From ‘Star Trek’ to ‘Arrival’: How pop culture helps us imagine extraterrestrial life

The Colin McEnroe Show

The Nose is off this week. In its place, a look at how we imagine extraterrestrial life.

What do you picture when you picture aliens? Is it like E.T.? Or little green men? Or an alien from Star Trek?

This hour: how we imagine extraterrestrial life and how those visions are shaped by our TV and movies and more.

GUESTS:

• Jaime Green: Freelance writer, editor, writing teacher, and the author of The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos
• Doug Jones: Actor known for his roles in Hellboy, The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, and more; he plays Saru in Star Trek: Discovery

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Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 1, 2023.

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