WHAT THE IF?
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WHAT THE IF?
Learn how to think like EINSTEIN! Every week we learn science by asking the BIGGEST question in the universe.

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Tiny Black Holes EVERYWHERE!
Tiny Black Holes EVERYWHERE!

Atom-sized black holes might be flying through our solar system right now and making Mars wobble.

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physics, black holes, astronomy, astrophysics, relativity, scientific method, universePhilip ShaneFebruary 20, 2026guests
The Day Gravity QUIT!
The Day Gravity QUIT!

Gravity's taking a seven-second smoke break this August and honestly everything goes horribly wrong almost immediately.

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physics, black holesPhilip ShaneFebruary 12, 2026guests
GROUND HOG Day PHYSICS!
GROUND HOG Day PHYSICS!

The groundhog deep state has a space program, supercomputers, and fuzzy little bureaucrats running the weather.

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nasa, engineering, environment, news, physics, technologyPhilip ShaneFebruary 5, 2026guests
HAGFISH - Champion Of The SLIMER BOWL!
HAGFISH - Champion Of The SLIMER BOWL!

What the if the most disgusting creature in the ocean is actually a survival genius — and could teach us a thing or two about defense, escape, and making a really, really big mess?

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astronomy, geology, nasa, scientific methodPhilip ShaneJanuary 30, 2026guests
CITIZEN Science -- With Kirby Runyon!
CITIZEN Science -- With Kirby Runyon!

Map ancient lava flows on the moon from your couch and help solve mysteries billions of years old.

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astronomy, geology, nasa, scientific methodPhilip ShaneJanuary 15, 2026guests
Walking on IO with Robin Andrews! (Encore)
Walking on IO with Robin Andrews! (Encore)

Dr. Robin Andrews takes us for a stroll on Jupiter's lava-spewing moon Io—galoshes required.

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biology, evolution, psychology, scifiPhilip ShaneJanuary 7, 2026guests
BIOLOGICAL New Year's Resolutions!
BIOLOGICAL New Year's Resolutions!

What the if you were biologically compelled to complete your New Year's resolution like a salmon swimming upstream?

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biology, evolution, psychology, scifiPhilip ShaneDecember 30, 2025
Time REVERSAL with Ian Durham!
Time REVERSAL with Ian Durham!

Physicist Ian Durham stops by to explain why time reversal means your LEGO sets finally assemble themselves.

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biology, cosmology, history of science, physicsPhilip ShaneDecember 26, 2025guests
Santa's MEGA Fauna!
Santa's MEGA Fauna!

Santa's sleigh won't fly, but a reindeer dirigible with forty hovering mammals just might.

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biologyPhilip ShaneDecember 20, 2025
Green SUN Apocalypse!
Green SUN Apocalypse!

A green Sun turns pizzas black, kills all plants, and makes deep-sea microbes humanity's last hope.

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biology, apocalypse, astrophysics, astronomy, chemistryPhilip ShaneDecember 5, 2025
Dr. Kiki Turns Us Into BIRDS! (Encore)
Dr. Kiki Turns Us Into BIRDS! (Encore)

What the if humans evolved into shrikes - those songbirds that impale their prey on thorns like tiny violent artists?

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biology, evolutionPhilip ShaneNovember 26, 2025guest
Two BABIES, Two SPECIES!
Two BABIES, Two SPECIES!

Ant queens birth two separate species. What if humans did too? Forget gender reveals - welcome to the species reveal party!

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biology, evolutionPhilip ShaneNovember 13, 2025
Mosquitoes Fall for FUNGI!
Mosquitoes Fall for FUNGI!

Mosquitoes can't resist this genetically engineered fungus, proving they have the same impulse control as humans at a dessert buffet.

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biology, collaborations, evolution, fungusPhilip ShaneNovember 5, 2025
FRANKENSTEIN!
FRANKENSTEIN!

Frankenstein's real horror isn't lightning or corpses but the medical bill for keeping mismatched body parts from rejecting each other.

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genetics, history of science, occult, technologyPhilip ShaneOctober 30, 2025
The BURPING Lake!
The BURPING Lake!

What if all water was carbonated? Cities relocate uphill, Niagara becomes a methane factory, and Mentos are banned worldwide.

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news, chemistry, environment, geology, history, physicsPhilip ShaneOctober 21, 2025
Animals Train YOU!
Animals Train YOU!

Wild birds respond to human whistles to find honey. What if you could call any animal to help with tasks for mutual benefit?

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news, evolutionPhilip ShaneOctober 15, 2025
AI Viruses!
AI Viruses!

Scientists trained AI to design custom viruses that hunt down superbugs when regular antibiotics fail.

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news, genetics, technology, artificial intelligencePhilip ShaneOctober 3, 2025
MEMORY Maxed Out - with Neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin!
MEMORY Maxed Out - with Neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin!

If memory worked like computer storage, forgetting that embarrassing eighth-grade moment might also delete your ability to do algebra.

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news, scientific method, astronomy, black holes, einstein, history of sciencePhilip ShaneSeptember 26, 2025guests
Gravity Waves Go WIGGLE!
Gravity Waves Go WIGGLE!

What the if gravitational waves were big enough to see your coffee table stretch like taffy every time black holes collide across the universe?

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news, scientific method, astronomy, black holes, einstein, history of sciencePhilip ShaneSeptember 12, 2025
VITALERIUM with Nicholas Casbarro!
VITALERIUM with Nicholas Casbarro!

Science fiction author Nicholas Casbarro explores radioactive space rocks that enable faster-than-light travel and the mind-bending paradoxes that follow.

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physics, space travel, cosmology, einstein, quantum mechanics, relativityPhilip ShaneSeptember 5, 2025guests
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