What The If? show

What The If?

Summary: Make Science Fiction. Learn Real Science! Welcome to our weekly Science and Science Fiction podcast where we learn amazing things by playing a fantastic game: We make a change to the Universe and then, using only real science, we follow the mind bending ramifications as they ripple outward — wherever they lead! Our brilliant guests are some of the world’s greatest science fiction writers, scientists & science communicators. Strap on your seat belt and let’s leap into a journey to answer the most fascinating question in the Universe… What The IF?

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  • Artist: Philip Shane, Matt Stanley, Gabrielle Paniccia
  • Copyright: All rights reserved

Podcasts:

 84 - Planet Of The Identical TWINS! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:57:58

Maya and Zoe are TWINS, and that's only the beginning of what makes them exceptionally qualified to take us to a planet where EVERYONE shares the same... FACE. Would this world be your personal Heaven... or Hell? It depends on how you look, and how everyone looks at you! From the vivid imagination of two very eloquent and insightful sisters... It just might just be the best planet ever created. Join us for a super duper, totally amazing IF, times TWO! Share your love of the show REVIEW: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don't miss An IF SUBSCRIBE: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Thanks and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

 83 - COLD Blooded People | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:48:06

LIZARDS are cold blooded creatures. What the IF... YOU were too? Don't miss An IF SUBSCRIBE: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the show REVIEW: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Thanks and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

 82 - CETACEAN INVASION! WTiF Whales Take Back The Land? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:52:24

The amazing science educator and cetacean researcher, DR. VANESSA PIROTTA joins us again from Sydney, Australia and takes on the BIGGEST IF yet: What if WHALES decided to RETURN TO LAND? How would their bodies need to adapt? How would they communicate? What would they eat? Would they eat us? Could we ride them? And we also ponder the MYSTERY OF DOLPHIN HAPPINESS. Why so happy, dolphins? What's the secret? Or is it all a facade...? Let's follow Dr. Pirotta as she leads our expedition to the CETACEAN INVASION. What The IF!!!!! LEARN MORE about Dr. Pirotta's research, see magnificent PHOTOS, and enjoy her super engaging DEMONSTRATIONS -- all on her WEBSITE: VanessaPirotta.com Don't miss An IF SUBSCRIBE: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the show REVIEW: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Thanks and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

 81 - Love Thy MOON | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:43:44

We celebrate the LUNAR NEW YEAR and VALENTINE'S DAY by learning all the ways Earth would be a real loser without it's heavenly partner... the MOON! Don't miss an IF! Subscribe: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the IF! Drop us a review: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

 80 - HAGFISH - Champion Of The SLIMER BOWL! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:51:31

The HAGFISH, little known, little respected... greatly feared... by sharks! Is the hagfish the Spiderman of the Sea? This little slimy fish can spit out a slimy blob that BLOWS UP REAL BIG. What the if... WE could defend ourselves like that? Imagine the sport! In celebration of the SUPER BOWL, we present a special episode: The SLIMER BOWL. Let the games begin! Don't miss an IF! Subscribe: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the IF! Drop us a review: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 THANKS and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

 79 - The Notorious BIG... BANG! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:49:59

Special Guest ASTRONOMER Brian Keating returns, with an astounding IF! What The IF, Brian asks, there was MORE than one BIG BANG? WTiF another one is FLYING toward us NOW? OMG, bang bang bang, let's go...! Put on your space kevlar jackets and let's go surfing ALL the Big Bangs! Check out Brian Keating's best selling book, "LOSING THE NOBEL PRIZE" on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Losing-Nobel-Priz…ook/dp/B07889Q65W Don't miss an IF! Subscribe: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the IF! Drop us a review: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 THANKS and Keep On IFFin'!-- Philip & Matt

 78 - PIGEON VISION | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:45:51

The MYSTERY behind the EYES that watch over our cities. WATCH OUT, this IF will change the way you see pigeons, and yourself, trespassing human! Don't miss an IF! Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the IF! Drop us a review: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 THANKS and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

 77 - Let's Pretend We're WHALES! Dr. Vanessa Pirotta Turns Us Into Super Smart Cetaceans | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:55:02

The amazing science educator and cetacean researcher, DR. VANESSA PIROTTA joins us from down under, in Sydney, Australia... But she guides us on a journey to the REAL down under... UNDER THE SEA! Come along with us as we SWAP OUR HUMAN BRAINS for the singing, smiling, super smart BRAINS OF WHALES and dolphins. HOW DOES IT FEEL to navigate all around the planet -- HOW do we do it? WHO are we SINGING to, and are we doing it well? WHY is there a little helicopter flying over our head... silly humans and their boats! DR. PIROTTA'S INSIGHTS never cease to astound, and we come to appreciate our swimming, splashing... and sneezing mammalian relatives in more ways than we even knew was possible. Plus PRO TIPS on how to BE A GOOD HUMAN neighbor! This is an IF worthy of the seven seas. LET'S SAIL! LEARN MORE about Dr. Pirotta's research, see magnificent PHOTOS, and enjoy her super engaging DEMONSTRATIONS -- all on her WEBSITE: http://VanessaPirotta.com Don't miss An IF! SUBSCRIBE: http://linktr.ee/whattheifshow Share your love of the show! REVIEW: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Thanks and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

 76 - Now We Know How Many BRAINS It Takes To Fill The Albert Hall | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:39:12

A couple of weeks ago we explored PARALLEL UNIVERSES... and in *this* parallel universe we take up a similarly BRAIN BENDING a concept: the INFINITE probabilities that surround us in our INFINITE universe. Why should the guy with the goatee be the EVIL one? And what about PANTS... a necessary evil? In an INFINITE UNIVERSE surely there is one little place where people are less... judgmental. Also, did you see a brain lying (or FLYING) around here somewhere? LUDWIG BOLTZMANN says he lost his mind and can't remember where he put it... but he says it's GOTTA be somewhere in this darn big universe! Subscribe! https://linktr.ee/whattheifshow Review! https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2

 75 - WTiF You Could See EARTH RISE... With Your Own Eyes? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:45:21

Happy New Year, dear IFFers!!! A joyous episode greets you. Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Astronaut William Anders' society transforming photograph, "Earthrise," and basking in the glow of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic breakthrough towards bringing passengers into space... Philip wonders WTF is wrong with all these people on the plane who close their windowshades??? Meanwhile, on the skin of the Earth, the view of the skies is disappearing drastically, night after night. WTiF we could ALL see the sky as clear as the ancient astronomers, philsophers, and peasant folk saw the thick sparkling tapestry of the night sky? WTiF we could really see the STARS? Join us on our journey into a hopeful future... or not. It's New Years around the Earth… but how long will we know that it's a PLANET? Let's fly and take a look before the sky blindfolds us forever! WTiF... Clear Skies Forever? Can we do it??? What happens if we don't???

 74 - Bubbling Brew Of PARALLEL UNIVERSE Stew | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:53:21

Our listener & Super IFFer Jeff from Nashville asks What The IF there are parallel universes? Turns out... they might be exploding all around you! Should we fear the ones where we are wearing a beard? Good vs. Evil, Weird Science vs REAL SCIENCE. Strap on your parallel boots and let's go! SUBSCRIBE! linktr.ee/whattheifshow REVIEWS are greatly appreciated: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

 73 - It's An ARTHUR C. CLARKE Christmas! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:50:41

For our Christmas Special, our devoted listener Mitchell Scherr was inspired by the ARTHUR C. CLARKE short story "The Star," in which an ASTRONOMER ponders the source of the STAR OF BETHLEHEM. Was it a super nova? A meteor? A COMET, sent to a solar system which badly needed a tune up? ISAAC NEWTON had some very strong opinions on the matter, and he also has some seriously badass SINS to CONFESS. For realz! Enjoy this wonderful gift from Santa iCloud, directly to your ears, because you were very good science boys & girls this year! With goodwill towards all who love science, Matt & Philip wish you the very best of FESTIVUS! SUBSCRIBE: WhatTheIF.com/subscribe REVIEWS are greatly appreciated: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

 72 - How To Tell People EARTH IS MELTING Without Killing The Party | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:50:10

Listener, and Super IFFer, Amira Youseff wrote in to the feedback@WhatTheIF.com hotline and asked: "How can I get MY FRIENDS to be interested in GLOBAL WARMING?" We discuss how IN THE WORLD you can talk about CLIMATE CHANGE at the party without causing everyone to yawn and abandon you. This week, how to SAVE THE PLANET while making friends and influencing people! This party is HEATING UP!

 71 - Does A Watched PLANET Ever BOIL? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:44:38

Today we take up another fabulous -- and dastardly -- suggestion from our audience! Super IFFER Mike Holland sent an email to our hungry feedback@whattheif.com mailbox and asked.... How did we come to know that CLIMATE CHANGE is really happening, and what it will do to our world? Scientists agree: our atmosphere is heating up and something wicked this way comes. But it wasn't always this way, predicting globally is a skill we've only recently developed... but how??? And WHO was the first scientist to notice? Wasn't there a fear a while back where we were all going to FREEZE? Who figured it out? Were they wearing a turtleneck? HOW did all the scientists of WORLD come to agree that THE END IS NIGH? And who can stop it? On this urgent, darkly humorous, hot box of an episode, we ask... WTiF HUMANS ARE DESTROYING THEIR OWN PLANET? Climate change, past and present, and the changing fashions of scientists' top wear. Subscribe! linktr.ee/whattheifshow Review! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

 70 - Victory Over GRAVITY! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:51:10

70 - Victory Over GRAVITY! by Philip Shane, Matt Stanley, Gabrielle Paniccia

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