Unobtainium Podcast

About Unobtainium Podcast

The Unobtainium Podcast is hosted by Adam Sigel, a Hollywood writer-producer, and Dr. Amy Mainzer, an astrophysicist. Together, they explore the science in science fiction. Each episode unpacks the Unobtainium behind movies—what’s real, what’s cinematic, and why filmmakers bend reality. This is for the nerds, sci-fi fans, film junkies, and anyone curious about the science behind the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Adam Sigel & Dr. Amy Mainzer

Category

fiction · science · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 May 2026

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

6 of 21 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Could You ACTUALLY Survive on Mars? Planetary Scientist Dave Paige Breaks Down Ridley Scott's blockbuster film The Martian, breaking down what the film got right, what was exaggerated, and what real NASA missions face when exploring the Red Planet.

   Planetary Scientist Dave Paige and hosts Adam and Amy explore the scientific accuracy of "The Martian" and the realities of Mars exploration.

2. 

   22 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   We came for Star Wars. We found something much bigger. Inside the Lucas Museum: Star Wars, Narrative Art, and the Power of Myth

   Planetary scientist Dr. Amy Mainzer and writer/producer Adam Sigel explore the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, connecting Star Wars, mythology, and the scientific process in this interview.

3. 

   15 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Neil deGrasse Tyson on Superheroes, Time Travel, Aliens, Bad Movie Science and growing up in the geekosphere.

   Planetary scientist Dr. Amy Mainzer and producer Adam Sigel interview astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson about superheroes, time travel, aliens, and movie science, offering insights into science and geek culture.

Inside a recent episode

Could You ACTUALLY Survive on Mars? Planetary Scientist Dave Paige Breaks Down Ridley Scott's blockbuster film The Martian, breaking down what the film got right, what was exaggerated, and what real NASA missions face when exploring the Red Planet.

Published 6 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good point. Normally, you put that stuff in a digester and turn it into something else and then use it as fertilizer. We have some uncertainties about what Mars soil is really composed of, and we have various types of measurements of it. We know there are oxidants in the soil, this perchlorate in particular. which is analogous to bleach, I guess, highly oxidizing. But every time we've looked for the presence of indigenous organics in Mars soil, we found evidence for some in small quantities. And so these are able to somehow coexist. […]

Who has been a guest on Unobtainium Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dave Paige
• Neil deGrasse Tyson
• Tina Treude
• Dr Hiro Ono
• Seema Yasmin

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.2 / 5

39 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Unobtainium Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Unobtainium Podcast