The Biollywood Podcast

By: Asha M. George DrPH; John ”J.T” O’Brien MS
  • Summary

  • Podcasts evolve. So do viruses and other biological threats. In response, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense has taken its examination of scenarios involving biological weapons, accidents, and naturally occurring pandemics to the next level and created The Biollywood Podcast. In this podcast, we talk about biological threats and the popular culture media they appear in. Learn more about the Commission at https://biodefensecommission.org/
    Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • The 100, S1E10: I Am Become Death (2014)
    Jan 3 2025

    Premise: The series is set 97 years after a devastating nuclear war wiped out almost all life on Earth. The only known survivors are the residents of twelve space stations in Earth's orbit prior to the war. The space stations banded together to form a single massive station named "The Ark", where about 2,400 people live. Resources are scarce and all crimes no matter their nature or severity are punishable by death ("floating") unless the perpetrator is under 18 years of age. After the Ark's life support systems are found to be critically failing, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared "expendable" and sent to the surface in a last ditch attempt to determine if Earth is habitable again. The teens arrive on a beautiful planet they have only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. However they discover that not all humanity was wiped out. There are people on Earth who survived the war, called "grounders" by the 100. The Ark consists of the space stations previously representing the nations of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, Russia, Venezuela, France, Brazil, and Uganda.

    In this episode: Murphy returns to the camp carrying a horrific virus created by the Grounders to weaken the camp. After learning the Grounders plan to attack the next day, Bellamy, Finn and Raven come up with a plan to delay them.

    Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.

    Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.

    Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org

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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Life (2017)
    Dec 30 2024

    In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the film Life (2017).

    In the film, a six-member crew of the International Space Station uncovers the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. When members of the crew conduct their research, the rapidly evolving life-form proves to be far more intelligent and dangerous than expected.

    Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.

    Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.

    Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org

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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Project Hail Mary (2021)
    Nov 1 2024

    In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the novel Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir.

    Premise:

    Set in the near future, it centers on school-teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace, who wakes up from a coma afflicted with amnesia. He gradually remembers that he was sent to the Tau Ceti solar system, 12 light-years from Earth, to find a means of reversing a solar dimming event that could cause the extinction of humanity. The story follows two storylines, each told chronologically, starting with the story on board the spacecraft Hail Mary where Ryland Grace regains his memory in bursts. This story is frequently intercut with flashbacks revealing earlier events leading up to the launch of the Hail Mary

    Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.

    Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.

    Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org

    Project Hail Mary Ratings:

    • Relevance to Commission Recs: 4.5/5
    • Scientific Accuracy: 4.5/5
    • Scenario Development: 5/5
    • Entertainment Value: 4.5/5
    • Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 5/5
    • Shock/Surprise Value: 4/5
    • Government Policy: 3.5/5
    • Portrayal by Actors: 4.5/5
    • Direction: 4.5/5
    • Production: 4/5
    • Overall Average Score: 4.4/5

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    1 hr and 36 mins

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