So imagine that all of the reports of UFO's, visitations and alien abductions were true...but sort of not? Confused? How about instead of "aliens" being alien, they were actually humans travelling back in time from the future to study their origins as a species? This is the thesis of "identified Flying Objects", a book by Dr. Mike Masters who took a multi-disciplinary, scientific approach to studying this question. He takes Peter and Richard down more than few rabbit holes this week on "What...

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have lived like a Pharaoh? Walked like an Egyptian? Reached the top of the Pyramid? Ancient Egypt continues to be one of the most enduring mysteries for our modern world a source of never ending fascination. But as much as know about Pyramids and Mummy's we know very little about what life might have been life thousands of years ago on the shores of the Nile. Join Peter and Richard as they are taken on a journey through time with two of the top...

We all know we depend on the Sun, but how much? And what happens to us if the Sun goes down...on us?!  Join Peter and Richard and science communicator and self-described "Space Gal" Emily Calandrelli as we figure out how much our big blue marble depends on that big orange fireball 93 millions miles away. Show notes: https://whatifshow.com/podcast Join hosts Peter Schmiedchen and Richard Garner with some of the world’s top thinkers in science, astronomy, technology, academia and futurism to...

What if we lived in space? Could we build a Bernal Sphere, an O’Neill Cylinder or a Stanford Torus? Why would we choose to live on a space habitat? Join Richard and Peter in their discussion with Dr. Ronke Olabisi and Jerry Stone. Dr. Ronke Olabisi earned the first of her many degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT and a certificate from the Russian Moscow Aviation Institute in their Manned Mission to Mars student exchange program. She is currently a member of "100 Year Starship", an...

Does size really matter when it comes to our brains? Does a bigger brain mean a smarter person? And how much do we really know about our brains? Michio Kaku, one of the world's most popular science communicators, will join Richard and Peter to help try to answer the big "What IF". He will also blow our minds with his insights on "The Future of the Mind", the title of his seminal 2014 best seller. Rita Carter, author of "The Human Brain Book" and "Mapping of the Mind", will also join us to...

Mark Twain once said...Well, Mark Twain said a lot of things but in this particular context, his "it's difficult to make predictions, particularly about the future" is as apropos as it is yogi Berra-ish. But these days, futurism is not only harder than it's probably ever been, but also not for the faint of heart. Everything from AI to quantum computing to epigenetic and nanotechnology have some people excited (and many people terrified) about just what exactly does the future hold. 10 years...

There's perhaps no bigger "What If" that will ever be asked. As long as we have been able to look up at the stars and understand the vastness of space, humans have pondered whether we are indeed alone in the universe. But perhaps no one has "been on the case" in a more serious way and for as long as the former Director of SETI - Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence - Dr. Jill Tarter. Dr. Tarter was also the inspiration for the character of "Ellie Arroway" played by Jodie Foster in the...

What has long been explored in science-fiction as well as prophesied as the next step in the evolution of human beings by "Singularity" proponents like Ray Kurzweil is now not only predicted as an eventuality...it's already happening!!! In fact you could argue with things like pacemakers and prosthetics, we have been meeting the technical definition of "cyborg" for years which essentially just means the enhancement of human capabilities but the integration of mechanical elements built into...

Do you consider yourself a pioneer? An explorer perhaps? Would you "go boldly where no one has gone before" - well, almost no one. And would you stay? With everything from the financial incentives of mining to contingency planning for problems here on Earth to creating a jumping off point to get to Mars, settling on the moon seems to be no longer a matter of "What IF", but rather "When will we?" As "Space Race 2.0" heats up not between governments as much as billionaires like Richard Branson,...

"What Is Real?" Many remember the now famous quote from Lawrence Fishburne's character "Morpheus" in the smash hit phenomenon "The Matrix" to the Keanu Reeves' character NEO when pondering whether they might be living in a computer simulation. But "simulation theory" is no longer just the stuff of science fiction. It has become all the rage of the world's top technology minds across Silicon Valley, including most famously Elon Musk who has proposed this as a very real...and likely...

What has most recently became known in some circles as "Thanos Theory", many people have wondered, especially in times of serious concerns about climate change and the scarcity of resources just how long this planet can support us...especially as the world's population is about to eclipse 8 billion people!!! Is this too many? What about estimates of 10 billion by the year 2050?!?! Is wiping out half the population at the snap of a finger the only way to save everyone else? Some people believe...

One of the most popular "What If" videos with over 75 million views, "What If you fell into a pool of liquid nitrogen takes us through the fascinating and quirky world of of one the world's most known but least understood substances: liquid nitrogen. With the help of Bob McDonald, one of the world's best science communicators and someone that's had more than his fair share of liquid nitrogen related experiences, Teddy and Richard "dive into" and try to answer the question, "What If you fell...

Each week on “What If Discussed”, we explore the big hypotheticals and ponder the possibilities. This week is different. With “What If we had a worldwide pandemic?“, we are not only dealing with something that IS happening, but with real world consequences. But this is not the first time we’ve been here as a global society and won’t, unfortunately in all probability, be the last time. How concerned should we be? Is the media and social media helping us manage the situation or fanning the...

Do you ever feel like you're being watched... by aliens? The "Zoo Hypothesis" as it is known in science circles speculates that some form of advanced, alien beings are watching us but deliberately not contacting us so as to not interfere with our evolution. Sort of like "Star Trek's" Prime Directive. But what if we reached out to them first and let them know we'd like to meet? Is that even a good idea or could it lead to unintentionally attracting the attention of a malevolent species who...

We ask some of the world’s top thinkers in science, astronomy, technology, academia and futurism to ponder some of our most popular What If videos. What If half the Earth’s population was wiped out? What If you fell into a pool of liquid nitrogen? What If we lived in a Galactic Zoo? What If we are living in a simulation? What if we Settled on the Moon? What if we became Cyborgs? What If we discovered Alien Life? What If you lived 50 years into the future? Join hosts Richard Garner and Teddy...