Science or Fiction?: Recent Episodes
Michael Scharen
Education and discussion of science past and present without the normal media slant. Presented by science fiction author Michael James Scharen and his sales/blog website michaelsbookcorner.com.
Tasha Nagorski fought hard just to get to Mars. Space agencies claimed she wasn’t physically qualified – but they needed her talent! Working at the Mars U.N. International Station, MUNIS, she and fellow engineer Brandon Olson, are driven to distraction by government power junkies. Soon they’re self-exhiled to the Mars Frontier on a project greater than any undertaken on this planet. Those on the Frontier do not have a government, nor do they want one forced upon them. Battling the harsh conditions and pitfalls of Mars, Tasha and friends must be wary of the human element which has always been more treacherous.
Chapters 1-9 of 30. Copyright 2023.
Written and presented by author Michael James Scharen. Presented in multiple parts for presentation on YouTube in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com where works of this author may be found.
How often do we think of movie settings and if they make logical sense? Is a planet like Tattooine or Arrakis really viable or capable of supporting human beings? Have some fun with this light-hearted critique.
Science or Fiction? -- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with thewebsite michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html or joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is NotLost is available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook as a playlist in three parts.
There are plenty of Monday morning quarterbacks critiquing the inaugural Starship/Superheavy flight. Not to be left out of the loop, we examine further evidence from the test as well as the critics and naysayers.
Science or Fiction?
-- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html or joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost is available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook as a playlist in three parts.
Science or Fiction? analyzes the maiden voyage of the SpaceX Starship and Superheavy Booster. With nearly every media outlet only reporting the explosion, we strive for a more balanced examination.
Science or Fiction? -- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with thewebsite michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html or joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost is available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook as a playlist in three parts.
What will interplanetary trade look like? If humans have settlements on Mars or the Moon, what products and services will be necessary? Will Elon Musk be the John D. Rockefeller of space?
Science or Fiction? -- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com.A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, YouTube and other outlets.
Complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html or joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost is available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook as a playlist in three parts.
With the promise of Starship heavy lift capability, how will humans gain a foothold on Mars? Low cost, reusability, and reliability will go far beyond NASA's plans. Here we touch on some of the whys and hows for Mars settlement.
Written and presented by author Michael J. Scharen in conjunction with michaelsbookcorner.com.
Get a complimentary e-book on the author's website Here.
Listen to Sol is Not Lost on YouTube -- a non-woke, sci-fi, anarchist tale and first work of author Michael J. Scharen.
What will it take to get to Mars? Will single SpaceX StarShips be enough? How can the vast payload capacity of StarShip really pay off? Here we take a first look at what new possibilities could open up.
Written and presented by sci-fi author Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com.
Get a complimentary e-book HERE or check out the first novel, Sol Is Not Lost in audio format on YouTube.
How do all of Elon Musk's ventures tie together? How will each of them assist in establishing a human foothold on the Red Planet? We briefly discuss possible strategies here. Why should everyone else be able to speculate and not Science or Fiction?
Written and presented by sci-fi author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com.
Drop by to pick up a complimentary e-book for joining our mailing list! HERE.
Neural implants are all the rage. Add processor cores, RAM, software updates or happs -- head apps. What could possibly go wrong? No need for smart phones or computers. You can literally solve all problems in your head.
A sci-fi short story written and presented by author Michael J. Scharen for Science or Fiction? in conjuction with michaelsbookcorner.com.
Visit the website for a complimentary e-book or look up Sol Is Not Lost -- now an audiobook on YouTube.
We take another break with the short story, Navigator Cooper. This was a cargo run just like all the others -- until it wasn't. Take a short journey to the outer solar system. ....hopefully you will return.
Written and presented by sci-fi author Michael J. Scharen for Science or Fiction? in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com.
Visit the website, signup for the mailing list, and get a free e-book!
Copyright 2022
Dr. Irfan and his collegues have been working on a way to repair nerve tissue and injury. In an effort to combat a new strain of flesh eating bacteria with a taste for neurons, new procedures are expedited. Homeland Security and the Pentagon are very interested in new developments which are not what anyone expected.
Written and presented by sci-fi author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the podcast Science or Fiction? and the website michaelsbookcorner.com.
Cosmology is chock full of exotic objects whose existence is largely theoretical -- not observed. In turn, are observations biased to the point where they're designed to indicate their existence? When do alternate theories get their place in the sun?
Science or Fiction? -- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.htmlor joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook.
How many ideas are presented to us by science as fact when they are really only the result of models or speculation? Granted the theories we use are very practical but are they truly absolute?
Rupert Sheldrake: Science Set Free on YouTube.
Science or Fiction? -- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.htmlor joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook.
Are you a science denier or a true scientist? Do you question what you hear or just take everything at face value? True science must be based on observation which matches theory. Acceptable results require repeatability rather than the constant moving of goal posts.
Science or Fiction? -- a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.htmlor joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook.
What happened to the Neanderthals? Were Homo Sapiens Sapiens really more intelligent? What is intelligence and how do we measure it?
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html or joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook in three parts.
What is the coming impact of advanced Artificial Intelligence such as ChatGPT? Here we explore the pros and cons of AI. Is if invasive or does it provide benefits?
Referenced: 3 Blue 1 Brown "But What is a Neural Network? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.htmlor joining the mailing list. The author’s first book, Sol is Not Lost available on the YouTube channel Michael Scharen as an audiobook.
Does the natural world change linearly -- slowly over time to a preordained end? Why are scientists so stogy and unable to accept new ideas? We pursue the idea of linearity and how nature often takes shortcuts.
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets.
A complementary e-book of one of Mr. Scharen's works is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html for joining the mailing list.
Grasslands are expanding at 5% per year worldwide. Even the Sahara is getting greener! We discuss the benefits of added CO2 as opposed to famine and freezing to death with iced up windmills.
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.htmlor joining the mailing list.
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Where has science failed in this respect and why do we introduce more errors on top of the ones we have?
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Sticher, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.htmlor joining the mailing list.
Did a man called Jesus really walk and preach two thousand years ago? We entertain inductive reasoning for discounting this tale. This is not to disparage what good religious do to make the world better, but rather the motivation behind it.
Written and presented by sci-fi author Michael James Scharen. Look for a the Science or Fiction? podcast every week. Check out Mr. Scharen's works on the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A complimentary copy of one e-book is available for signing up to the mailing list. There are several titles available!
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? What is the structure of the atomic nucleus? The answers to both questions officially are undetermined -- or are they? We take a look at the Party Line vs. new creative thinking on the structure of the nucleus!
From Michael James Scharen -- author of Sol is Not Lost. Take a look at the other offerings from this new science fiction author at his website michaelsbookcorner.com. A complimentary e-book copy of any of Mr. Scharen's books is available for joining the mailing list.
The Maya and Aztecs believed that time was cyclical. Could they have been on to something we're only now discovering? Recent analysis of phenomenon like the precession of the zodiac shine new light on the ways time and the cosmos actually work!
From science fiction author Michael James Scharen and michaelsbookcorner.com, Science or Fiction? questions mainstream ideas we are spoon fed our entire lives.
Why do we hold on to ideas💡 so tightly in the face of mounds of contrary evidence? Isn’t this the ‘Information Age’? From michaelsbookcorner.com
Could you really grow eyes 👀 in the back of your head? Would some extra arms help with multi-tasking? How does a cell know whether to be a stomach or a rib? Hear the shocking details presented by sci-fi author Michael J Scharen and michaelsbookcorner.com
Do nuclear physicists have it wrong? Can a chicken 🐓 or microbe 🦠 or your brother-in-law 🧑🏽🎨 change one element into another without a particle accelerator? michaelsbookcorner.com
Having a PhD doesn’t always mean much outside the Ivory Tower. Some pick up on this and many do not. Discussed are several examples from the author’s own experience! 😎😩
Why do archaeologists think every site is a temple or a tomb? Are they restricted in their interpretation? Are they afraid to admit that government is also a religion? What other purposes could be served by the Great Pyramid or the many tunnels and exquisite basalt boxes of Saqqara?
Is the universe just a computer simulation? Are we living in The Matrix? How many universes are out there? This episode touches on these questions and the nature of reality or what we perceive as such. 😎😎
Here we explore the metamorphosis or transformation of one type creature -- human, animal, or alien -- into another. Long the subject of myth, legend, or the cinema, we look at the why, the how, and the consequences of changing one being into another or augmenting that form.
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Amazon Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html for joining the mailing list.
This episode covers how theories promoted for decades may have little or no evidence to back them up. Why do popular science programs give us information which the public assumes is fact? There are alternate explanations or hypotheses but seldom are these presented. In some instances, the information presented is actually fraudulent! Explore this fascinating example filled podcast with sci-fi author, physicist, and inventor Michael James Scharen.
Check out the author's science fiction novels and get a complimentary e-book for joining the mailing list!
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html for joining the mailing list.
This episode concerns the very definition of science and how the word is abused. Consensus is often touted as scientific evidence, but this is very far from the truth. Consensus is just another variant of The Bandwagon -- a logical fallacy. The late Dr. Richard Feynman said, "It doesn't matter how smart you are, or how many you are, if theory does not coincide with experiment then it is wrong."
The prevalence of junk science is all pervasive in society and likely always has been. Those inclined to follow the herd rather than do their own thinking have always been and always will be victims. Here we examine current and past examples of what the majority -- including the top universities and government -- touted as safe and scientifically proven. I urge listeners to keep an open mind, give it a listen, then comment on my website -- michaelsbookcorner.com.
Check out my novels where alongside the action and adventure, the status quo is questioned in depth.
Complimentary science fiction by author Michael James Scharen in e-book format is available for joining the infrequent and non-obnoxious mailing list. michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html for joining the mailing list.
What if we could harness nearly limitless energy today and have had this capability for over half a century? Media and government fear mongers tell us cheap, clean, safe energy cannot be had by all. Do they share ulterior motives, perhaps?
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by scien ce fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website orlds to come. What if we used this energy to desalinate water on an epic scale thereby greening deserts, providing clean water for drinking and bathing to parts of the world where dirty water is now hauled for miles. Energy is available for more efficient recycling on Earth, disposal of nuclear waste, or building faster spacecraft with the settlement of Mars, the Moon, and beyond.
Science or Fiction? Is a podcast written and presented by science fiction author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com. A new episode is released each Thursday. The podcast is available on Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Anchor.fm, YouTube and other outlets. A complementary e-book is available at https://michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html for joining the mailing list.
Einstein had several problems with quantum mechanics but the theories still hold. Now we’re finding it may contain the keys to life itself! How do frogs and butterflies reorganize their own tissues with such little energy? How does photosynthesis occur with 100% efficiency? How can fruit flies distinguish between isotopes of hydrogen by smell? This podcast touches on a few examples in the exciting new field of Quantum Biology.
Are Earth corporations and governments cashing in on alien technology? Muddled messages from media and true believers abounds. Why would military benefactors be expected to shed any light on their dark practices?
Why are Earth’s magnetic poles going walkabout? Do scientists really understand this or just giving us hand-waving arguments to disguise their ignorance? Episode 12 explores this question and offers alternatives. Written and presented by Michael James Scharen
Climate alarmists in collusion with allies in media, academia, government, and big business are running a scam. We discuss how the public has been gaslighted for more than a generation. With illogic and constantly moving goal posts what is the real agenda? Written and presented by sci-fi author and physicist Michael J Scharen in conjunction with the author’s website michaelsbookcorner.com. Follow @Classic_Sci_Fi on Twitter.
S1 Episode 10 Will high school students be making RNA in organic chemistry labs next year? This episode discusses how life may have emerged from the basic compounds and processes determined by chemistry and physics. We move beyond the fanciful Chicken & Egg scenario of Panspermia to explore what has been discovered so far and possibilities for the future? Written and presented by sci-fi author and physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with michaelsbookcorner.com -- Classic Science Fiction. Each episode examines science, fiction and the often vast gulf between them fueled by Hollywood, media, and governments. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelscharen/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Classic_Sci_Fi Medium: https://medium.com/@mscharen_90921 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52IYQHv8-T3pTnJTijrMOA
How are two 9th grade girls smarter than packs of lawyers and legislators? What facts or evidence exist to prove that the Constitution/Statutes apply to anyone? Here we discuss whether political science is really a science or just shoddy intellectualism. Why is it called political science rather than Political Economy? Is what you've believed for your whole life consistent with facts and logic? Michael James Scharen is an author of several science fiction novels and physicist with experience in both R&D and production. Science or Fiction? attempts to separate science or fact from what is portrayed in media, government, and popular culture -- disguised as science. Website: michaelsbookcorner.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelscharen/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Classic_Sci_Fi Medium: https://medium.com/@mscharen_90921 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52IYQHv8-T3pTnJTijrMOA
What would first contact be like? What if extraterrestrials are hostile? We examine popular conception vs. more likely scenarios…. Written and narrated by sci-fi author and physicist Michael J Scharen in conjunction with his website blog and book sales michaelsbookcorner.com. Complimentary e-books available for joining the mailing list! 👽😎
Dark Matter seems to be all the rage for astronomers these days but does it even exist? We look at the less discussed but vastly more plausible alternatives. Written and presented by sci-fi author and physicist Michael J Scharen in conjunction with michaelsbookcorner.com
Does oil come from prehistoric plants? Are we all being taken for a ride? This episode examines the why and how of crude oil. What is fact and what is fiction? Science or Fiction? examines truth vs what we are lead to believe. The podcast is written and presented by sci-fi author and engineer Michael J Scharen. Comments may be directed to the website michaelsbookcorner.com. Complimentary e-books michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html Sources Methane-derived hydrocarbons produced under upper-mantle conditions. Anton Kolesnikov1,2, Vladimir G. Kutcherov2,3 & Alexander F. Goncharov1
Source1. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of WASHINGTON, Washington, District of Columbia 20015, USA 2. Lomonosov Moscow State Academy of Fine Chemical TECHNOLOGY, 117571 Moscow, Russia 3. Royal INSTITUTE of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden”( http://www.viewzone.com/abioticoilx.html ). “Hydrocarbon-rich gases (e.g., CH4, C2H6, and C3H8) have been reported from numerous occurrences of serpentinized peridotites in ophiolites (e.g., Fritz et al., 1992) and on the seafloor (e.g., Konn et al., 2009). In some cases, a strong argument can be made for the biogenic origin of hydrocarbons. However, in most other cases of hydrocarbon seeps in serpentinites, there is no obvious organic source, suggesting that the gases (mainly simple alkanes) form as a result of abiogenic processes (e.g., McCollom and Seewald, 2007).
Science or Fiction? discusses the misplaced trust we have in forensic science portrayed in a glut of television programs and by real-life prosecutors. The so-called science is often bogus, sloppily done, falsified and/or misrepresented by the State with terrible repercussions. This podcast is written and presented by science-fiction author and engineer/physicist Michael James Scharen in conjunction with the website michaelsbookcorner.com.
Complimentary e-books are available at the website for joining the mailing list michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html.
Discussed are the various pitfalls in dating megalithic sites and the experts’ notions for the history of ‘civilization’. Podcast is the creation of science fiction author Michael J Scharen and michaelsbookcorner.com. ry7AIQYivMmPK6rnxxmT
How much of history is fabricated and how much is true? This episode explores facts vs hidden motivation behind the narratives.
Discussion of the popular concept of panspermia or the idea that life is propagated by asteroids from one planet to another.
This episode examines the portrayal of outer space by Hollywood. Why do they persist in giving us sound in a vacuum?
Science or Fiction? is a podcast which separates the science of media and government from the real thing! Topics range from sound in a vacuum to the origins of life and all of the ‘junk science’ we’re expected to swallow! In conjunction with michaelsbookcorner.com this weekly podcast is written and narrated by sci-fi author and engineer Michael James Scharen. Complimentary e-books by the writer are available for joining the mailing list here michaelsbookcorner.com/signup.html