Substack, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon
Hello there, welcome to the Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast. Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction and fantasy.
We are Jotham (Joe), a research scientist and author; Nick, roaster of the coffee bean, entrepreneur and pop culture guru; and sometimes Georgia, librarian, storyteller, and print maker.
So, What is this Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast?
It’s like playing a game of Telephone, where we will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes.
It will not just be us rambling, fumbling and tumbling down the rabbit hole, but we will invite creators, thinkers and innovators on to talk about their research, creative process and join the lively conversation exploring the quirky science in fiction.
We know you have many choices of entertainment, so we will keep the episodes short, about the time it takes to drink a tasty beverage. So, please join us on this journey down the rabbit hole.
Play below (if on mobile click three-lined bar to expand episodes) or follow the Podcast at your favorite Podcast Provider or you can subscribe below to my newsletter and get email updates:
Substack, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon
You can always email (I do answer back), or follow me online for real time tracking. And keep reading to see what I read or listened to when I had time.
Our goal is to have fun learning science through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, and pop-culture. We will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes.
In Episode 37 of Rabbit Hole of Research, hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by writer and cultural critic Nick Ulanowski to kick off their Fantastic Four series with a deep dive into one of the most mysterious superpowers in comics: invisibility. Centering on Sue Storm—the Invisible Woman—they explore the speculative biology, comic book origins, and strange science behind what it would take for a human to vanish from sight.
From chameleon chromatophores to light-bending metamaterials, they unravel what makes invisibility work across nature, fiction, and theoretical physics. The conversation touches on early mythological artifacts like the Helm of Hades and the Ring of Gyges, jumps into the metabolic cost of photonic cloaking (spoiler: it’s wild), and even explores infant psychology and the observer effect.
Visit Nick Ulanowski at:
Substack: https://starvingauthor.substack.com
Books: https://starvingauthorpress.etsy.com
It’s Science for Weirdos
Want to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes.
We want to Hear From You (leave a comment):
What comic, myth, or sci-fi invisibility story stuck with you the most?
Could invisibility ever work biologically in a human-sized organism?
Which is cooler—full-spectrum cloaking or psychic perceptual stealth?
Is Sue Storm underutilized as a science fiction concept?
For more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter!
Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFV
Don’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like!
Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe
Season #1 Episode 1-25, Show Notes: