Part of the allure of science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian fiction, whether in print or on screen, is the ability to conjure up possible worlds and concepts that don't yet exist in reality. Novelists have done this for centuries, inspiring television and film adaptations to give rise to scientifically-based visions of what lies ahead. Host Dr. Melinda Lewis explores this genre of popular media with Drexel University product design professor, lifelong sci-fi and fantasy fiction enthusiast, and self-proclaimed "Doomsday optimist" Raja Schaar, unearthing the power of imagined stories to help make sense of (and potentially heal) a fractured society.

"Pop, the Question" is a production of Marketing & Media in Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University.

Recorded November 9, 2020 through virtual conferencing (Philadelphia, PA, USA).

Featured Guest: Raja Schaar (Assistant Professor and Program Director, Product Design, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel University)

Host and Producer: Melinda Lewis, PhD (Associate Director, Marketing & Media)

Dean: Paula Marantz Cohen, PhD (Dean, Pennoni Honors College)

Executive Producer: Erica Levi Zelinger (Director, Marketing & Media)

Producer: Brian Kantorek (Assistant Director, Marketing & Media)

Research and Script: Melinda Lewis, PhD

Audio Engineering and Editing: Brian Kantorek

Original Theme Music: Brian Kantorek

Production Assistance: Noah Levine

Graphic Design: Alex Hotchkiss

Logo Design: Michal Anderson

Additional Voiceover: Malia LewisCopyright © 2021 Drexel University