Dec 18 2018

Geodesic Domes: The Wave of the Future That Wasn't

50 min 4 movies discussed
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Sometimes a good idea doesn’t pan out in real life. Take Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome: It requires less energy to heat and cool, it’s cheap, and it’s durable enough to withstand a hurricane – but it’s also godawful ugly and that was its undoing.

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know - Geodesic Domes

Join Josh and Chuck as they explore the fascinating history and science behind geodesic domes, from their origins as a planetarium design in 1920s Germany to Buckminster Fuller's revolutionary vision of affordable, efficient homes of the future. They dive into the geometry that makes these structures so surprisingly strong, why they became a countercultural icon in the 1960s and 70s, and discover both the ingenious advantages and frustratingly practical disadvantages of actually living in a giant triangle-covered sphere. It's a perfect blend of architecture, history, and why your furniture will never fit quite right in a round house.


Movies Discussed

Back to the Future
Back to the Future
1985 1h 56m
★ 8.3
"when they debuted that back to the future ride years ago — Chuck references the Back to the Future ride at theme parks when discussing immersive rides with hydraulics and movie screens." — Chuck
Encino Man
Encino Man
1992 1h 28m
★ 5.8
"Brendan Frazier lives in there. In Polly Shore. And Stephen Baldwin? — Chuck references the 1992 film 'Encino Man' when mentioning Brendan Fraser, Pauly Shore, and Stephen Baldwin in connection with the biosphere." — Chuck
On the Scene with the Ghostbusters
On the Scene with the Ghostbusters
1984
★ 9.5
"The ghostbusters running around shooting off proton packs inside that thing? — Josh humorously imagines Ghostbusters using proton packs inside a dome filled with accumulated smells." — Josh
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
2004 1h 59m
★ 7.1
"It seems ghastly, almost like a Bernesean type of idea — Chuck references Wes Anderson's aesthetic (Bernesean style) when discussing the idea of enclosing Manhattan in a dome." — Chuck

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