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Mad Scientists: Frankenstein and the Fly

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Welcome to Stuff From The Science Lab from howstuffworks.com.

Allison Loudermilk

Hey, guys, and welcome to the podcast. This is Allison Loudermilk, the science editor at howstuffworks.com.

Robert Lamb: And this is Robert Lamb, science writer at howstuffworks.com. And we’re getting into the Halloween season here. And one of my favorite things about Halloween, my favorite Halloween costumes, my favorite Halloween ideas is of course the mad scientist.

Allison Loudermilk

Have you gone as a mad scientist before?

Robert Lamb

Oh, yes. I’ve gone as a mad scientist before.

Allison Loudermilk

A specific mad scientist or just a general mad scientist?

Robert Lamb

A specific mad scientist.

Allison Loudermilk

Who?

Robert Lamb

I went as Dr. Clayton Forrester from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Allison Loudermilk

Excellent.

Robert Lamb

He has one of my favorite quotes about mad scientists in general, and mad science. He was being asked something, or there was a complicated issue that came up, and he responded, "It would take a scientist to explain and I’m simply too mad." But who comes to mind when you think of mad science and mad scientists?

Allison Loudermilk

Well, definitely some of the ones that we’re going to talk about today – Frankenstein, I would say. I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but I will, because it’s a podcast and you guys can’t see me. But I think of that guy from Back to the Future. Did we ever decide on his name? Doctor Holiday? Doc Holiday?

Robert Lamb

No, you’re getting your movies confused.

Allison Loudermilk

Okay.

Robert Lamb

You’re talking about Doc Hollywood and that was -

Allison Loudermilk

Is he the guy with the crazy hair?

Robert Lamb

No, no. That was Doc Brown.

Allison Loudermilk

Doc Brown, yeah. That’s who I think of.

Robert Lamb

He’s totally a mad scientist. And he’s played by Christopher Lloyd. That’s a great example of a cinematic mad scientist.

Allison Loudermilk

Okay, so that’s what I think of.

Robert Lamb

He’s into crazy fringy science.

Allison Loudermilk

He’s got the hair.

Robert Lamb

He’s got the hair. He’s not playing by the rules. I believe he was getting plutonium from terrorists or something. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it. And then ultimately experimenting without a strict scientific method going on. There’s not really a method to his madness.

Allison Loudermilk

But is there a method to some of our mad scientists madness today?

Robert Lamb

Ther
e is.

Allison Loudermilk

And science? Is there a method to their madness and their science?

Robert Lamb

Well, there’s definitely a method to it.

Allison Loudermilk

So we’re going to talk about two of the biggies today.

Robert Lamb

Yeah, certainly one of the biggies and then another one that resonates in American culture in the past couple of decades. But mad scientists, when you boil it down and when they’re not serving as just a plot device, they basically embody society’s collective fears and misgivings about the advancement of science and how science can be exploited.


Filed under: Stuff to Blow Your Mind Tagged: allison, Frankenstein, fringe science, mad scientists, robert, stuff from the science lab, Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast

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