What The If?

By: Philip Shane Matt Stanley Gabrielle Paniccia
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  • Summary

  • Learn how to think like EINSTEIN! Every week we learn science running imaginative thought experiments. Our brilliant guests are some of the world’s greatest science fiction writers, scientists & science communicators. Leap into a journey to answer the most fascinating question in the universe: What The IF?
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Episodes
  • NONSTOP Meteor Madness!

    NONSTOP Meteor Madness!
    Feb 16 2025
    Picture a world where meteor showers aren't just annual events - they're a constant barrage of cosmic debris raining down from above. From sonic booms that make sleep impossible to the challenges of titanium umbrella manufacturing, explore how humanity might cope with endless celestial bombardment. Discover why the moon's pockmarked surface could become Earth's new normal, why your local cathedral might be built from meteorite fragments, and how our atmosphere would transform into a perpetual blanket of dust that could make plants nostalgic for sunlight. Based on ideas sparked by Dr. Matthew Stanley's upcoming book on the history of asteroid impact awareness. --- Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention
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    55 mins
  • The Great GARBAGE Apocalypse!

    The Great GARBAGE Apocalypse!
    Feb 10 2025
    Imagine a world where garbage grows faster than we can handle it. From towering mountains of trash transforming Central Park into a burn pit, to fashionable gas masks becoming the next big trend, to super-sized Pizza Rats dragging entire pies down subway stairs - Matt touches on what happens when our waste production spirals out of control. Discover the fascinating science behind Norway's garbage-to-energy programs, learn why your building's trash chute might be too small for modern waste, and find out how launching garbage into space could create daily meteor showers. Whether we end up building higher and higher on top of our refuse or turning landfills into beautiful parks, one thing's certain: the future is trashy. Here are links to the article that inspired today’s “If,” and also links to the work of photographer Jade Doskow, the official photographer of the Fresh Kills transformation project, turning the old landfill into a vast wooded parkland in New York City. - NYTimes - "A Century of Human Detritus, Visualized" (Dennis Overbye) - The podcast encourages checking out a New York Times article titled "A Century of Human Detritus, Visualized," written by Dennis Overbye and published December 27, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/science/biomass-garbage-construction.html?unlocked_article_code=1.v04.UxBK.oaS6T2HeFINh&smid=url-share - Jade Doskow’s Official Website - The hosts direct listeners to Jade Doskow’s official photography website, which showcases her work. https://jadedoskowphotography.com/ - Jade Doskow at Freshkills Park - The official Freshkills Park page about Jade’s role as Photographer-in-Residence. It features her ongoing project documenting the transformation of the former landfill into a park. https://freshkillspark.org/os-art/jadedoskow - "Jade Doskow: Photographer of Lost Utopias" Documentary - A short documentary by filmmaker Philip Shane following Jade’s decade-long project photographing World’s Fair sites. https://www.philipshane.com/lost-utopias - "Extra Terrestrial" on Urban Omnibus - An article written by Jade Doskow (Nov 2022) about the evolving landscape of Freshkills, recommended for further reading. It offers insight into her approach and findings as the site’s photographer-in-residence. https://urbanomnibus.net/2022/11/extra-terrestrial/ --- Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention
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    49 mins
  • Nobody POOPS!

    Nobody POOPS!
    Feb 7 2025
    What if humans only needed to poop twice a year? Listener Randy Woods sent in this fascinating question that explores everything from subway systems suddenly smelling fresher to plumbers planning career changes in a world where human waste becomes a rare event. Dive into the fascinating science of gut microbiomes, learn why having "zero waste" might wreak havoc on Earth's ecosystems, and discover why some scientists think the total elimination of poop could cause an evolutionary crisis. Through engineered gut bacteria or artificially created super-digestible food, this episode examines how our bodies would need to change to achieve this drastically different biological reality. --- Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention
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    53 mins

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