2001: A Space Podyssey

We've got the Need for Mead...

IT'S the return of the Captain of Concept Design, Syd Mead!

There are so many fabulous illustrations in the "Art of 2010" book and no way we could fit them all in one episode.

This time, we're checking out designs for the aerobraking sequence, from detachable shields to sleeping compartments. The evolving look of the pod and the probe, the command console and main deck (with plenty of paneling and cir...

Refreshed and lava-burned from a red hot Io summer, we're back on the Leonov to take the ultimate orbital roller coaster ride - aerobraking!

As Soviet-American relations warm and mutual respect grows among scientists aboard the ship, the themes of loyalty, common humanity, and faith in each other return as Floyd and Irina share a death-defying experience.

Hyams and Clarke's odyssey for the perfect futuristic technique, the real-lif...

"2010" was MGM's major motion picture of the year, with major hype, media train, and even merch (!?)

Leap back to December 1984 with Virginia Smith, and experience what it was like to be a young fan of the most influential science fiction of the 20th century, right at the peak of the party!

Hear Virginia's inspiring example of following your passion and staying true to your art, living the 90's life at Nickelodeon and Sega, and her...

Science fiction artist, video game animator, and media science communicator Virginia Smith joins us to discuss the world's most famous computer twins.

While HAL was off flying a spaceship to Jupiter, incapable of error, his sister SAL-9000 was back in Urbana, Illinois identifying each of his mistakes, confusing mission control, and freaking out Drs. Bowman and Poole.

The similarities and differences between these silicon siblings, ...

We've examined the ship, now let's get to know our cosmonaut crew mates aboard LEONOV. Here are the stories of our super-scientist, coffee-chugging Russian roomies and the fascinating lives of the great actors who played them. (Aside from Captain Kirbuk, who is, of course, "The Queen.") Hope "Moscow on the Hudson" is on your bingo card...

They made incredible sacrifices for their families, faiths, and artistic freedom. Maybe we can...

The collapse of the Arecibo Observatory in 2020 marked the end of an era for generations of astronomers, climatologists, SETI researchers, and space enthusiasts.

From 1963 until its closure in 2023, Arecibo, Puerto Rico housed the world’s largest radio telescope, and “2010” was originally going to start there!

Thanks to The Odyssey File, we have Arthur C. Clarke and Peter Hyams’ insightful and hilarious conversations about the co...

Monday, April 8, marks the biggest, longest, most widely visible solar eclipse to cross the United States in a long time, and the last one for 20 years!

Celebrate the eclipse experience, the history, myth and lore, and amazing science that only comes in that breathtaking few minutes. Tips on how to look, what to look for, and what to expect from Wes, and from NASA (Tahira Allen and Dr. Gina DiBraccio.)

Check out Arthur C. Clarke's ...

For our first look at the book "The Official Art of 2010," we pay tribute to the genius of concept artist Syd Mead, his career in industry and in entertainment, and his unique vision.

He imagined not only cars, spinners, ships of sea, air and space, but immersive now worlds around them. Celebrating the beauty of both form and function, his designs are always the perfect synthesis of art and engineering.

His contributions to "Star T...

Haunted by his past, Dr. Floyd moves to Hawaii and makes a new life with marine biologist wife, Caroline, and young son, Christopher.

Still healing from years of tragedy, he finds himself at a crossroads to reinvent his purpose. Taking the last opportunity to atone for all that had gone horribly wrong, and the sacrifices he - and his family - have to make. 

"The Odyssey File" is a fascinating peek into the film's development and pr...

We're back on the Moon! Thanks to the success of our aptly named "Odysseus" lander, NASA and Intuitive Machines are kicking off a year full of amazing lunar landings and experiments.

As the crew of Artemis II prepare to launch next September, what could be our future on the Moon?

What are the benefits and downsides of nations or corporations leading the charge?

The importance of NASA and its core mission to benefit humanity, and th...

Sunrise at the Very Large Array Telescope (VLA), and Drs. Floyd and Moisevitch have to plan a bi-lateral salvage operation between opposing world powers in less than two minutes. It's 2010's new space race, as filmed during the Cold War in '84.

Dial in on the real-life function and history of the world's largest radio telescope array, and its ever-expanding future!

Plus: the NICER way of radio scanning, planning a trip to Jupiter, ...

2010 Year has docked! We’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of Peter Hyams & Arthur Clarke’s knockout followup, 2010: The Year We Make Contact with a year of exciting discoveries following the team who rediscover Discovery One!

And, of course, we still have plenty more to come on 2001.

This week, a (fairly) spoiler-free introduction to 2010, the background, our love for it, and why we believe it deserves just as much convers...

Checking in to the universe's most exclusive hotel, it's time to unpack, explore, and maybe play a little chess. Is that a Louis XVI throne pod?

Dave and Frank's relationship, and humans' innate need for each other. Long-term isolation: is it tao, torment, or vacation?

Gilded cage or petrie dish, this surreal environment evokes the most basic questions of life: What is time?  When is a ceiling a floor? Are we in the bathroom?

So ma...

R.H. Vatcher is BACK to toast in the New Year with a smorgasbord of insights from his 2019: The Odyssey Brief: BREACHING THE HULL OF DISCOVERY PARTS III AND IV.

Uncovering the many cultural elements revolving around this elliptical journey, from Jungian breakthrough to the groundbreaking scientific discoveries showcased in Life Magazine.

How serendipity or subconscious parallels to the prior roles of these now iconic actors may hav...

Every science fiction movie since "2001" has been inspired, directly or indirectly by it, often even employing its original visual effects pioneers. For one artist, slit-scan was just the beginning...

Cinerama to IMAX to the future of moving images with MAGI - Douglas Trumbull has always been at the forefront of experiential cinema.

In films like "2001," "Silent Running," "Close Encounters," and "Blade Runner," and large format exh...

Step right up, folks, step right up - following our interview with Victor Scherrer, it's the SKYLAB Super Show!!

SEE: the famous Commander Conrad and his parasol acrobatics duo, Weitz & Kerwin!

SEE: Big Al Bean the weightless weightlifter, with "Shades" Garriott & Jumpin' Jack Lausma and the twin pole thermal space waltz!

SEE: "Comet" Carr and the Kohouteks live, opening for the Gibson-Pogue Antenna Experiment!

AND...the wo...

Today (November 30) marks the birthday of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time (and Brad's old boss), Sir Ridley Scott! To celebrate, we've dug into the archives to hear just how much his cinematic journey has echoed our very own Stanley Kubrick.

From "2001" to "Alien" and "Blade Runner," from "Barry Lyndon" to "Kingdom of Heaven" and "The Duellists," from "Paths of Glory" to "Black Hawk Down," "Full Metal Jacket" to "G.I. Ja...

On this very special Thanksgiving episode we have a legendary guest, SKYLAB all-star Victor Scherrer of the Naval Research Laboratory, who co-designed the solar cameras for the Apollo Telescope Mount. He shares with us an intimate history of the program, the challenges and the victories of America's first space station!

PLUS: Mr. Scherrer has written an EXCLUSIVE ILLUSTRATED ARTICLE for us, detailing the origin, development and imp...