish time ago, in a studio far, far away, the planet Tatooine was created by George Lucas for the movie “Star Wars” to be the home of film protagonist Luke Skywalker. The desert world, however, has also recently taken on a new role: The subject of a science lesson.

    Scientists and science writers are taking part in an online Tatooine Science Carnival, using the fictional planet to help explain biology, climatology and other real-life disciplines.

    Matt Shipman, a science writer and public information officer at North Carolina State University, said he came up with the idea to apply real-life science to a fictional planet when he wondered why the animals on this desert planet were so enormous. He took the question to Twitter and received active interest among fellow “Star Wars” fans.

    Although scientists spend their working hours immersed in real-life facts and figures, Shipman said they were quick to take part in this theoretical discussion centered on made-up life forms.

    “I think if you did a Venn diagram of scientists and science fiction fans, there would be an enormous amount of overlap,” Shipman said. “So, encouraging people to talk about what they know best – science – while talking about something they really love — “Star Wars” — it engendered a great deal of enthusiasm.”

    It might be easy to watch “Star Wars ”and point out the scientific inaccuracies that exist, but Shipman said everybody who participated in the Tatooine Science Carnival simply had fun with it.

    “We’re simply doing something we thought would be a lot of fun,” he said. “If we’re doing anything, we’re sort of celebrating ‘Star Wars’ rather than denigrating ‘Star Wars.’”

  • Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, And Other Inscrutable Geographies

    With the rise of the Internet and globalization, you might think the world has been completely explored, with no stone unturned. A social geographer says there are still some mysterious, uncharted places on Earth. He discusses some of these unruly places and why place is so important to human life.

  • Wisconsin Laws Are Increasingly Decided In Courts, Not In Legislative Chambers

    In politics, legal challenges are nothing new, but there’s been an increase in the frequency of high-profile laws being challenged in Wisconsin courts. A politics reporter discusses this phenomenon and some of the high-profile laws making their way through the courts.

  • What Tatooine Can Teach Us About Real World Science

    What can a fictional movie planet teach us about real world science? A lot, according to science writers in the Tatooine Science Carnival, who use the Star Wars planet to illustrate principles of biology, climatogy and more.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Cynthia Schuster Producer
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Matt Shipman Guest
  • Alastair Bonnett Guest
  • Jason Stein Guest
  • David Shiffman Guest

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