Could You Survive The Movies?: Mad Max

Could You Survive The Movies?: Mad Max is a science film that explores the science behind what you see in movies; specifically George Miller’s modern day classic, Mad Max: Fury Road. Host Jake Roper (me) takes you on an immersive ride through the world, blending scientific exploration with narrative storytelling. The episode follows Jake as he attempts to avoid capture by the Immortan and her horde while simultaneously testing the viability of surviving Fury Road and all the challenges it presents. Jake’s experimentation runs the gamut from determining if it’s possible to survive being strapped to the front of a moving car to finding out what would really happen if you got caught in a movie sized explosion. In addition to practical experiments, Jake dives into the science of the world…from how humanity could end up in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, to where to find water, to using live humans as blood bags. It’s equal parts entertainment and education all while celebrating the incredible film Mad Mux: Fury Road.

***LINKS TO ADDITIONAL READING***

Global Consequences of Multiple Nuclear Explosions
https://atmos.washington.edu/~ackerman/Articles/Turco_Nuclear_Winter_83.pdf

Regional Nuclear War
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2013EF000205

Plasma Separation from Blood
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20565382

Introduction to Fuel and Energy
http://eyrie.shef.ac.uk/eee/cpe630/comfun1.html

Effects of Horizontal Acceleration
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306901/

Blast Wave & Fragment Velocities
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/prep.201600073

Blast Overpressure
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a347634.pdf

Desertification
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/desertification2.php

BP Fuel Study
https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/en/corporate/pdf/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2018-full-report.pdf

Groundwater and Surface Water
https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1139/