What The If?

Team IF is OFF this week, we're celebrating Gaby becoming DR. GABY with the completion of her PhD at Rockefeller University!!! We're super proud of her. So this week we present this encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes, enjoy, and keep those emails coming! WhatTheIF.com/contact -- and send your congratulations to Gaby! --- We salute our newest Patreon members. Th

This week on "What The IF?" Philip and Gaby tackle the uproarious tale of a fish so small it could masquerade as a grain of rice, yet so loud it puts rock concerts to shame! In the streams of Myanmar, this tiny troubadour belts out love ballads louder than a jackhammer to woo its mate. The episode dives into the science behind why this minuscule creature needs to be heard, not just

Dive into the mysteries of the "Infinite Library" in this enthralling episode! Join our adventurers as they explore a hypothetical library filled with an infinite number of books, where every conceivable thought and theory is penned down. Discover the humorous possibilities of encountering books written by alternate versions of yourself, or even navigating a library so vast you mig

Embark on a mind-bending thought experiment as our intrepid explorers dive deep into the annals of history, imagining how early humans might have unraveled the mysteries of solar eclipses. From cave paintings to mythical tales of celestial dragons, join the journey as Throg and his tribe attempt to make sense of the sun's sudden disappearance. Join us as we ponder the birth of astr

Dive into an electrifying journey where the unthinkable becomes reality – a world without the power to read! In this episode, inspired by a brilliant thought experiment from Lars in Sweden, we plunge into a universe where humanity wakes up to find all written language undecipherable. Imagine your phone, books, and even street signs turning into incomprehensible symbols overnight.

Our special guest Chris Carberry of EXPLORE MARS, author of the new book THE MUSIC OF SPACE joins us! We imagine a civilization on a distant, cloud-covered planet called Seattle Nine. Their only glimpse into the universe beyond comes from intercepting old Earth movies and TV shows, which they believe to be real documentaries about space. As they piece together the evolution of spac

Intriguing documents lost to history could be recovered with futuristic technology, offering insights into ancient civilizations and solving long-standing historical mysteries. From the burnt scrolls of Herculaneum and missing books of the Iliad, to the construction plans of the Egyptian pyramids and the mechanical wonders of the Antikythera mechanism, a magical book-reading device

In a bizarre thought experiment ripped from a headline in Scientific American, we explore a world where humans have developed a genetic mutation similar to some Labrador retrievers that causes constant hunger. This leads us down a hilarious path of imagining cities with celery slurry piped to every home, space missions needing to carry vast tanks of liquified celery, and foosball b

In this episode, we dive into a thought-provoking journey of what could happen if humanity had to restart on Earth after different timeframes due to a complete extinction event. Imagine waking up as a clone with no prior knowledge of the world, or as a human re-seeded by aliens or from other human colonies. We explore scenarios spanning 100 years to 10,000 years, each presenting un

Our podcast episode embarks on a thought-provoking adventure led by the curiosity of Lars from Sweden. Imagine a society where modern conveniences and technological advancements are powered not by electricity, but by steam and sheer ingenuity. From the whimsical to the profound, we delve into the implications of such a world, exploring everything from the resurgence of gas lighting