#058 -- Free will versus determinism (or fate) is a topic that humans have debated in song and story for as far back in our history as we have knowledge. Is human choice real, or is it illusionary? And if we have choice, what can we do with it? This discussion covers the philosophical, the spiritual, and the scientific aspects of the question from neurology to metaphysics.

#053 -- Artificial Life -- A quick overview of Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Life, inspired by the New Ties project. (https://www.new-ties.org/mambo/) Bluejack stumbles his way back into podcasting, but clearly it's a fairly shaky effort. Might be a good lead in to more in depth topics about Artificial Intelligence. Music by Shostakovich, Moby, Tricky, Amon Tobin, and VNV Nation.

#050 -- NASA's Orbiters -- Overclocked returns, and checks in with NASA to see what's going on with the space shuttle, the CEV, but more particularly the new Mars "Reconaissance" Orbiter, which has recently made orbit without mishap -- no English-Metric conversion mistakes, no software glitches, and only the usual amount of lame NASA sound-bites. Music from Pink Floyd: Echos.

#046 -- Cold Fusion! -- Bluejack takes a look at the (pseudo?)scientific theory of cold fusion, touching more on the dynamics within the scientific community than the technical particulars, with comparison to the theory of intelligent design, and an unfortunate failure to bring in perpetual motion machines, which he fully intended to. Music includes Shpongle (Vapour Rumors), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Give it Away), Violent Femmes (Lack of Knowledge), Gillian Welch (One Monkey), Kaki King (Close Your Eyes and Burst into Flames), Simon Rattle (Once More into the Breach).

#042 -- Science -- The Pandemic Panic: how dangerous is Avian Flu? How likely is it that Bird Flus will be the way civilization ends? Recent deaths in Turkey indicate that the H5N1 virus isn't just in asia anymore. But does that mean that the fourth horseman of the apocalypse is about to ride us all down? Quick answer: No. Music by White Stripes (No Faith in Medicine), Tricky (Car Crash), Nirvana (Stay Away), Beck (Nicotine and Gravy), Morphine (Murder for the Money), Concrete Blonde (Little Conversations).

#041 -- Science -- Human stem cells have been injected into foetal mouse brains, with the result that these cells have differentiated not only into neurons, but into mouse-like neurons. Bluejack considers the science, the implications, and (to a lesser degree) the ethics of this experiment. Efforts to interview actual scientists, sadly, come to naught. Music by Portishead, The Swans, Jethro Tull, P.H. Harvey, Melissa Sheehan, and Richard Thompson.

#039 -- Science -- Bluejack revisits some earlier topics. First, back to the space program again with a brief discussion of robotic versus manned space programs, jumping off from a more in-depth Quirks and Quarks show analyzing this topic. Secondly, another look at Intelligent Design in its guise as Panspermia: the notion that life, or at least genetic material, may have originated on some other planet and been transported to Earth, either by random action of meteors or, possibly, the not-at-all random action of super-intelligent spacefarers. The music? All Shpongle: Vapor Rumours, Flute Fruit, Once Upon the Sea of Blissfull Awareness, and -- inevitably -- Shpongle Spores.

#038 -- Science -- NASA is not wowing anyone this fall with either the long term plan for interplanetary exploration or their current work on the International Space Station. New cracks in the foam, and underwhelming plans for the space station, and insufficient funds to ever reach Mars. Meanwhile China is gradually building momentum towards a moon mission, and private enterprise is getting closer to having viable space vehicles. Music by Fatboy Slim, Timo Mass, Snog, DJ Micro. NOTE: the phone number for voice messages is inaccurate! Not enough people called, so I lost my number!

#034 -- Intelligent Design -- Mainstream scientists deplore intelligent design as unworthy of debate. They dismiss what purports to be a rival to the theory of Natural Selection simply because it looks like creationism in disguise. But serious scientists with serious academic credentials have put their names behind it. Are mainstream scientists being close minded about a valid idea, or do the proponents of the idea really have ulterior motives? And what might such motives be? Bluejack juxtaposes this with a slightly different angle on scientific spirituality, using music from Peter Gabriel, Jeff Buckley (and Leonard Cohen), Gillian Welch, Westbam, Cowboy Junkies, and Mark Mothersbaugh.

#032 -- Science -- Why is there any debate about cloning? Clone me, Dr. Memory! The usual rambling discussion of the science, politics, religion, and science fiction of cloning. Background music by PJ Harvey (The Wind) Amon Tobin (Deo) Tom Waits (Dirt in the Ground) Ani DiFranco (Icarus) Infected Mushroom (Unbalanced -- Baby Killer Remix).

#027 -- Science -- An interview with James Hamlin, a graduate student in physics who is experimenting with superconductivity and high pressure. We talk about his work as well as superfluids, space elevators, science fiction, inductive reasoning, philosophy and more. View photos of Hamlin's work at http://artsci.wustl.edu/~jjhamlin/DAC/, or check out his demonstration of superconductivity and levitation at http://artsci.wustl.edu/~jjhamlin/. The book that so influenced Hamlin is Beyond Einstein by Michio Kaku.

#025 -- Science -- NASA has put forward its proposal for the next 10-15 years. The Space Shuttle is out, the Crew Exploration Vehicle is in. But not everyone is jumping for joy, and I don't just mean the usual luddites who believe space travel is a foolish luxury. Scientists, NASA watchers, and many other advocates of space exploration are greeting this plan with at best only moderate approval. What has changed since we went to the Moon the first time? Well, for one thing, we went to the Moon a second time. And a third. And a fourth. And a fifth. And a sixth. And then, in 1972, we decided not to bother anymore. In this podcast I go back to the source, Kennedy's proposal before congress (text at http://www.jfklibrary.org/j052561.htm) and consider the historical role of space exploration in our national psyche to better understand the present, and the future.

#023 -- Science -- The difference between a binary tree and a splay tree, the problems of marrying outside of geekdom, and the new Nano. No, not the nano you're thinking of. I don't give a fig what kind of IPod you listen to. Oh yeah, check out Unicorn LA.

#018 - Science - With the next shuttle launched delayed until (at least) March of 2006, some people are asking about the future of manned space flight in the United States. Who are these people, and what are the questions. More importantly, what are the answers?

Show #011 - In which Bluejack fails miserably at covering the NASA space launch, and gives you meandering dreck of rambles and rants on the Space program and related phenomena.

#007 -- In which we listen to the Space Shuttle Launch being scrubbed, have a look at Kennewick Man, and discover that any nutcase can walk in to the Defense Department's computers and scarf super-secret files about suppressed technologies.