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PODCAST

Rabbit Hole of Research

Jotham Austin, II PhD, Nick Elizalde, and Georgia Geis

Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, and pop-culture. We will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes. jothamaustin.substack.com

science science fiction

All Episodes

81:01

EP 47: Who Goes There? The Thing and The Shape of...

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/10/29

This episode of Rabbit Hole of Research finds hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia joined by Todd Thyberg and Bill Halliar for a deep freeze descent into the paranoid world of The Thing. Together, they dissect the tangled origins of this iconic alien menace—tracing its evolution from John W. Campbell’s 1938 novella Who Goes There?, through 1951’s The Thing from Another World, to John Carpenter’s bleak 1982 masterpiece and its 2011 prequel.But this isn’t just film history. The crew drills into the

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14:31

46.1: Slashing Slashers

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/10/22

In this mini recap of Episode 46: Slashers, we crawl back through masks, myths, and the psychology of fear—revisiting our night at Reed’s Local with Jesse and Alana from Slasher Sauces and Melissa from Reed’s. From Avondale barstools to basement banter, we trace the science behind serial killers and why their numbers have fallen since the blood-soaked heyday of the 1980s.Along the way, we unravel the strange relationship between horror and humanity: why predators fascinate us, how cameras and

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61:30

EP 46: Slashers

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/10/15

Recorded live at Reed’s Local in Avondale, Chicago, this episode of Rabbit Hole of Research finds hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia joined by Jesse and Alana from Slasher Sauces—a boutique hot sauce brand—and Melissa, co-owner of Reed’s Local. Together they carve into the slasher film genre, tracing its bloodline from early cinematic roots to modern reinventions. The crew explores the psychology of fear, predator–prey instincts, and the science behind why we love to be scared. They wander through the

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9:31

45.1: Ghosts Revisited

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/10/08

In this mini recap of Episode 45: Ghosts and Graveyards, we return to Chicago’s Horror House with Moses and Vinny to revisit a conversation that wandered through haunted spaces, spectral science, and the psychology of belief. We unpack the weird intersections of folklore and neuroscience—from sleep paralysis and sleepwalking killers to crows that teach each other faces and the surprising genetics we share with bananas.Along the way, we revisit our favorite ghost stories and friendly spirits—Casper

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67:00

EP 45: Ghost, Graveyards and Cats

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/10/01

In this special October episode, the Rabbit Hole of Research crew takes the show on the road to Chicago’s Horror House. Joined by co-owners Moses and Vinny, the conversation drifts through ghosts, graveyards, and the supernatural, blending personal stories with science, folklore, and a dash of pop culture.From sleep paralysis and memory to cats staring into the void, from reincarnation theories to favorite ghost movies, the crew explores how cultures imagine the dead and why graveyards loom so large

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14:01

44.1: Lake Michigan and 10K Downloads

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/09/24

In this mini recap of Episode 44: Lake Michigan, Life, Mermaids, and Everything in Between, we reflect on our conversation with guest Maud Lavin, author of Mermaids and Lazy Activists. We dive back into the waters of Lake Michigan to revisit a tale of eco-mythical mermaids, climate anxiety, and feminist satire—with humor, awe, and a lot of water love.From speculative biology and freshwater mermaid lore to solar punk optimism and kinky bifurcated tails, we paddle through highlights and side tangents,

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53:30

EP 44: Lake Michigan, Life, Mermaids, and Everything...

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/09/17

In this episode of Rabbit Hole of Research, hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by writer Maud Lavin to discuss her first novel, 'Mermaids and Lazy Activists.' The novel centers around the magic and environmental significance of Lake Michigan, exploring themes of climate anxiety, feminist resistance, and local ecology through the experiences of a mermaid and her human friend. Maud delves into her inspiration for the novel, her love for Lake Michigan, and her efforts to infuse humor into

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14:01

43.1: The mini recap: Swarms

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/09/10

In mini episode 43.1 of Rabbit Hole of Research, the team gathers in the Basement Studio to reflect on Episode 43: Swarms, featuring researcher Josh Fisher. From biblical locusts to Hitchcock’s The Birds, the crew revisits some of the most captivating—and creepy—moments from the full episode.Listener Alex’s questions spark new discussion on pop culture swarms, biblical ants, and the ethics of swarm-sized DragonCon crowds. Georgia returns with fresh takes on giant cinematic ticks and shawarma

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55:16

EP 43: Animal Swarms

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/09/03

In this episode of Rabbit Hole of Research, we’re joined by researcher Josh Fisher to explore the captivating, creepy, and sometimes comical world of animal swarms. From biblical plagues and Hitchcock’s The Birds to surprisingly vindictive crows, we dive deep into the science, psychology, and symbolism behind swarming behavior. We look at how swarms have appeared across history, religion, fiction, and film, uncovering the patterns that unite everything from buzzing bees to coordinated chaos in

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19:00

42.1: The mini recap: Forced Leisure

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/08/27

In mini episode 42.1 of Rabbit Hole of Research, the team is hanging out in the Basement Studio to unpack the themes and questions raised in Episode 42: Broken Futures with author Ben Tanzer. They revisit Ben’s novel Orphans, reflecting on dystopian visions, the psychological toll of modern life, and the blurred line between human and machine. Inspired by listener Alex’s comments, they explore cloning, forced leisure, and shifting generational perspectives on labor and identity.The conversation

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72:52

EP 42: Broken Futures

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/08/20

In this episode of Rabbit Hole of Research, hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by special guest Ben Tanzer — author, podcaster, professor, and master of narratives that unsettle the ordinary. Together, they plunge into the speculative depths of Tanzer’s novel Orphans, exploring themes of broken futures, technological trauma, and the evolving human condition.The conversation ranges from clones and robots replacing human labor, to the haunting promise of forced leisure in an economy without

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13:00

41.1: The mini recap: Crimes in Time

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/08/13

In mini episode 41.1 of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, and Georgia reunite to unpack the time-twisting conversations from Episode 41: Crimes in Time with author Lee Matthew Goldberg. They revisit the ideas behind Goldberg’s books Miles in Time and Time Fixers, and respond to listener Alex’s questions about time travel rules in Tenet, standout sequels like Terminator 2 and The Dark Knight, and the intriguing “pedestrian paradox.” The crew dives into the Novikov self-consistency principle, swaps

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59:00

EP 41: Crimes in Time

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/08/06

In Episode 41 of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by author Lee Matthew Goldberg, whose young adult novels Miles in Time and Time Fixers explore what happens when sleuthing collides with time travel. From classic paradoxes to memory glitches, they unpack the science, the handwavium, and the emotional weight of rewriting the past. The group waxes poetic on the romanticism of time, dives into time travel pop-culture (Back to the Future, 12 Monkeys, Dark Matter), and debates

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28:01

40.1: The mini recap: Exploring Stretching

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/07/30

In this mini recap of Episode 40: Mr Fantastic and Stretching, the Rabbit Hole of Research crew — return to the basement studio to stretch out the implications of our Fantastic Four series finale on Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic. Hosts Joe, Georgia, and Nick revisit the most mind-bending moments from Episode 40 and riff on the handwavium, elasticity, and bio-speculation behind one of Marvel’s most fascinating mutations. From real-life freakshow “Rubber Man” Clarence H. Alexander” to calorie

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59:01

EP 40: Fantastic 4 series: Mr. Fantastic (Reed...

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/07/23

In Episode 40 of Rabbit Hole of Research, we conclude our Fantastic Four series by stretching the limits of biology—literally. With special guest Maria Dowell, MD, pediatrician at Laurie Children’s Hospital and faculty at Northwestern, we explore the anatomy, biomechanics, and energy demands behind Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. From the physics of skin elasticity to the implausibility of flexible bones, we unravel what it would take for a human body to elongate, reshape, and rebound like a

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18:00

39.1: The mini recap: Exploring Spontaneous Combustion

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/07/16

In Episode 39.1, the mini recap of Episode 39: Johnny Storm and Spontaneous Combustion, the Rabbit Hole of Research crew — Joe, Nick, and Georgia — return to the flames of Johnny Storm and explore the biological plausibility of Marvel’s Human Torch. With highlights from the main episode featuring Dr. David Pincus (University of Chicago), they revisit ideas like spontaneous combustion, dehydration mitigation, phase-separated stress responses, and the role of extremophiles in extreme heat survival

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59:01

EP 39: Fantastic 4 series: Johnny Storm and...

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/07/09

In Episode 39 of Rabbit Hole of Research, we continue our Fantastic Four series by diving into the blazing mystery of Johnny Storm — the Human Torch. With special guest Dr. David Pincus, PhD in cell biology from the University of Chicago, we explore what it would actually take for a human body to control fire. From cellular phase separation and stress granules to speculative metabolic engineering and combustion-safe skin, this episode fuses myth, science, and superpowers into one intense

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15:01

38.1: The mini recap: Exploring Tough Skin

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/07/02

In Episode 38.1, the Rabbit Hole crew (Joe, Nick, and Georgia) recap the full Episode 38—The Thing About Skin—the continuing Fantastic Four series focusing on Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and the concept of tough skin in science, comics, and culture. They revisit insights shared by special guest Jonathan Maberry, who explored skin as a site of memory, transformation, and horror.The crew covers real-world conditions like scleroderma, calcinosis cutis, and the rare “tree bark skin” disorder

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65:00

EP 38: Fantastic 4 series: Ben Grimm and The Thing...

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/06/25

In Episode 38 of Rabbit Hole of Research, hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia continue their Fantastic Four series with a deep dive into Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing—a character defined by the transformation of his body into a rocky, nearly indestructible form. They’re joined by NYT bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, who brings a unique lens to the discussion as they explore characters with strange or strong skin, including his own tattooed investigator Monk Addison.From the speculative science of scar

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17:00

37.1: The mini recap: Exploring Invisibility

Rabbit Hole of Research ·

2025/06/18

In Episode 37.1 of Rabbit Hole of Research, hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia revisit the big ideas from Episode 37, where they dove into the biology, physics, and storytelling around Sue Storm, Marvel’s Invisible Woman. They discuss how her power evolved alongside her character—from passive background figure to powerhouse protector—and unpack the deeper implications of invisibility as both a superpower and a metaphor.They also take a detour into comic history with a look at Invisible Scarlet O’Neil

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