What The If?

Every week, we DIVE into the human body, navigating our submersible, the good ship IF! Join documentary filmmaker Philip Shane, NYU Historian of Science Matthew Stanley, and Rockefeller University virologist Gaby Paniccia as we take a fantastic journey to learn the magical wonders of biology... up close... and in living AUDIO color! This week, we pilot the good ship IF into a VIRUS and we attempt a MIND MELD with it! Inspired by the X-Files, Gabi brings it back to the lab for a thorough INVESTIGATION, to dissect the fiction and we find a surprising bounty of FACTS! --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.

The network of the ancients! Take a ride through history, to the days of the inventors of astrology, and get CONNECTED to the ancient Babylonian World Wide Web! Before the dot com bubble was even a thought! — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Special thanks to Kyle Crichton for his help with the show. --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

Prepare for battle, Trojans! It's time to gather your weapons and your SHIELD! Get ready as we head into Ancient Greece, to learn about the OTHER flat earth theory, the Earth is shaped...like ACHILLES SHIELD! — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Special thanks to Kyle Crichton for his help with the show. --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

Every week, we DIVE into the human body, navigating our submersible, the good ship IF! Join documentary filmmaker Philip Shane, NYU Historian of Science Matthew Stanley, and Rockefeller University virologist Gaby Paniccia as we take a fantastic journey to learn the magical wonders of biology... up close... and in living AUDIO color! This week, we debrief what we learned by riding INSIDE THE COVID VACCINE, and Gaby fills us in on how to DEBUNK ANTI-VAX rumors and conspiracy theories, and Matt asks about when kids might be able to get their VAX, too! --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.

The FIGHT of the century, AGAIN?! This is the REMATCH of two of the most famous and ELECTRIC inventors. Hang on to your phone chargers, we're looking at your wireless charger folks! It's time to see who wins! EDISON OR TESLA! — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Special thanks to Kyle Crichton for his help with the show. --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

Ride In The Covid Vaccine -- part deus! Every week, we DIVE into the human body, navigating our submersible, the good ship IF! Join documentary filmmaker Philip Shane, NYU Historian of Science Matthew Stanley, and Rockefeller University virologist Gaby Paniccia as we take a fantastic journey to learn the magical wonders of biology... up close... and in living AUDIO color! This week, we pilot the good ship IF into a syringe for a very, very chilly, very turbulent, super fast and amazing ride INSIDE THE COVID VACCINE! Hop in, and let's watch the cavalry ride to the rescue... inside you! --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.

Long time listener and Super IFFer Tom from Virginia asks: WTiF everyone's MEMORIES were recorded and available to all? Could you log in MEMORY SURF... in virtual reality? What would it be like? What would society be like? Are we headed there now? Strap on your imagination goggles and let's find out! — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

Happy New Year! For 2021, the WTIF Audiovision Network has created an amazing, all new show... FANTASTIC VOYAGE! Every week, we DIVE into the human body, navigating our submersible, the good ship IF! Join documentary filmmaker Philip Shane, NYU Historian of Science Matthew Stanley, and Rockefeller University virologist Gaby Paniccia as we take a fantastic journey to learn the magical wonders of biology... up close... and in living AUDIO color! This week, we pilot the good ship IF into a syringe for a very, very chilly, very turbulent, super fast and amazing ride INSIDE THE COVID VACCINE! Hop in, and let's watch the cavalry ride to the rescue... inside you! --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.

Happy Holidays from WTiF! In honor of the SOLSTICE this week, we present an encore of one of our most popular episodes. Enjoy! --- The incredible Science Fiction author PAUL McAULEY joins us to celebrate episode 100! With a preview of the science behind his upcoming novel, WAR OF THE MAPS, Paul asks: What The IF we could save the Earth from the inevitable death of the Sun! It's gonna be a lotta work! First we've gotta MOVE the Earth outward when the Sun expands into a RED GIANT, then we need to HUDDLE UP close (!) when the Sun shrinks into a WHITE DWARF. Yep, Paul treats us to some EPIC ENGINEERING and ultra vivid SOLAR SCIENCE! PAUL McAULEY is the author of more than twenty books, including novels, short story collections and a film monograph. His latest novel is AUSTRAL https://www.amazon.co.uk/Austral-Paul-McAuley/dp/1473217318 And his latest short story is featured in Wade Roush's exciting anthology TWELVE TOMORROWS from MIT Press, which also features new stories from Elizabeth Bear, SL Huang, Clifford V. Johnson, J. M. Ledgard, Liu Cixin, Ken Liu, Paul McAuley, Nnedi Okorafor, Malka Older, Sarah Pinsker, Alastair Reynolds https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/twelve-tomorrows Also in stores now is EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own Matt Stanley! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417 REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051 BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. In bookstores now. Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

Covid MUTANTS Cause London Lockdown: PANIC or Prudent? Every week, Rockefeller University Virologist GABY PANICCIA explores the science behind the headlines. More info at RockEDU: rockedu.rockefeller.edu and covid-19-research.rockefeller.edu --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.

This week, we dive deep into the mailbag to give you multiple If! Alternate What the Ifs from other dimensions, its a Mailbag BONANZA! Sit back and enjoy this special holiday episodes where we get into the If's we didn't get to in 2020. Happy Holidays! — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Special thanks to Kyle Crichton for their help with the show. --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

The New York Times has an online test you can take to "Find Your Place in the Vaccine Line": https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/03/opinion/covid-19-vaccine-timeline.html Gaby, Matt and Philip discuss how far back in the line they are told to go (hint: Philip is WAAAAAYYYYY BACK, d'oh!). Where would YOU be in the line? Are you already in line? Are you gonna get in line? Gaby discusses the latest info on the creation and distribution of the vaccines that will save the world, get yer tickets now! --- Every week, Rockefeller University Virologist GABY PANICCIA explores the science behind the headlines. More info at RockEDU: rockedu.rockefeller.edu and covid-19-research.rockefeller.edu --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.

Super IFFer Bill asked, WTiF we lived in a Block Universe? So we're having a Block Universe party! And we're learning what the heck a block universe is, and why TIME is many splendored thing. — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

Prepare to boldly go where no IFer has gone before! To the future of society, where we eliminated the need for money, and hunger is a thing of the past thanks to REPLICATORS! Inspired by Star Trek, super IFer Kyle Crichton comes to us with this week's IF! What The If We lived in a post-scarcity society?! The book mentioned in this episode is called "Trekonomics" written by Manu Saadia. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/27040338-trekonomics The NASA Artemis Accords can also be found here: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html — Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! --- Special thanks to Kyle Crichton for his help with the show. --- Want to support the show? Click a rating or add a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe at WhatTheIF.com Keep On IFFin', Philip & Matt

The CNN headline reads “An Oregon mink farm has reported a Covid-19 outbreak”. Does Covid suddenly have a lust for high fashion outerwear? How’d the mink get infected? Can they return the favor and send the virus back into humans? Are bats trying to win the public relations battle? Gaby gets into the science and the strategy of the virus and reveals the biological battle to destroy the Covid’s crown, the spikes! Every week, Rockefeller University Virologist GABY PANICCIA explores the science behind the headlines. More info at RockEDU: rockedu.rockefeller.edu and covid-19-research.rockefeller.edu Read the CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/28/us/oregon-mink-farm-covid-19-outbreak-coronavirus-trnd/index.html Don’t own any mink, but wondering if COVID-19 can infect your pets? - Meet the Hong Kong Pomeranian that started it all: https://time.com/5796510/dog-coronavirus-animal-covid/ - Here are also some new developments on the situation concerning this recently famous dog: https://time.com/5805524/hong-kong-dog-dies-after-coronavirus-quarantine/ - For all the concerned dog parents out there, here’s a guide that explains the implications of COVID-19 on your fur babies: https://fluentwoof.com/dogs-coronavirus-covid-19/ --- Like the show? Share your love for the IF by dropping a review on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 Have you subscribed? Grab one (always free!) at pod.link/1250517051 and never miss an episode! Comments, questions, and more are welcome! Visit WhatTheIF.com/contact or email us at feedback@whattheif.com.