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What The If?

By: Philip Shane Matt Stanley Gabrielle Paniccia
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  • Summary

  • 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 communicators. Leap into a journey to answer the most fascinating question in the universe: What The IF?
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Episodes
  • FATE or Physics?

    FATE or Physics?
    May 3 2024
    Do we truly have free will or are our choices predetermined by the particles that make up our universe? This mind-bending episode dives into the age-old debate of free will vs determinism. Explore the fascinating implications of a world without free will - from everyday social interactions to moral responsibility. Discover how the laws of physics might turn us into mere "billiard balls" with our paths set in motion since the Big Bang. But is there a glimmer of hope in the randomness of quantum mechanics? Join the thought-provoking discussion and decide for yourself - if you have a choice, that is!
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    45 mins
  • ICE Insanity!

    ICE Insanity!
    Apr 26 2024
    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. Thank you: Connie, Martin, and Dan! Welcome to an icy exploration of reality on this episode of "What The IF?" Dive headfirst into a brain-freezing alternate universe, as Philip, Freya, Gabby, and Matt grapple with an extraordinary question, submitted by our Super Iffer listener, Martin from Frankfurt: What the if... water did not have its highest density at plus four degrees Celsius? The team embarks on an adventure that treads the fine line between physics and biology, unwrapping the counter-intuitive conundrums and startling possibilities that lie ahead. In this bewildering world, ice doesn't float and frozen lakes become deadly traps for aquatic life. Discover how this slight shift in water's properties could send catastrophic ripples through ecosystems, extinguishing fish populations and upsetting the balance of life. The conversation spans from the microscopic intricacies of water molecules and the life-saving 'anti-freeze' proteins in fish, all the way to the grand scale of planetary bodies. The team also makes a cosmic detour to Europa, a moon of Jupiter, reputed to hold more water than Earth, highlighting the universal significance of water's unique properties. Could life exist in a world where water behaves differently? Listen in, as the team freezes the status quo and takes you on a fascinating journey through the ice-cold unknown. --- Listen to Gaby's guest appearance on the “Students of Life” podcast: studentsoflife.podbean.com/e/science-c…on-writing/ Find out more about Gaby's upcoming science fiction short story publication, coming soon! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be pre-ordered here : www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminesce…ental-invention The ebook can be pre-ordered here: www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminesc…ental-invention
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    54 mins
  • SCREAMING For LOVE!

    SCREAMING For LOVE!
    Apr 19 2024
    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 seen. Join us for a soundcheck in nature's own concert hall, where volume is the key to romance and survival. Get ready to turn up the volume and tune in to one of nature's smallest but mightiest vocalists. Inspired by the reporting of Elizabeth Anne Brown in the Scientific American article, “This Tiny Fish Makes an Ear-Blasting Screech for Love” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-tiny-fish-makes-an-ear-blasting-screech-for-love/ --- Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention
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    51 mins
Science
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