Not Impossible is a podcast that asks the question “What if nothing in life is impossible?” It explores inspiring stories about people solving the hardest, most mind-boggling problems in some of the most creative and unimaginable ways.
Mick Ebeling, founder of Not Impossible Labs, guides us through uplifting stories of people who’ve created technology for the sake of humanity.
S2 Ep10: Can we Rewrite the Brain? with Justin Sanchez
Jan 14, 2026
Show notes
In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with neuroscientist Justin Sanchez to explore how innovative technology once considered science fiction is becoming real.
Justin leads advanced neurotechnology research at Battelle, one of the world’s largest nonprofit research organizations focused on turning breakthrough science into real-world impact.
From advanced robotic limbs that move through neural signals to technologies designed to restore movement and memory, this conversation explores how ideas born in government research programs evolve into practical tools that can improve everyday life.
Together, Mick and Justin unpack how the brain adapts to new technology, what it means to read from and write to the nervous system, and why some of the most powerful innovations still struggle to reach the people who need them most. Along the way, they discuss the ethical responsibility that comes with neurotechnology and what it takes to move breakthroughs beyond the lab and into the real world.
TOPICS COVERED
Brain-computer interfaces and neural signal technology
Advanced prosthetic limbs and natural movement control
Wearable neurotechnology for rehabilitation
Memory prosthetics and cognitive restoration research
Ethical responsibility in emerging neurotechnology
S2 Ep9: Can We Destroy Forever Chemicals? with Dr. Bruce Rittmann
Dec 19, 2025
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In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Bruce Rittmann, one of the world’s most influential environmental engineers, to explore a growing global problem hiding in plain sight: forever chemicals. Also known as PFAS, these man-made compounds are used in everyday products like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and stain-resistant materials. They are designed to last, but that same durability means they do not naturally break down, allowing them to accumulate in water, food, and the human body. Dr. Rittmann explains how microorganisms, often overlooked by humans, can become powerful partners in addressing this challenge. By delivering electrons in the right way and using catalytic materials like palladium, his team has developed a process that does more than filter pollution or move it elsewhere. It chemically transforms some of the most persistent contaminants on Earth into compounds that can finally be broken down safely. Together, Mick and Dr. Rittmann unpack the science behind forever chemicals, the breakthrough moment that made this approach possible, and what it would take to scale this technology in real-world water treatment systems. From contaminated sites to drinking water facilities, this conversation explores how a problem once thought permanent may no longer be forever. TOPICS COVERED
What forever chemicals are and why they are so difficult to break down
How PFAS ended up in everyday products and the environment
The role microorganisms play in transforming harmful pollutants
What scaling this technology looks like in real-world water treatment systems
S2 Ep8: A Virgin Birth in a Crocodile? with Dr. Brenna Levine & Dr. Warren Booth | Not Impossible Podcast
Dec 10, 2025
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In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Warren Booth and Dr. Brenna Levine, the researchers who documented the first-ever confirmed virgin birth in a crocodile — a discovery that challenges one of the oldest assumptions we have about how life begins. Their work reveals a biological phenomenon called parthenogenesis, where a female animal reproduces without a male — a process found across reptiles, birds, sharks, and even entire species that no longer have males at all. This conversation unpacks how parthenogenesis works, why it evolves, and what this surprising crocodile case tells us about nature’s flexibility, resilience, and refusal to stay inside our human expectations. Topics Covered
What parthenogenesis is (and why it’s not as rare as we think)
How the team confirmed a virgin birth in an American crocodile
Why the animal kingdom regularly breaks our “status quo” assumptions
What this discovery means for evolution, genetics, and survival
S2 Ep7: Recreating the Sun on Earth? with Scientist Dr. Kim Budil
Dec 03, 2025
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In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Kimberly Budil, Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, who oversaw the first-ever net positive nuclear fusion reaction, a milestone comparable to the Wright brothers’ first flight. Fusion has long lived in the realm of “someday science.” But as Dr. Budil explains, that someday is suddenly feeling a lot closer. Together, Mick and Dr. Budil unpack how 192 synchronized lasers, a gold cylinder, a diamond fuel capsule, and a tiny peppercorn-sized ball of hydrogen created one of the most important scientific achievements of our generation. This conversation dives deep into the physics, the story, and the future of fusion energy — and explores what it will take to turn this breakthrough into a real path toward limitless, clean, sustainable power. Topics Covered
How the National Ignition Facility achieved the first net-positive fusion reaction
Why fusion is “easy”… but sustained fusion is one of science’s hardest challenges
The difference between laser fusion and magnetic fusion
What it means to build an “X-ray oven” with gold, diamonds, and 192 laser beams
How public-private partnerships could accelerate fusion from lab milestone to global energy source
Why this moment is the “Wright Brothers flight” of clean energy
S2 Ep6: Can Whales Help Us Talk to Aliens? with the SETI Team
Nov 19, 2025
Show notes
In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with members of the SETI research team, who are exploring one of the most ambitious questions in science: How do you communicate with a mind that isn’t human? Their work begins here on Earth, decoding the complex songs, social structures, and communication systems of whales. They hope to uncover patterns that might help us someday recognize and understand intelligent life beyond our planet. This conversation dives into the intersection of biology, linguistics, technology, and imagination, revealing how studying the language of another species could become a blueprint for how humanity reaches out into the cosmos. Topics Covered How scientists capture and decode the communication patterns of whales What whale societies reveal about non-human intelligence How interspecies communication research informs the search for extraterrestrial life
S2 Ep5: Restoring Brains With Implants? with Neurosurgeon Dr. Jaimie Henderson
Nov 05, 2025
Show notes
In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgeon and researcher at Stanford, whose work focuses on restoring brain function for people living with neurological conditions. This conversation explores how the brain learns, adapts, remembers, and sometimes rebuilds pathways once thought gone forever. Topics Covered The early history of neurostimulation (including the torpedo fish!) How brain-computer interfaces decode intention The emotional impact of restoring agency and independence The future of neurorehabilitation and motor recovery
S2 Ep4: Plastic Eating Fungi? with Biodegradation Researcher Dr. Amira Samat
Oct 29, 2025
Show notes
What if “forever plastic” didn’t have to last forever? In this episode of the Not Impossible Podcast, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Amira Samat, a biologist whose research challenges one of the world’s most stubborn assumptions: that polypropylene, one of our most common plastics, can never truly break down. Polypropylene is everywhere: pill bottles, takeout containers, carpets, furniture, cars, medical tools. It’s durable, cheap, and efficient… which is exactly why it’s become a global environmental crisis. But while scientists have long believed polypropylene was essentially indestructible, Amira discovered something remarkable: a natural combination of fungi and bacteria that can break it down significantly in months, not centuries. This wasn’t supposed to be possible. And yet… here we are. This conversation dives into: How Amira discovered plastic-eating microorganisms The science behind biodegradation (made simple) Why this breakthrough could reshape ocean cleanup
S2 Ep3: A Pilot With No Arms? with Pilot and Speaker Jessica Cox
Oct 22, 2025
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What if the word “impossible” was just a challenge waiting to be redefined? In this Not Impossible Podcast episode, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Jessica Cox, the world’s first woman to fly a plane with her feet, to explore what it truly means to live without limits. Born without arms, Jessica has spent her life defying expectations: earning a black belt in Taekwondo, becoming a licensed pilot, learning to surf and scuba dive, and inspiring millions around the world. Once considered impossible, her story reminds us that the only real limitations are the ones we place on ourselves. This conversation dives deep into resilience, adaptability, and the mindset that turns obstacles into opportunity. Subscribe for more episodes with world-changing thinkers, inventors, and doers.
S2 Ep2: Freezing Organs To Save Lives? with Cryobiologist Dr. Greg Fahy
Oct 15, 2025
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What if freezing organs could save countless lives? In this Not Impossible Podcast episode, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Greg Fahy, a pioneering cryobiologist whose groundbreaking work in vitrification, the process of freezing organs without damaging them, is set to transform the future of organ transplantation. Once considered impossible, Dr. Fahy’s discoveries reveal how some of the world’s biggest challenges are just problems waiting for ingenious solutions. This conversation dives deep into the science, the story, and the surprising inspirations behind this medical breakthrough. Subscribe for more episodes with world-changing thinkers, inventors, and doers.
S2 Ep1: Making Mars A Future Home? with NASA Scientist, Dr. Michael Hecht
Oct 08, 2025
Show notes
What does it really take to make Mars a future home for humanity? In this Not Impossible Podcast episode, host and Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling sits down with Dr. Michael Hecht, NASA's principal investigator for MOXIE - Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization." Together, they explore how MOXIE made history by generating oxygen on Mars, what that means for the future of space travel, and how innovation born from impossibility can change the world – and beyond. This episode kicks off season 2 of the Not Impossible Podcast, our new chapter of mind blowing conversations with people who use breakthrough technology to make the impossible not impossible.
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