Alien Crash Site

Alien Crash Site

A new InterPlanetary interview series from the Santa Fe Institute takes a page from the Strugatsky brothers' classic Soviet sci-fi novel, Roadside Picnic, to discuss a variety of transformative alien artifacts. Thirteen years ago, an alien civilization visited our planet, and left behind myriad, mysterious materials in their crash sites. These areas, Zones, behave very strangely, but the interplanetary items they contain could change the trajectory of our technological advancement. What appears as a hoop might actually be a perpetual-motion machine. What appears as a slime might alter space-time. Spend too much time in the Zone and your genes might mutate, your bones might dissolve, your body might be ground into meat. If you’re lucky enough to make it out alive, you’ll likely be imprisoned. But a successful trip in and out of the Zone could alter human history. Do you dare? And for what? Hosted by Caitlin McShea.

Episodes

December 24, 2021 55 mins

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New School Policy and Design for Outer Space

SFI’s InterPlanetary Project

Aging, Adaptation, and the Arrow of Time - A James S. McDonnell Foundation funded research track on Complex Time

Complex Time video playlist

InterPlanetary 2019 panel on Complex Time, featuring Sean Carroll

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For more information, visit this link and register FOR FREE. 

Alien Crash Site returns after that with an interview with SFI Post-Doc Natalie Grefenstette.

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June 24, 2021 68 mins

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The paper discussed: "Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry"

  • "Scientists develop new molecular tool to detect alien life" - news article
  • "Chemists design alien life detector" - news article

The essay discussed: ($$ paywall) "Art as a Product of Nature, as a work of Art" by Paul K. Feyerabend

Drag...

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June 10, 2021 50 mins

Learn more about everything referenced in this episode by clicking the links below:Herschel Moon History

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May 28, 2021 50 mins

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InterPlanetary 2018 - Planetary Policy, Law & Regulation Panel

Earth Juijitsu

Environment Now

Ecuador’s recognition of Pachamama

Slavoj Zizek

Santa Monica’s sustainability ordinance, protecting the aquifers

Brown v. Board of Education

US Space Act (1958)

Outer Space Treaty (1966)

Moon Agreement (1979)

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May 13, 2021 45 mins

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Honeybee Capital

Ever-Widening Circles, by Rilke

Zero sum game

Tom Seeley's work on honeybees

Suzanne Simard's work about tree communication networks

Geoffrey West's lecture on Scaling

I Dream a Highway - Gillian Welch

Ode to Joy - Beethoven

Final scene of Stalker

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April 29, 2021 48 mins

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Van’s homepage

UCLA-led team of scientists discovers why we need sleep

Watch Van on the “Time Design” Panel from #IPFest2018

Ted Chiang’s Seventy-Two Letters

Liu Cixin’s Three Body Problem

You’re So Cool” by Hans Zimmer

Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis

Welcome to the Jungle” and “You Could Be Mine

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April 1, 2021 59 mins

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Michael’s webpage

Lauren Ancel Meyers

Carl Bergstrom’s Calling Bullshit

Michael’s work on the Neandertal genome

Information’s impact on fitness

Michael, Sara Walker, Chris Kempes and Lee Cronin, herein the #OriginsOfLifeLeague

Life Alive

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March 18, 2021 54 mins

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Philosophy of Werner Herzog

Adam and Eve

Kant’s aesthetics

Oedipus Rex

Pandora Myth

Beatrice Han-Pile

Diego Velázquéz’s Las Meninas

Rothko’s Tate Collection

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March 4, 2021 54 mins

 Tamara’s Website, Google Scholar Page & Twitter
• InterPlanetary Festival Website
• Alien Crash Site Podcast

In 72 hours of sci-fi, postdocs transmit parental model of alien civilization [video]
• Greetings from a Triparental Planet 72 Hours of Science Pre-Printby Gizem Bacaksizlar, Stefani Crabtree, Joshua Garland, Natalie Grefenstette, Albert Kao, David Kinney, Artemy Kolchinsky, Tyler Marghetis, Michael Price, Maria Riolo, Hajime...

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February 18, 2021 54 mins

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Theme song, "Stalker" by Tortilla

The “Living in Space” InterPlanetary Panel from IP Fest 2018

ChemCam and SuperCam

Recap of Nina’s time in Antartica

Bradbury Museum panel of LANL scientists discussing Today’s Perseverance landing

Joerael Numina’s art (The image of the Curiosity Rover behind me is one example of his work)

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February 4, 2021 52 mins

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Sasha’s website and work

Sasha on “Visualization and Designing the Impossible” IPFest 2018 Panel

Sasha at IPFest, on open-source space data

Jet Propulsion Lab’s page of downloadable 360 and VR/AR videos

Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History

VITAL Ventilators

Virtual tour of the Jet Propulsion Lab

Kin Dza Dza

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