Welcome to the show where we learn science by exploring the universe by pushing it... to the limit. A dangerous mix of Science & Fiction, hosted by Philip Shane & Matt Stanley
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
46%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchWelcome to the show where we learn science by exploring the universe by pushing it... to the limit. A dangerous mix of Science & Fiction, hosted by Philip Shane & Matt Stanley
Recent episodes include "The Sloth Life Is A GOOD Life!" (16 October 2026, 40 minutes), "Who The If is MATT!" (3 October 2026, 42 minutes), and "Bugs The Size Of US!" (23 September 2026, 36 minutes).
What The If? publishes roughly every two weeks, with episodes averaging 43 minutes across 459 episodes.
Booking probability for What The If? is 46%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. What The If? requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. What The If?'s contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for What The If? are Scientific Research & Development and Courses, Coaching & Lessons. What The If? has an education audience.
What The If? is an education show with 459 episodes published.
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What The If?
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...
What The If?
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...
What The If?
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...
What The If?
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...
What The If?
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...
What The If?
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...
What The If?
The whole crew is off on separate adventures this week, so we've unlocked the vault for an encore of one of our most popular episodes ever. Get ready to meet a galaxy ready to tell its own life story…. —— Our special...
What The If?
What the if one gooey substance could drink up every kind of energy around it, from sunlight and heat to a stray spark or even the smack of a moving hand, and then hand it all back the instant you wanted it? Picture a...
What The If?
What the if birds aren't actually birds? Play it straight for a second: somewhere between 1959 and 1971, the government quietly swaps every bird for a surveillance drone, and the cover-up runs deeper than a single...
What The If?
What the if Lamarck was right? Stanford historian Jessica Riskin, author of "The Power of Life," is our guide into a universe where living things aren't passive passengers waiting for evolution to happen to them, but...
What The If?
What the if you were born on the Moon and Earth was the alien planet? Picking up from last month's cliffhanger, our travelers from the lunar surface finally touch down — and nothing about this place is what they...
What The If?
Listener Helina asks: what the if we just pumped the last drop of gasoline? The answer goes well beyond empty parking lots and quiet highways. Along the way there's some chemistry, some geology, a detour through ancient...
What The If?
What the if you had to invent the alphabet from scratch? The Pharaoh hands you a stone tablet, a chisel, and an impossible assignment: condense every sound a human mouth can make into a handful of squiggles. Where do...
What The If?
Picture this: you're a moon baby, born and raised underground on Luna, and you've just landed on Earth for the very first time. Meet the loonies, a civilization of moon-born humans who cook up rocket fuel from lunar ice...
What The If?
What the if microbes held a grudge? We're thrilled to welcome Ethan Rappaport, theoretical ecologist at the University of Maryland, to take us inside the tiny turf wars happening in your gut. We imagine bacteria sharing...
What The If?
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the MIR SPACE STATION's spectacular farewell reentry, we're featuring an encore of our August 11, 2023 episode about what happens when SPACE JUNK takes over the sky! --- Hey there...
What The If?
What the if you could read minds — but only when someone's nearby? Congratulations, your subway commute just became a psychic nightmare. Babies would blast unfiltered emotional chaos straight into your skull, your dog...
What The If?
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 YouTube video from Anton Petrov about virtual particles turning into...
What The If?
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 take you in? Lycaenid butterfly caterpillars have been pulling this...
What The If?
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 among schooling fish, this episode explores a world where you can't go...
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