Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur

A look at the difficulties of returning to the moon to establish a permanent presence and many of the concepts and ideas envisioned to help accomplish that goal.

Today we take a look at Artificial Planets constructed as Shells around a filler mass, such as a black hole.

A look at Discworlds, Flat Earths, and Alderson Discs in terms of how they'd function and how they might be built.

A look into how very small black holes function, are created and destroyed, and how they might be used for power. This is the first episode of a three part, and lays the groundwork for the concepts to be examined in Black Hole Space Ships and Concepts for Faster Than Light Travel.

A continuing look at possible technologies using artificial Black Holes as power sources, focusing on spaceship concepts, as well as the impact on SETI. In this video we will examine the basic concept, as well as refueling black holes, using black holes as weapons, and several related concepts.

Our first installment of a new series looking at Faster Than Light, or FTL, concepts and technologies. In this episode we review the basics of Special Relativity and some misconceptions about it, then look at Quantum Entanglement.

Our second installment of a new series looking at Faster Than Light, or FTL, concepts and technologies. In this episode we look at the Tachyon, a hypothetical superluminal particle than can travel back in time as well as looking at what theory tells us about Time Travel and Temporal Paradoxes.

In the 7th episode of the Megastructures series we look at Hoop Worlds, a type of artificial planet with some surprising properties.

A new version of the original video covering the Dyson Dilemma of the Fermi Paradox, in which we cover the apparent contradiction in the lack of numerous Dyson Spheres in the Universe and their seeming inevitable construction by growth-oriented technological civilizations.

Episode 5 of the Habitable Planets Series takes a look at double planets and what sort of conditions would prevail, or need to prevail, for them to be Earth-like. As well as the Rocheworld, a special case of Double Planets where the two planets either share an atmosphere or have even begun to merge together.

A look at the simplest type of Dyson Sphere, the Shkadov Thruster, a device able to move entire solar systems.

A new look at the Fermi Paradox detailing all the popular solutions and their strengths and weaknesses.

In Episode 3 we look at the concept of warp drives, a theoretical type of spaceship propulsion that warps spacetime to allow faster than light travel. We discuss the basic concept and the scientific and technological hurdles to developing it, along with clearing up many of the myths about it.

An in-depth look at the Transhumanism movement and related concepts, with a special focus on pathways for extending the human lifespan. Topics including SENS and anti-aging research, mind uploading, Technological Singularities, and physical and mental augmentation.

A look at the Simulation Hypothesis, or Simulation Argument, along with its implications for identity, consciousness, and the Fermi Paradox.

A look at the Doomsday Argument, also known as the Carter Catastrophe, a probabilistic argument which suggests humanity may be nearing its end. We will examine how this applies to the Fermi Paradox and the Simulation Hypothesis, as well as examining the concept of the Anthropic Principle.

Today we are looking at two topics, the Anthropic Principle and the idea of greater than human intelligence, generally called Super-Intelligence or SI.

Continuing our look at Dyson Spheres we examine the concept of the Nicoll-Dyson Beam, a type of advanced weapon that uses the output of an entire sun to create a laser that can strike target across the galaxy.

In Episode 10 we explore the Matrioshka Brain, a nested Layer type of Dyson Sphere designed to turn stars in to giant computers, and conclude our look at Dyson Spheres and other types of Stellar Engines.

In our first look at possible futures for Earth we examine the concept of Arcologies, self-sufficient habitats that adapt the concepts we've previously considered for space stations and off-world colonies to Earth itself. We'll examine the original concept, the more modern one of giant structures that dwarf skyscrapers, and under what circumstances such ideas can be practical.

In our second look at possible futures for Earth we examine the concept of Ecumenopolises, planet spanning cities homes to trillions. We'll examine concept in detail, starting with the first portrayals of it in fiction and extending on how Arcologies and other technologies we've discussed on the channel might be employed to create a Ecumenopolis and what they might be like to live in.

In this video we jump trillions of years into the future to examine the concept of civilizations living in a dark, post-stellar Universe, where we encounter some surprising possibilities about just how abundant and robust life might be in a seemingly dark and dead Universe.

Continuing our look at Habitable Planets we look at worlds entirely covered in water, and how they are both harder and easier for life to develop and thrive on than we might expect.

In Episode 4 we look at the concept of wormholes, how they derive from General Relativity, the various different types and theories, and some under-considered uses of wormholes. We'll also discuss some myths and misunderstandings of the concept.

A in-depth look at KIC 8462582, also known as Tabby's Star. We'll explore how this star became famous for an anomaly, what that anomaly was, and the various theories for what might be causing it.

A look at how emerging concepts in science & technology could disrupt our most our understandings of identity, consciousness, and free will. This is the 5th episode of the Existential Crisis series which looks at concepts like Transhumanism, Life Extension, the Simulation Hypothesis, the Doomsday Argument, and the Anthropic Principle.

A look at Dark Matter, what it is, what it isn't, and what it might be used for.

This video continues our look at Colonizing Space by examining the idea of Asteroid Mining and setting up colonies on Asteroids. We explore the science as well as practical issues of engineering, economics, legality, and psychology of such distant outposts.

This episode examines the concept of a civilizations and economies in which very little scarcity exists and in which production of goods requires so little labor that most basic needs can be met at little or no cost.

The concept of a Technological Singularity, an accelerated rush in processing speed improvements culminating in a super-mind, has captivated people for decades. Today we will examine this idea and look at some misconceptions about it.

A look at the concept of Self-Replicating Machines, Universal Assemblers, von Neumann Probes, Grey Goo, and Berserkers. While we will discuss the basic concept and some on-Earth applications like Medical Nanotechnology our focus will be on space exploration and colonization aspects.

An in-depth survey of the various technologies for spaceship propulsion, both from those we can expect to see in a few years and those at the edge of theoretical science. We'll break them down to basics and familiarize ourselves with the concepts. Note: I made a rather large math error about the Force per Power the EmDrive exerts at 32:10, initial tentative results for thrust are a good deal higher than I calculated compared to a flashlight.

A look at Dark Energy, explaining and simplifying the concept around it, the Cosmological Constant, the Lambda-CDM model, and Vacuum & Zero-Point Energy.

Starlifting is the process of removing matter from stars, and in this episode we will look at how you would do this and why you would do this. We will see there are a lot of reasons, and that the methods are not very high tech at all.

An in-depth look at Cryptocurrency & Blockchain, what they are, how they differ from existing methods, and what the advocates and critics have to say about them.

An in-depth look at the Kardashev Scale, a system of classifying advanced civilizations. We will talk about what it is, and what some of the capabilities of such civilizations would be.

A deep look at some of the truly advanced and surprising options that might become available to us as we improve our skill with genetic engineering, ranging from altering humans to adapting life to live on alien planets or to serve as machines. We will also look at methods for doing genetic engineering, such as DNA printing and CRISPR, as well as consider some of the ethical concerns associated to using this technology.

Today we're teaming up with Joe Scott to look at the Great Attractor, a mysterious and massive source of gravity obscured from our vision, and the concept of Dark Flow, movements of whole clusters of galaxies in directions with no obvious cause.

This episode is an in-depth look at stars, from the common kinds and basic terminology to exotic stars, some which are entirely hypothetical. We'll look at Stars bigger than solar systems or tinier than a pinhead, and some stars that no longer exist or cannot exist till long after all other stars have died.

In this epic, 2-part episode, we team up with Isaac Arthur to imagine how humans will colonize the inner Solar System, becoming a true spacefaring civilization.

This episode continues our team up with Fraser Cain to look at Colonizing the Solar System, we move from the inner solar system to the Asteroid Belt and beyond, all the way out to the Oort Cloud.

This episode focuses on the basic concepts and misconceptions of wars fought in space and examines the notions of weapons, defenses, stealth in space, and the distance involved.

This episode begins a three-part series focusing more on the specifics of colonization including the human aspect of it. We lay the groundwork by looking at colonies just in our solar system before moving off in episodes two and three to look at life on colony ships and then on interstellar colonies.

This episode is the second of a three-part series focusing more on the specifics of colonization including the human aspect of it. Having laid the groundwork last time, we now ask ourselves what the ships carrying people to new worlds would be like, and what life aboard them would be like.

This episode concludes a three-part series focusing more on the specifics of colonization including the human aspect of it. Today we journey to the Tau Ceti System after a 120 year voyage to join our colonists in the early days of the colony.

Today we return to the Fermi Paradox to contemplate the notion of civilizations which neither expand outwards to colonize the galaxy nor go extinct, but exist as long-term, high-tech civilizations just on their own planet or solar system. To discuss the possible motives and reasoning we will look at the many arguments raised for and against space exploration.

This episode ends Year 2, not with predictions for the future, but rather a discussion of concepts of Black Swan Events and Outside Context Problems, highly unpredictable events which massively impact civilization.