What The If?

Latest Episodes:

98 - OWN Your Own BRAIN Jun 17, 2019

Show notes

Listener Jon from Sweden ascends to the rank of Super IFFer by submitting a winning IF! Jon asks, "What The IF... we knew EXACTLY how the BRAIN worked?" Would we be stuck as mere observers of the working brain, or could we fiddle with it, improve it, HACK it? How would it feel if you were changing the code of your own brain? Does the BRAIN have an ESC KEY? Let's hope so, because we're pluggin' yours in and messing with your MEATWARE. What the IF you dare! REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

97 - Spacetime GOGGLES Jun 10, 2019

Show notes

100 years ago, the British Astronomer Arthur Eddington confirmed that, as Albert Einstein had said, Spacetime exists, and YOU FEEL Gravity because it's CURVED all around your body... in the 4TH DIMENSION. Wouldn't you like to SEE all this stuff that's tossing you around? Could we ever even HANDLE seeing the 4th dimension? Well, we monkeys are a clever bunch! What the IF we could invent a pair of GOGGLES that allow us to SEE SPACETIME? If they were fashionable... they'd be awesome, so let's try 'em on! REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

96 - How To Cook With A Star Trek REPLICATOR Jun 07, 2019

Show notes

A brand new, super fun and mostly delicious episode, based on a fabulous question from listener and Super IFFer, Guy Rader! Beam up with us and let's get cookin'! REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

95 - ASTROLOGY??? Heaven Help Us! May 29, 2019

Show notes

Astrology is super complicated and totally crazy. But! What The IF... Astrology were REAL? Would there be "personality rays" shooting out of the planets? So many, many questions. Our crack Crazy Elaborate Systems Construction Department is working overtime to make this Astrology thing work in a genuinely SCIENTIFIC way. Amazingly, our WIZARD OF SCIENCE AND SCIENCE HISTORY AND CRAZY OLD BELIEF SYSTEMS, Professor Matt, is an unstoppable font of REAL knowledge about everyone from Ptolemy to Newton to Nancy Reagan. Join us for a journey of nearly 2,000 YEARS of people looking up and asking WHAT THE IF? (PS: Read your horoscope before listening, because after this episode you won't read it ever again.) This is one of our funnest, most skepticalist, wackiest, mythbustingest episode yet. Ok click that button and let's fly to the ZENITH. An encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes. REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

94 - MEAT Vs. The WORLD May 20, 2019

Show notes

What the IF everyone in the world STOPPED eating MEAT? Delicious, delicious meat... be gone! REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

93 - EINSTEIN'S WAR - Part Two - With Author MATT STANLEY May 14, 2019

Show notes

Matt has an amazing new book! Here in part two of our journey with Einstein, we dive even deeper (!) into Professor Stanley's incredible story about how, while living through hunger, freezing and fear, the unknown and unheard of Professor Albert Einstein became... EINSTEIN. What The IF, we ask: World War I never, ever happened? Would Einstein have solved his Theory of Relativity sooner -- or, perhaps, NEVER AT ALL? REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ the book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

92 - EINSTEIN'S WAR - Part One - With Author MATT STANLEY May 07, 2019

Show notes

Matt has an amazing new book! We dive into Professor Stanley's incredible story about how, while living through hunger, freezing and fear, the unknown and unheard of Professor Albert Einstein became... EINSTEIN. What The IF, we ask: World War I never, ever happened? Would Einstein have solved his Theory of Relativity sooner -- or, perhaps, NEVER AT ALL? REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow BUY, GIFT, READ the book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/ Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

91 - Standing TALL On A Dwarf PLANET - Visit PLUTO With Kirby Runyon! Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

KIRBY RUNYON, science team affiliate on the NEW HORIZONS mission to Pluto, Charon, and the Kuiper Belt and a science team collaborator on the HiRISE camera currently in orbit around Mars, takes us to the gateway to the Kuiper Belt! Where on PLUTO would you LAND? What would it be like to WALK there? Could you JUMP to it's moon Charon? How much SCIENCE could you do, and how much FUN could you have? Kirby knows it all! Follow Kirby on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/nasaman58 And visit his WEBSITE: https://kirbydanielrunyon.space REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Thanks & Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

90 - VOLCANOES Like To Party - With Volcanologist Karen Holmberg! Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

Archaeologist and self-described Volcano Fetishist Dr. Karen Holmberg LOVES Volcanos… so we make her dream come true: What The IF you could invite ALL THE VOLCANOES in the world to a COCKTAIL PARTY! Dr. Holmberg takes us around to meet all her favorite exploding mountains, and the people who live at their feet, and we learn how each giant has it’s own personality. As the night progresses, and the CRYOVOLCANO bartenders pour ever more deliciously dangerous drinks… we dive deeper and learn the SECRETS OF VOLCANOES. Put on your lampshades and let’s join the life of this RUN FOR YOUR LIFE kinda party! See Dr. Holmbergs amazing PHOTOGRAPHY and learn more about her ADVENTURES in life… At her website: karenholmberg.com And on twitter: twitter.com/karenholmberg Share your love of the show, REVIEW: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1And SUBSCRIBE to our show so you don't miss an IF: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Thanks and Keep On IFFin'!-- Philip & Matt

89 - Fraser Cain - WTiF Apollo Never Stopped! Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

We're super honored to be joined this week by an incredible special guest: FRASER CAIN, veteran space journalist and publisher of UNIVERSE TODAY! In celebration of the upcoming 50th Anniversary (!!!) of APOLLO 11's historic landing on the Moon, we ask... WTiF we NEVER STOPPED going to the MOON? Imagine! By now we would have already spent FIFTY YEARS traveling to, and building on The Moon. What incredible things would we have achieved by now? What does this alternative today look like? Where can we fly? What can we see? Let's IF all the way TO THE MOON, and beyond! Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today and the co-host of Astronomy Cast. He's been writing about space and astronomy since he founded Universe Today in 1999. He lives on Vancouver Island, Canada with his wife, children and dog. Visit UniverseToday.com to read the latest space and astronomy news from Fraser and his team! And check out their latest book, the Ultimate Guide to Viewing THE COSMOS, available at bookstores everywhere and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1624145442/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Share your love of the show, REVIEW: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1 SUBSCRIBE to our show and don't miss an IF: linktr.ee/whattheifshow Thanks and Keep On IFFin'! -- Philip & Matt

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