
S1E105 - Alien Intelligence, Physics of Space, a Homicidal AI, and More with UCLA planetary scientist (and discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) Dave Jewitt on Kubrick’s Masterpiece
Published: June 16, 2026
Duration: 46:43
In this episode of Unobtainium, Amy, Adam, and UCLA planetary scientist Dave Jewitt (discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) explore Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey—a film that remains one of the most scientifically realistic depictions of humans in space and a transformational moment for sci-fi cinema. From the physics of artificial gravity and existing in vacuum to HAL 9000, human evolution (what’s the story with those actors playing the apes?), and the search for alien intelligence, the conversation examines what the movie gets right and where it bends the rules. And incredibly, why its mysteries continue to captivate scie...