The Sloth Life Is A GOOD Life!
Listener Dan Floyd asks: what the if exercise were bad for you? Imagine a checkup where your doctor frowns at your step count. In this episo...
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Science & Medicine
What The If?
We build NEW WORLDS as we learn REAL SCIENCE about the limits of the COSMOS. Join us in exploring the science of SPACE, cosmology, physics, life, the UNIVERSE and everything! How do we do it...
Episodes
20 of 459 episodes
Who The If is MATT!
Who the if is Matt Stanley? He went to college to build lasers and wound up a historian of science. In this episode you'll learn some really...
Bugs The Size Of US!
What the if bugs were the size of us? Imagine heading out with your morning coffee and holding the door for an ant who stands as tall as you...
Your Lab Partner Is A ROBOT!
What the if all lab work were done by robots? Imagine strolling into the lab with your morning coffee to find that a tireless mechanical par...
The MUSES Are Real - with Dr. Moiya McTier!
What the if the muses were real? Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier, author of "Mothers of Invention," takes us into a world where n...
Nobel Winners Sign SNEAKER Deals!
What the if scientists were as famous as football stars? Picture packed bars, roaring crowds, and a physicist on the big screen getting abso...
The Milky Way Is ALIVE - With Dr. Moiya McTier!
The whole crew is off on separate adventures this week, so we've unlocked the vault for an encore of one of our most popular episodes ever....
GOOP Powers The WORLD!
What the if one gooey substance could drink up every kind of energy around it, from sunlight and heat to a stray spark or even the smack of...
BIRDS Aren't REAL!
What the if birds aren't actually birds? Play it straight for a second: somewhere between 1959 and 1971, the government quietly swaps every...
ANTIMATTER On Demand!
ANTIMATTER On Demand! by Philip Shane, Matt Stanley, Gabrielle Paniccia
WHO The If - GABY!
Behind every voice you've come to love on this show is a life full of stories you've never heard. With our eighth anniversary just around th...
TOO SOCIAL Media!
Listener Kevin Towers asks: what the if the internet made everyone use their real, traceable name? No usernames. No masks. No hiding behind...
The Other Theory of EVOLUTION!
What the if Lamarck was right? Stanford historian Jessica Riskin, author of "The Power of Life," is our guide into a universe where living t...
Moon Babies Meet EARTH - Part 2!
What the if you were born on the Moon and Earth was the alien planet? Picking up from last month's cliffhanger, our travelers from the lunar...
The Last DROP Of Gasoline!
Listener Helina asks: what the if we just pumped the last drop of gasoline? The answer goes well beyond empty parking lots and quiet highway...
Build A Brand New ALPHABET - with Linguist DANNY BATE!
What the if you had to invent the alphabet from scratch? The Pharaoh hands you a stone tablet, a chisel, and an impossible assignment: conde...
Moon Babies Meet EARTH!
Picture this: you're a moon baby, born and raised underground on Luna, and you've just landed on Earth for the very first time. Meet the loo...
Microbe Grudge Match!
What the if microbes held a grudge? We're thrilled to welcome Ethan Rappaport, theoretical ecologist at the University of Maryland, to take...
Space JUNK!
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the MIR SPACE STATION's spectacular farewell reentry, we're featuring an encore of our August 11, 2023 e...
Telepathy!
What the if you could read minds — but only when someone's nearby? Congratulations, your subway commute just became a psychic nightmare. Bab...