Podcast
Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur
Hosted by Unknown Author · EN
Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur explores humanity’s long-term future through space exploration, advanced technology, and big-picture science. Hosted by National Space Society President Isaac Arthur, each episode uses real science and careful speculation to examine space colonization, megastructures, artificial intelligence, post-scarcity economies, and the physics shaping civilization beyond Earth.
41episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The End of Time: Heat Death, Big Rip, or Big Crunch?
1w agoTap to summarizeWill the universe fade, rip apart, collapse, reset, or simply stop making sense? A tour of the strangest possible endings of reality.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurCheck out Joe's Scott's Oldest and Newest Places on Earth: https://nebula.tv/oldestnewest?ref=isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Colonizing Ocean Worlds: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-colonizing-ocean-worlds-subaquatic-settlements🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:The End of Time: Heat Death, Big Rip, or Big Crunch?Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurMusic by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemicStellardrone & Chris Zabriskie Select imagery/video supplied by Getty ImagesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →The Most Dangerous Stars in the Universe
1w agoTap to summarizeThe universe has stars that don’t just shine, they threaten worlds. Explore neutron stars, magnetars, pulsars, hypernovae, vampire stars, and gamma-ray bursts.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch the SFIA Space Industry Collection: https://nebula.tv/isaacarthur/space-industry-collection🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:The Most Dangerous Stars in the UniverseWritten, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurMusic Courtesy of Stellardrone & Chris Zabriskie Select imagery/video supplied by Getty ImagesChapters0:00 Intro1:11 Stars That Are About to Go Wrong7:38 Neutron Stars & Starquakes12:50 Magnetars16:03 Pulsars17:55 Space Industry19:07 Gamma Ray BurstSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Digital Immortality - Backing Up the Human Soul
2w agoTap to summarizeCould digital immortality really save you, or just create a convincing copy? We explore mind uploading, backups, identity, and whether survival means continuity… or redundancy.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurCheck out Joe's Scott's Oldest and Newest Places on Earth: https://nebula.tv/oldestnewest?ref=isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Colonizing Ocean Worlds: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-colonizing-ocean-worlds-subaquatic-settlements🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:Digital Immortality - Backing Up the Human SoulWritten, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty ImagesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Is AI the Great Filter? | The Fermi Paradox
2w agoTap to summarizeArtificial intelligence may be civilization’s greatest tool… or its last. Could AI explain why the galaxy seems silent, or does it make the Fermi Paradox even harder?Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Colonizing Ocean Worlds: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-colonizing-ocean-worlds-subaquatic-settlementsCheck out Gods & Monsters: https://nebula.tv/curiousarchive/gods-and-monsters?ref=isaacarthur🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:Is Artificial Intelligence the Great Filter | The Fermi ParadoxWritten, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty ImagesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Water Shielded Starships - Surviving Radiation in Deep Space
3w agoTap to summarizeFrom cosmic rays to solar storms, space travel is a radiation gauntlet—but water may be the simplest, smartest solution. Discover how future starships might turn their life-support systems into life-saving armor.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Nearby Supernovae: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-nearby-supernovae-could-one-destroy-earth-and-could-we-stop-itCheck out Gods & Monsters: https://nebula.tv/curiousarchive/gods-and-monsters?ref=isaacarthur🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:Fishbowl Starships Water As ShieldingEpisode 721; June 1, 2025; Nebula ExclusiveWritten, Produced, & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurGraphics: Bryan Versteeg, Jeremy Jozwik, Udo SchroeterSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creatorTaras Harkavyi, "Alpha and..."Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector""Oxygen Garden", "Wonder Cycle"Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Antimatter Containment - Bottling the Lightning
3w agoTap to summarizeCan antimatter be stored safely? Explore magnetic traps, starship fuel, and the terrifying challenge of bottling energy that destroys any container it touches.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Nearby Supernovae: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-nearby-supernovae-could-one-destroy-earth-and-could-we-stop-it🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:Antimatter Containment - Bottling the LightningWritten, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images0:00 Intro1:29 Bottling Lightning – Why Antimatter Is So Hard to Hold3:57 How We Do It Today – Traps, Fields, and Tiny Amounts10:31 Scaling the Impossible – From Lab Curiosity to Fuel Tank15:08 Starship Fuel and Doomsday Risks20:27 Nebula21:42 Beyond Bottles – Rethinking How We Contain AntimatterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →What If We Found a Second Earth Nearby?
4w agoTap to summarizeWhat if we found a true second Earth nearby? A living world, a barren paradise, or something too familiar to be natural could change science, politics, and humanity’s future forever.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Nearby Supernovae: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-nearby-supernovae-could-one-destroy-earth-and-could-we-stop-itCheck out Gods & Monsters: https://nebula.tv/curiousarchive/gods-and-monsters?ref=isaacarthur🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:What If We Found a Second Earth Nearby?Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurMusic Courtesy of Stellardrone & Chris Zabriskie Select imagery/video supplied by Getty ImagesChapters 0:00 Intro1:26 What Counts as a “Second Earth”? 4:34 The Hidden Twin6:24 The Real Discovery: A Nearby Earth8:42 If It Has Life9:17 Alien Life, But Compatible11:15 Familiar Life - Too Familiar13:26 Gods & Monsters14:36 If It’s Barren - but Ready18:00 The Rush: Who Gets a Whole World?20:49 The Economics of a Second Earth23:30 How Do You Divide a Planet?26:27 The Long View: A Second Earth Changes EverythingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Why Haven’t We Found Dyson Spheres Yet?
4w agoTap to summarizeFrom Dysonian SETI to waste heat and galactic timelines, we explore why we haven’t found Dyson Spheres—and what their absence reveals about civilization.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Nearby Supernovae: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-nearby-supernovae-could-one-destroy-earth-and-could-we-stop-it🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:Why Haven’t We Found Dyson Spheres Yet?Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurMusic Courtesy of Stellardrone & Chris Zabriskie Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images, Jeremy Jozwik, Ken York, Sergio BoteroChapters0:00 Intro2:41 What Could We Actually See?9:11 The Timeline Problem12:24 Looking Out Is Looking Back17:42 The Dyson Dilemma26:07 Alternative Paths: Civilizations That Don’t Expand29:26 Energy, Efficiency, and the Problem of Waste Heat33:21 Nebula34:22 The Silence of the SpheresSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →The Physics of FTL Travel
Jun 18Tap to summarizeCan humanity ever travel faster than light, or does every shortcut through spacetime break causality itself? We explore warp drives, wormholes, tachyons, and why the universe pushes back.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Nearby Supernovae: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-nearby-supernovae-could-one-destroy-earth-and-could-we-stop-it🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:The Physics of FTL TravelWritten, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurEditor: Lukas KonecnyMusic Courtesy of Stellardrone & Chris Zabriskie Select imagery/video supplied by Getty ImagesChapters0:00 Intro0:12 Faster Than Light Is the Wrong Question4:18 Spacetime Engineering: Moving the Map Instead of the Ship5:24 Warp Drives: Surfing Spacetime11:46 Wormholes: Shortcuts with a Side of Time Travel13:20 Hyperspace: Shortcuts Through the Bulk15:11 Solitons: The Positive Energy Challenge17:35 The Krasnikov Tube: Building a Star-Road20:30 Natural Relativistic Loopholes: Cosmic Strings and Tipler Cylinders25:05 Tachyons: The Simplest Way to Break Time28:04 Vacuum & Time-Advance Effects: When Causality Bends, Just a Little32:19 Quantum Red Herrings35:42 Nebula36:54 Why the Universe Pushes Back: Chronology Protection and Self-Defeating PhysicsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Space Habitats: The Megastructures We’ll Call Home
Jun 13Tap to summarizeExplore the future of space habitats, from rotating cylinders and torus colonies to orbital cities, asteroid homes, and the megastructures humanity may one day live inside.Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthurWatch my exclusive video Nearby Supernovae: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-nearby-supernovae-could-one-destroy-earth-and-could-we-stop-it🛒 SFIA Merchandise: https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com/🌐 Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur👥 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/📣 Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur💬 SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShECredits:Space Habitats: The Megastructures We’ll Call HomeWritten, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac ArthurEditors: Briana Brownell, Ludwig LuskaSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images, Anthrofuturism, Apogii.uk, Bryan Versteeg, Fishy Tree, Katie Byrne, Jarred Eagley, Jeremy Jozwik, Justin Dixon, Ken York YD Visual, Neil Blevins, Sergio Botero, Steve Bowers, and Udo SchroeterMusic by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic and Markus Junnikkala, Phase Shift, Kai Engel, Chris Zabriskie, Taras Harkavyi, and StellardroneSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →