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What The If?: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Philip Shane
Learn how to think like EINSTEIN! Every week we learn science running imaginative thought experiments. Our brilliant guests are some of the world’s greatest science fiction writers, scientists & science communiculators. Leap into a journey to answer the most fascinating question in the universe: What The IF?
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- 1 weeks ago38 min
VAMPIRES Are Real!
Happy Halloween! This week we're getting spooky and asking: what the if vampires were real, and scientists got to study them up close? You'll learn why our bodies slowly lose the knack for swapping old cells for fresh ones, and why a vampire would need a whole lot of bathroom breaks. And yes, we get into billionaires who take young men's blood, hoping to live forever. Grab your garlic and press play! —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
- 2 weeks ago35 min
Photosynthetic YOU!
Picture a world where you skip lunch, step outside, and let your skin soak up a meal from the sun. In this episode we explore that fanciful scenario. Along the way you'll learn how plants first got the power of photosynthesis. You'll also meet a tiny pond creature that pulled off the same trick, and sea slugs that steal the sunlight-catching parts of the plants they eat. Come on in and soak it up. Inspired by "In an $80 Motel Room, a Discovery to Shed Light on the Origins of Life" by Carolyn Y. Johnson, The New York Times, September 26, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/science/motel-science-discovery.html?unlocked_article_code=1.K1E.PMvH.mOL5vDwh9qP4&smid=url-share —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
- 3 weeks ago40 min
The Sloth Life Is A GOOD Life!
Listener Dan Floyd asks: what the if exercise were bad for you? Imagine a checkup where your doctor frowns at your step count. In this episode we explore that fanciful scenario, and along the way you'll learn some really cool science about things like how sloths evolved to survive by hiding instead of running, why humans may be natural long-distance walkers, and when exercising for your health first caught on. Come on in and put your feet up. —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
- Oct 3, 202642 min
Who The If is MATT!
Who the if is Matt Stanley? He went to college to build lasers and wound up a historian of science. In this episode you'll learn some really cool science about things like Maxwell's equations, the strange early days of quantum physics, and the notebook where Einstein scribbled his way to general relativity. Come find out how young Matt with a laser ended up reading Einstein's mail.
- Sep 23, 202635 min
Bugs The Size Of US!
What the if bugs were the size of us? Imagine heading out with your morning coffee and holding the door for an ant who stands as tall as you do. In this episode we explore that fanciful scenario, and along the way you'll learn some really cool science about things like the giant insects that roamed the Earth about 300 million years ago, the math that limits how big an animal can grow, and the chemical language of ants. Come on in, and mind the antennae. —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
- Sep 22, 202635 min
Your Lab Partner Is A ROBOT!
What the if all lab work were done by robots? Imagine strolling into the lab with your morning coffee to find that a tireless mechanical partner has already run your experiments overnight. In this episode we explore that fanciful scenario, and along the way you'll learn some really cool science about things like what goes into a Western blot, how researchers sift through thousands of drug candidates in search of a single winner, and which parts of the work a machine can truly be trusted with. Come on in and meet your new lab partner. Inspired by "The Lab Never Sleeps. Can the Science Keep Up?" by Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, June 16, 2026. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/autonomous-labs-are-running-science-experiments-24-7/ —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
- Sep 4, 202638 min
The MUSES Are Real - with Dr. Moiya McTier!
What the if the muses were real? Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier, author of "Mothers of Invention," takes us into a world where nine Greek goddesses are still on the job, and one of them might be on your doorstep this morning. Brain scans of jazz musicians mid-improvisation, the strange history of the word genius, and why the ancients may have been right that your best ideas aren't entirely yours. Come find out which muse has your back. —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
- Aug 4, 202639 min
Nobel Winners Sign SNEAKER Deals!
What the if scientists were as famous as football stars? Picture packed bars, roaring crowds, and a physicist on the big screen getting absolutely destroyed by a rival's data. Come find out who wins. Inspired by "What People Get Wrong About Scientists" by Dava Sobel, Scientific American, June 16, 2026. Three sentences, 33 words. The middle one now carries the joke, because the stadium energy and the lab-coat detail collide inside a single image instead of sitting in separate sentences. —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ —— Check out our membership rewards! Visit us at Patreon.com/Whattheif —— Got an IF of your own? Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Visit https://whattheif.com/contact and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big! Keep On IFFin', Philip, Matt & Gaby
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About What The If?
Learn how to think like EINSTEIN! Every week we learn science running imaginative thought experiments. Our brilliant guests are some of the world’s greatest science fiction writers, scientists & science communiculators. Leap into a journey to answer the most fascinating question in the universe: What The IF?
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