What The If?
Episodes
Telepathy!
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What the if you could read minds — but only when someone's nearby? Congratulations, your subway commute just became a psychic nightmare. Babies woul...
Reality Is Making Stuff UP!
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Right now, billions of particles are popping in and out of existence in your pocket. That's not a metaphor — that's quantum mechanics. Inspired by a...
Ants Adopt A CATERPILLAR!
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What the if you got zapped by a shrink ray while walking past the physics department and your only hope of survival was convincing a colony of ants to...
The Buddy System Run AMOK!
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What the if humans moved in schools — not classrooms, but like fish? Inspired by Carl Zimmer's New York Times article on how misinformation spreads ...
Black Holes
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
MIT physicist David Kaiser is one of those rare scientists who can make mind-bending physics feel like a great conversation over coffee — funny, gen...
The Day Gravity QUIT!
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A conspiracy theory went viral claiming that on August 12th, 2026, Earth will lose gravity for seven seconds. The internet did what the internet does,...
GROUND HOG Day PHYSICS!
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What the if a groundhog could actually predict the weather? Turns out Punxsutawney Phil would need way more than a shadow — we're talking a full gro...
HAGFISH - Champion Of The SLIMER BOWL!
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We first shared this one on Super Bowl Sunday 2019 — what better weekend to bring back nature's ultimate underdog? Enjoy this encore presentation! ...
CITIZEN Science!
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Planetary geologist Kirby Runyon from the Planetary Science Institute needs volunteers to map ancient impact melt flows on the moon from their home co...
Walking on IO with Robin Andrews! (Encore)
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're taking a break this week while Philip recovers from the 'double-whammy' of flu and COVID boosters. (Science works, but sometimes it makes you na...
BIOLOGICAL New Year's Resolutions!
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if your New Year's resolution became a biological compulsion you literally could not ignore? Imagine waking up on January 1st with the same u...
Time REVERSAL with Ian Durham!
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if time suddenly started running backwards? Your breakfast un-eats itself, LEGO sets come pre-assembled, and you get younger every day. The d...
Santa's MEGA Fauna!
20 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Anne of Queens got us thinking about flying reindeer for the holidays. Imagine herds of 1,500-pound mammals migrating through your town like ...
Green SUN Apocalypse!
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if the Sun suddenly turned green? Your pizza now looks like charcoal because all red things go black. Stop signs become invisible. The sky sh...
Dr. Kiki Turns Us Into BIRDS!
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Thanksgiving! We're off this week for the holiday, so we're presenting an encore presentation of an episode that was originally broadcast on Sep...
Two BABIES, Two SPECIES!
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists just discovered ant queens that give birth to two completely different species - not twins, but actual separate species hatching from the s...
CHINA vs NASA
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're trading hypothetical fungi and exploding planets for something scarier: actual government budgets. But don't worry - watching America ...
Mosquitoes Fall for FUNGI!
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if mosquitoes were helpless against the sweet smell of their own doom? Scientists genetically engineered Metarhizium fungus to smell so irres...
FRANKENSTEIN
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if Frankenstein was real and doctors actually tried stitching corpses together to create new people? Forget dramatic lightning strikes and br...
The BURPING Lake!
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if all bodies of water on Earth were fizzy like soda? In the real world, Seneca Lake in New York produces mysterious underwater booms called ...
Animals Train YOU!
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Honey guide birds in Africa respond to culturally distinct human calls and lead hunters to beehives, where humans crack them open and birds feast on t...
AI Viruses
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists just used artificial intelligence to design the world's first AI-generated viruses capable of hunting down and killing drug-resistant strai...
MEMORY Maxed Out - with Nikolay Kukushkin!
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if your brain literally ran out of storage space like a laptop refusing to save one more file? Neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin explains how ...
Gravity Waves Go WIGGLE
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if gravitational waves were big enough to see and feel? Instead of measuring distortions smaller than a proton, imagine watching your coffee ...
Science ROCKS On MARS!
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if you found a rock on Mars that might - emphasis on might - show signs of ancient life? NASA's Perseverance rover discovered intriguing leop...
VITALERIUM with Nicholas Casbarro!
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest this week is science fiction author Nicholas Casbarro, who brings us a universe-changing concept from his novel Vitalerium - a radioactive s...
Riding GRAVITY FORCE ONE with KIRBY RUNYON
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
D'oh! We had technical difficulties this week and so we are presenting this encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes. It also happens ...
SLOW Light Speed!
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if the speed of light crawled along at walking speed instead of zipping around at 300,000 kilometers per second? Tracey McCallum from Ontario...
Alien PETS!
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt & Gaby are on assignment this week, so we present an encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes. This one is super fun and comes fro...
Nuclear REACTORS on the Moon!
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if there was a nuclear reactor on the moon? NASA wants to launch a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor to the lunar surface before 2030, powerful en...
Don't SWEAT It!
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anne from Queens, a longtime listener and proud sticker-carrying Patreon supporter, inspired this week's episode by asking: what the if humans couldn'...
BIG Telescopes!
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if we just kept making telescopes bigger and bigger until they're the size of entire planetary orbits? Starting with the new Vera Rubin Obser...
DNA Goes BOLDLY
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Apologies for the delay in posting episodes! Holiday and travel got the best of us. But we're back, baby! ---- WHAT THE IF we could trade genes lik...
The Case Of The MISSING Physics!
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the if we could go back to 1930 and experience the reluctant discovery of an entirely new kind of particle? When electrons started bouncing off t...
TOTAL PERSPECTIVE VORTEX
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
[Matt & Gaby are away this week, so please enjoy this Encore Presentation of one of our most popular episodes.] What The IF... you could see the TRUE...
Silent SUBMARINE Seas!
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if climate change made submarines completely undetectable? As ocean temperatures rise, thermal layers are disrupting sonar so dramatically that e...
BEFORE The Big BANG
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the universe was stuck in an eternal cosmic Groundhog Day? Picture traveling backwards through time past the Big Bang only to discover you've ...
BADMINTON Bots Go Rogue!
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if teaching robots to play badminton was the beginning of the end? Scientists at ETH Zurich have successfully trained four-legged robots with mec...
Can You BREATHE Like A WHALE? With Vanessa Pirotta!
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're off this week for the Memorial Day Holiday in the US so we present here one of our most popular episodes, a classic IF from August 13, 2021 with...
DNA EDITING Goes Mainstream!
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if gene editing treatments become commonplace? Explore a world where a single DNA letter gets fixed with just three little shots, transforming de...
RESISTANCE Training EXTREME!
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if you could build up a resistance to absolutely anything through repeated exposure? Inspired by the real-life story of Tim Friede, who injected ...
Human HATCHING Day!
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if humans and all mammals hatched from eggs? This episode explores a world where expectant parents carry decorated eggs to work, conference table...
SPACE Vacation On Earth!
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Experience outer space without leaving Earth's atmosphere! Join planetary geologist and space lifestyle coach Kirby Runyon as he guides us through cos...
DIRE WOLVES Return!
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Embark on a mind-bending thought experiment as our intrepid explorers dive deep into the annals of history, imagining how early humans might have unra...
Humanity On All FOURS!
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if humans never stood upright and remained quadrupeds? Our world would transform into a society where everything is built low to the ground. Imag...
PHYSICS Changes Its MIND!
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the fundamental forces of nature could change with time? Step into a universe where gravity might send you floating to the ceiling one morning...
Microgravity MOVIE Making!
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if filmmakers took their cameras to space? Prepare for a world of zero-G cinematography! From weather-sealed cameras designed to handle unexpecte...
OLYMPICS Of The Solar System! (Encore)
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Note from Philip: Matt and Gaby are both on assignment this week, so we proudly present an encore of one of our most popular episodes ever. ———...
2025-03-07 A World Without WINGS!
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where no creature ever evolved wings, island ecosystems would be barren wastelands, Darwin might never have filled his bathtub with broccol...
American BRAIN DRAIN: Beyond The IF!
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're sharing our bonus show this week that is usually available only to our Patreon supporters. This week's Beyond the IF continues our sobering dis...
American BRAIN DRAIN
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The current US Administration's sudden gutting of science funding is creating an unprecedented crisis. Scientists are waking up to find themselves une...
NONSTOP Meteor Madness!
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Picture a world where meteor showers aren't just annual events - they're a constant barrage of cosmic debris raining down from above. From sonic booms...
The Great GARBAGE Apocalypse!
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a world where garbage grows faster than we can handle it. From towering mountains of trash transforming Central Park into a burn pit, to fashi...
Nobody POOPS!
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if humans only needed to poop twice a year? Listener Randy Woods sent in this fascinating question that explores everything from subway systems s...
SLOTH Life!
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if humans could only move eight inches in 24 hours? After watching mushroom corals take a full day to scoot that far, we explore life at an even ...
ANTS Fold Your Pants - BONUS - Beyond The IF!
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here's our Bonus show, "Beyond The IF" which we record each week for our Patreon supporters. We're sharing it here so you can get a taste of what it's...
ANTS Fold Your PANTS!
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if we could harness the superior problem-solving abilities of ants? After scientists discovered that ants outperform humans at maneuvering object...
TOXIC Free UTOPIA!
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if toxic chemicals weren't toxic anymore? Take a magical tour through a world where mercury becomes the ultimate playground material for ice skat...
Ultra HEARING For Everyone
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your houseplants might be screaming right now, but you'd never know it (unless you're a moth). Scientists discovered that stressed and dehydrated plan...
OCTOPUS Empire Rising!
29 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens after humans? According to fascinating research from Oxford University, octopi might be perfectly positioned to become Earth's next civil...
LEFTY LIFE Takes Over!
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder what would happen if life got flipped in a molecular mirror? In this episode, we explore the fascinating possibility of creating mirror-im...
Prediction PERFECTION!
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Google's DeepMind has shattered a long-standing barrier in weather forecasting, achieving reliable 15-day predictions that were previously thought imp...
COFFEE Gone WILD!
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What the if coffee was 11 times more powerful? Explore a world where cities install coffee pipeline infrastructure, coffee fountains replace water fou...
From WASTE To TASTE - BONUS - Beyond The IF!
24 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here's our Bonus show, "Beyond The IF" which we record each week for our Patreon supporters. I'm sharing it here so you can get a taste of what it's l...
From WASTE To TASTE!
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your toilet water gets a career change and becomes a craft beer? At COP29 in Azerbaijan, Singapore's showing off exactly that with t...
NUCLEAR Next Door!
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ready to meet your friendly neighborhood nuclear reactor? Join us for a wild exploration of what could happen if mini atomic power plants popped up on...
Jellyfish FUSION and You!
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Would you merge with someone if you could? When scientists discovered comb jellies spontaneously fusing into single organisms, it opened up wild possi...
White Dwarf SUN!
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Based on new research reported by Matt Williams in Universe Today, an Earth-like planet orbiting a white dwarf star 4,000 light years away might offer...
SOUND WAVES Make Plants RAVE!
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists discover that playing white noise can make beneficial fungi grow seven times faster than usual. This breakthrough could help restore damage...
FACE Blindness: Beyond The IF!
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're excited to share a special treat with all our listeners - a "Beyond the IF" segment usually available only to our Patreon supporters! This bonus...
FACE Blindness with Sharrona Pearl!
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we welcome special guest Sharrona Pearl, author of "Do I Know You: From Face Blindness to Super Recognition" from Johns Hopkins Press. What...
EUROPA'S Icy Enigma!
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Strap in for a frosty adventure as we dive into the Europa Clipper mission, set to blast off towards Jupiter's enigmatic ice moon. Imagine an alien wo...
MINI-MOON Madness!
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by the recent news of Earth's temporary mini-moon 2024 PT5, this episode explores a universe where such celestial visitors become commonplace...
ALCOHOL Clouds Beyond The Stars!
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up for one of our silliest episodes yet! We've really gone off the rails this time as we blast off into the world of space alcohol. What starte...
Alien PETS!
21 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if humans were the latest must-have pet for trendy aliens? This episode explores the hilarious and bizarre scenario of extraterrestrial beings sn...
Fungus Bots Unite!
14 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fungal-powered robots are no longer science fiction! Scientists have created robots controlled by fungal mycelia that respond to light stimulation. Th...
GIANT NEMATODES
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a world where giant, bus-sized nematodes roam the streets, carrying diseases from city to city! In this mind-bending episode, we explore the c...
HYPERVELOCITY Havoc!
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A speedy little star is racing through the Milky Way at a million miles per hour, fast enough to potentially escape our galaxy. This hypervelocity obj...
GRAVITY Flux!
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a world where gravity fluctuates like the weather, causing chaos in daily life. This episode explores the wild consequences of variable gravit...
STRETCHY EARTH!
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if the Earth started expanding? This episode explores the wild consequences of a constantly growing planet. From elastic roads and stretchy build...
SHORT MEMORY Mayhem!
03 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up for a mind-bending journey into a world where memories vanish faster than you can say "What did I just...?" What if our brains could only ho...
OLYMPICS Of The Solar System!
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome our newest Patreon supporter, Martin from Frankfurt, Germany! Inspired by the Paris Olympics which open today, we imagine Olympic events s...
MICROBIAL Architects Of Alien Worlds!
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the intriguing world of microbial terraforming on Planet Hendrix! This episode explores how scientists use unique microbes to transform barr...
ANCIENT GREEK YouTube STARS!
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Step into a wild world where ancient Greek philosophers are YouTube sensations! Picture Aristotle running multiple channels, Socrates hosting heated p...
GLASS Bones & ACID Blood!
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore a world where life is based on silicon instead of carbon, swimming in sulfuric acid oceans and breathing in clouds of acid rain. Imagine trans...
Humans SPIRAL into PIZZA Madness!
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by a fascinating article about why moths are lured to lights at night, this mind-bending episode explores a wild scenario - what if humans na...
NITROGEN Doomsday!
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this mind-blowing episode, we explore how one man's quest to create artificial fertilizer transformed the trajectory of human history. Inspired by ...
Weird Fish Dating!
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the bizarre world of anglerfish mating rituals in this wildly entertaining episode! Discover how these deep-sea creatures evolved an unconve...
YOU Are Schrödinger's CAT!
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore what it means to live as Schrödinger's Cat! Delve into the mind-bending concept of being in two states at once and how it would feel to exper...
Space Vacuum MONSTERS!
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's cover art, crafted by listener Josh Haberman, features heavy metal merpeople in whalebone armor inspired by Gaby's vision in our "Underwater C...
Meet The Star Trek COMPUTER!
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt & Gaby are away on assignment! So I'm alone here in the studio, presenting you with an encore presentation of my conversation with the Star Trek ...
FATE or Physics?
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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-o...
ICE Insanity!
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 he...
SCREAMING For LOVE!
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The LIBRARY of INFINITY!
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the mysteries of the "Infinite Library" in this enthralling episode! Join our adventurers as they explore a hypothetical library filled with...
ECLIPSE For Cavemen!
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Embark on a mind-bending thought experiment as our intrepid explorers dive deep into the annals of history, imagining how early humans might have unra...
READ No More!
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into an electrifying journey where the unthinkable becomes reality – a world without the power to read! In this episode, inspired by a brillian...
MUSIC In SPACE - With Chris Carberry of EXPLORE MARS!
23 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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-c...
ANCIENT Libraries!
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Intriguing documents lost to history could be recovered with futuristic technology, offering insights into ancient civilizations and solving long-stan...
EATING Like Pandas!
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a bizarre thought experiment ripped from a headline in Scientific American, we explore a world where humans have developed a genetic mutation simil...