Free Daily Podcast Summary
What Could Have Been: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Peter Fatouros
Welcome to what could have been, a podcast where I interview alternate versions of myself that are calling in from across the multiverse. We look at where our universes diverged from one another & how their histories played out compared to ours. I'm Simon Peterson, your host doing the interviewing with alternate versions of myself from different timelines. We'll start with the point where we diverged from one another, & we'll explore each other's histories so that we can really understand What Could Have Been if we'd made different choices along the way.You can follow What Could Have Been on Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 6 days ago2h 22m
Episode 2x07 - Balkan Union Part 1
In 1941, in the midst of World War 2, the Kings of Greece & Yugoslavia fled their homelands as their nations were taken over by the Germans. As the allies worked towards Victory, a plan was hatched to help prevent another world war. The plan was for the creation of the Greco-Yugoslav Confederation. Greece & Yugoslavia would come together, & in time, Albania, Bulgaria, & Romania would join them. With an Independent Poland to the North, this would create a wall of neutral nations between Germany & the Soviet Union.Of course, that didn't happen. The allies ended up backing Tito's Communists partisans in Yugoslavia, Poland went to the Eastern Bloc, & Germany was carved up. But what if things had gone a little differently? What if Yugoslavia didn't join the Eastern Bloc as a Communist nation? What if the two nations came together for added protection from the Soviets? Could this discarded dream of a Balkan Union actually have happened? Would the Royal houses have been joined together? Would the Soviets try to press their claim to Yugoslavia? Would the Monarchies of Greece & Yugoslavia survive? Would Yugoslavia stamp out its Communists? Would Greece have to deal with a Military takeover? Tune in to find out about What Could Have Been if the Greco-Yugoslav Confederation, or the Balkan Union had come to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago2h 2m
Mini Series Part 6 - Empire's End
In Part 6 of our Miniseries, we pick up from where we left off in 1981, & continue the story through 1996As the Cold War comes to an end in our timeline, Sam is in for a few surprises about the last days of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, in Sam's timeline, Tsar Nicholas the 3rd is still dealing with a religious group that is violently opposed to the reconstruction of Moscow. On top of that, everyone is still not so patiently waiting for him to either father a child to carry on the House of Romanov, or to find a solution to this inheritance crisis that will one day hit the Russian throne. Meanwhile, Russia & the US are reaching to all new heights in both of our timelines as in his, there's some potential trouble brewing in the Western parts of Russia.What are the Communists up to? Who's causing trouble in what used to be Poland? Will Tsar Nicholas III & his wife finally have a child after all this time? Can Sam handle hearing about all of our Nuclear Weapons, treaties & the times that we almost ended the world because of a technical glitch one more time?Join me again as we explore this wildly different timeline where Moscow was wiped out by a meteor strike in 1908, the Soviet Revolution failed, & the Tsars are still ruling over Russia. If you haven't heard Parts 1 through 5 yet, I recommend going back & checking them out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Oct 1, 20261h 34m
Episode 2x06 - Mincome
In this episode, which is sadly Not a Halloween episode, we talk to a timeline where Canada's Mincome program didn't end in 1979. Starting in 1974, Mincome was an economic experiment carried out in the town of Dauphin, Manitoba to see if Universal Basic Income, the idea of the government giving people a small amount of unconditional money every month, would improve life & the economy, or if people would stop working & live off of the Basic Income. In our timeline, it was cut short when the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada came to power for 9 months & scrapped the program. But in a timeline where it kept going, it might have worked & led to Canada becoming the first country on Earth to institute nationwide Universal Basic Income.Did Mincome work? Was it instituted across the province of Manitoba? All of Canada? Did people stop working or did they achieve a better & healthier work/life balance? Did it invigorate the economy, or become an expensive drain on the system? How much did it cost? Also, who the heck is The Great Hungry One?Tune into our latest episode to find out What Could Have Been. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Sep 15, 20262h 16m
Mini Series Part 5 - New Alliances
In Part 5 of our Miniseries, we pick up from where we left off in 1963, & continue the story through 1980As the Cold War rages in our timeline, in Sam's timeline, an era of peace is upon them, mostly. We finally get to find out how the Estonian Rebellion played out, Tsar Alexander the 4th has to deal with a religious group that is violently opposed to the reconstruction of Moscow, & everyone is not so patiently waiting for his son, Prince Nicholas, to father a child to carry on the House of Romanov. As Russia reaches up to join the Americans in Space, everything is going well, at least until some former soldiers of the People's Far Eastern Union pop up again. These Communists just don't quit.How did the Estonian Rebellion play out? Is somebody stockpiling Nuclear Weapons? How far into Space will everyone get? What are the Communists up to? Can Sam handle hearing about all of our Nuclear Weapons, treaties & the times that we almost ended the world because of a technical glitch?Join me again as we explore this wildly different timeline where Moscow was wiped out by a meteor strike in 1908, the Soviet Revolution failed, & the Tsars are still ruling over Russia. If you haven't heard Parts 1 through 4 yet, I recommend going back & checking them out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Sep 1, 20262h 32m
Episode 2x05 - Y2K
In the last seconds of 1999, the world counted down to a new year, a new century & a new millennium. When the clocks & calendars flipped over to 2000, the world celebrated, cheered & partied like it wasn't 1999 anymore. Couples kissed, strangers kissed, music played, fireworks went off, & all around the world, a legion of computer programmers breathed a sigh of relief went nothing went wrong.Of course, the reason that nothing went wrong was because they had spent the last few years making sure that every computer on Earth that kept track of the date was Y2K compliant. Years earlier, it had been discovered that a tiny little detail that was used to make the earliest computers run faster was now set to make computers go crazy when the calendar rolled over to 2000. Thankfully, their hard work & long hours paid off as the century changed with hardly a bug or glitch.But what if they hadn't been able to work fast enough? What if they didn't have the manpower or the resources to fix everything. What if when the ball dropped to usher in the new century, countless computers got confused & could no longer keep track of what they were doing? What if the computers that governed banks, power grids, traffic lights & the stock market all had a digital coronary & no longer knew what they were doing?What would happen to a timeline where Y2K wasn't patched in time for the Year 2000? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 30, 20260 min
Y2K Trailer
In the last seconds of 1999, the world counted down to a new year, a new century & a new millennium. When the clocks & calendars flipped over to 2000, the world celebrated, cheered & partied like it wasn't 1999 anymore. Couples kissed, strangers kissed, music played, fireworks went off, & all around the world, a legion of computer programmers breathed a sigh of relief went nothing went wrong.Of course, the reason that nothing went wrong was because they had spent the last few years making sure that every computer on Earth that kept track of the date was Y2K compliant. Years earlier, it had been discovered that a tiny little detail that was used to make the earliest computers run faster was now set to make computers go crazy when the calendar rolled over to 2000. Thankfully, their hard work & long hours paid off as the century changed with hardly a bug or glitch.But what if they hadn't been able to work fast enough? What if they didn't have the manpower or the resources to fix everything. What if when the ball dropped to usher in the new century, countless computers got confused & could no longer keep track of what they were doing? What if the computers that governed banks, power grids, traffic lights & the stock market all had a digital coronary & no longer knew what they were doing?What would happen to a timeline where Y2K wasn't patched in time for the Year 2000? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 15, 202634 min
Interlude 6 - Primer
In our second mid-season interlude, a Simon who calls no particular timeline home has just helped a wealthy client start a new life in a new timeline where accusations of certain financial improprieties won't be able to follow him. What did he ALLEDEGELY do? Why does this timeline have so many milk alternative options? Why is sea level climbing so fast? Why is the Moon being settled so fast, & will Simon manage to get out before his quasi-legal gateway closes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jul 15, 202621 min
Interlude 5 - Exploration Report
In this Interlude, we follow a Simon Peterson who's leading an Interdimensional Council exploration team to a timeline that was devastated decades ago. What will he find? What's left? What does the Interdimensional Council want with this timeline? Is the bridge safe to cross? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get What Could Have Been summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
It Could Happen Here
A daily chronicle of societal collapse and the search for a better future amid the ruins of the old world.
Forum Borealis
In-depth interviews with authors and thinkers on unconventional topics in history, science, philosophy, and politics.
A World With
Futures In Draft & Storythings
Wanderer Chronicles Radio
A sentient starship's archivist narrates philosophical science fiction parables from across the cosmos.
Hostile Worlds: Exploring Space
A documentary-style podcast exploring extreme alien environments through immersive audio storytelling aboard a fictional exploration vessel.
Magmell
iHeartPodcasts
Cosmos in a Pod
Explores space, science, philosophy, and technology to reveal the wonders of the universe and humanity's place within it.
The Polybius Conspiracy
A mysterious 1980s arcade game in the Pacific Northwest blurs fact and fiction in this true crime–adjacent conspiracy tale.
Here Be Monsters
Here Be Monsters
Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Two scientists explore diverse topics across the universe, from particles to ecosystems, with accessible and engaging explanations.
Beyond the Dark
Immersive sci-fi tales set in cyberpunk cities, wastelands, and alien planets, each with original music.
Possible with Reid Hoffman
Explores optimistic, realistic futures through in-depth conversations with innovators in AI, science, health, and global affairs.
About What Could Have Been
Welcome to what could have been, a podcast where I interview alternate versions of myself that are calling in from across the multiverse. We look at where our universes diverged from one another & how their histories played out compared to ours. I'm Simon Peterson, your host doing the interviewing with alternate versions of myself from different timelines. We'll start with the point where we diverged from one another, & we'll explore each other's histories so that we can really understand What Could Have Been if we'd made different choices along the way.You can follow What Could Have Been on Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from What Could Have Been in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's What Could Have Been daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of What Could Have Been as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the What Could Have Been podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official What Could Have Been product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Peter Fatouros.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
What topics does What Could Have Been cover?
What Could Have Been covers topics including Science, History, Fiction. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting What Could Have Been summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.