Isaac Arthur

Discover the groundbreaking physics behind skyhooks, rotovators, and space ladders, and how they could revolutionize space travel in the near future.

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Skyhooks, Rotovators & Space Ladders
Episode 488b; March 2, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Jarred Eagley, Katie Byrne, Phil Swan, Sergio Botero
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Phase Shift, "Forest Night"
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Oxygen Garden", "Wonder Cycle"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

Skyhooks, Rotovators & Space Ladders (Narration Only)

Crystals are not alive, yet they grow, form complex structures, and even conduct electricity. Could life emerge from crystals rather than carbon-based molecules? Eexplore the intriguing possibility of crystal-based lifeforms, the challenges they would face, and the conditions where they might thrive. We journey to five exotic worlds—Vulcan, Ribbon World, Longenacht, Telluride, and Tempest—each offering unique environments where crystalline life might take hold. Could such life develop naturally, or might humanity one day engineer it? Join us as we dive into the cutting-edge science and speculative possibilities of crystalline biology.

Watch my exclusive video The End of Science https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-the-end-of-science
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Credits:
Crystal Aliens
Episode 436a; March 1, 2024
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Jeremy Jozwik, Real Courte
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound  http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Crystal Aliens: Life, But Not As We Know It

Are rogue machines lurking in the cosmos, quietly outlasting their creators? We explore the eerie possibility that ancient AI remnants, abandoned or self-replicating, could be hidden throughout the galaxy—watching, waiting, and perhaps even shaping the fate of civilizations.

Watch my exclusive video Post-Consciousness Civilizations: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-postconsciousness-civilizations-evolving-beyond-human-awareness
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Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
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SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
The Fermi Paradox  & Zombie AI: Are Rogue Machines Hiding in the Cosmos? 
Episode 494; April 10, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur 
Editors: Briana Brownell & Donagh Broderick
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Phase Shift, "Forest Night"
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Oxygen Garden"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

The Fermi Paradox  & Zombie AI: Are Rogue Machines Hiding in the Cosmos? (Narration Only)

What if the galaxy isn’t empty—but locked in a silent Cold War between ancient alien empires? This episode explores the Dark Forest Theory, Interdiction Bubbles, and what it means if our galaxy is shaped by dormant, watchful civilizations playing a long game of survival and subtle dominance.

Watch my exclusive video Antimatter Propulsion: Harnessing the Power of Annihilation - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-antimatter-propulsion-harnessing-the-power-of-annihilation
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Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
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Credits:
The Alien Cold War: Silent Competition Among Dormant Empires In A Dark Galaxy
Episode 497; May 1, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Edited by: Donagh Broderick
Graphics: Darth Biomech, Jeremy Jozwik, Ken York YD Visual, LegionTech Studios, Sergio Botero
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Markus Junnikkala, "A Fleet Behind the Moon"
Phase Shift, "Forest Night"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story About Sun and Moon"
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Cylinder One"
Taras Harkavyi, "Alpha and..."
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

The Alien Cold War: Silent Competition Among Dormant Empires In A Dark Galaxy (Narration Only)

Why wait centuries to terraform Mars when you could build a habitable world overnight? In this episode, we explore the concept of Worldhouses—planet-spanning domes that let us colonize hostile worlds by enclosing them beneath engineered skies, one dome at a time.

Watch my exclusive video Antimatter Propulsion: Harnessing the Power of Annihilation - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-antimatter-propulsion-harnessing-the-power-of-annihilation
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Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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Credits:
Worldhouses
Episode 499; May 15, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Fishy Tree & Ken York YD Visual
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector"
Taras Harkavyi, "Alpha and..."
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

Worldhouses & Paraterraforming (Narration Only)

Could we sculpt dead planets into living worlds? From artificial crusts and orbital mirrors to taming tectonics and engineering biospheres, this is your definitive guide to turning alien rocks into second Earths.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
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Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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/
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SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Interstellar Travel: Can We Survive The Long Journey?
Episode 725; June 15, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Jarred Eagley
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York YD Visual
Mafic Studios
Sergio Botero
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Oxygen Garden", "Wonder Cycle"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story About Sun and Moon"
Taras Harkavyi, "Alpha and..."
Dark Future, "Staring Through" pt1
Miguel Johnson. "The Commanders", "Far From Home"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata", "Cosmic Soup"
Aerium, "Deijocht"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Solar Eclipse", "Billions and Billions"

The Terraforming Compendium - From Barren Rocks to Living Worlds (Narration Only)

From quantum tunneling to cosmic inflation, we journey through the theories behind the Big Bang and beyond — and ask the big question: could another Big Bang be in our cosmic future?

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SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Could We See a Second Big Bang?
Episode 724.1; June 10, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator


0:00 Intro
1:59 Why Did the Big Bang Happen?
3:01 Quantum Fluctuations
5:20 Inflation and False Vacuum Decay
7:56 Cyclic Models and the Ekpyrotic Universe
9:43 Big Bounce Cosmology 
12:35 Tunneling from Nothing 
14:04 Beginnings, Endings, and Echoes

Could We See a Second Big Bang?

The Big Bang is the reigning explanation for our universe’s origin—but what if it’s wrong? This episode dives into cosmic controversies and the theories that challenge everything we thought we knew.



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Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net

Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur

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/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.

SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE

Credits:

What If the Big Bang Never Happened?

Episode 730.1; July 6, 2025

Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur

Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images

Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator





What If the Big Bang Never Happened?

This series takes a look at concepts for everything from Terraforming Planets and Interstellar Colonization to more down to Earth matters like Arcologies and Planet Wide Cities before examining using black holes as power sources for starships.We then leap into the far distance future at the end of time to examine civilizations surviving around black holes after all the stars have died out.
Watch the Original Video Series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqKQ94DtS54&list=PLIIOUpOge0LufQYxcfYVqcVQOFOHFynMl

CS09 - Black Hole Farming

The Orbital Ring is a type of launch-assist system that goes beyond moving small ships and crews into space and allows cheap movement of bulk cargo up to space, into orbit, and beyond.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/LMbI6sk-62E

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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Graphics Team:
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Misho Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Pierre Demet
Sergio Botero
Stefan Blandin

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Orbital Rings (Narration Only)

Use my link http://www.audible.com/isaac and get a free audio book with a 30 day trial!

In the previous episode we saw how civilizations might not simply survive after all the stars in the Universe had died, but might indeed  thrive far better during the Black Hole Era of the Universe. Today, we will go beyond even the Dark Era to examine the concepts or Iron Star Civilizations, Boltzmann Brains, Reversible Computing, and even reversing Entropy itself.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/Pld8wTa16Jk

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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Graphics Team:
Edward Nardella
Jarred Eagley
Justin Dixon
Katie Byrne
Misho Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Pierre Demet
Sergio Botero
Stefan Blandin

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Civilizations at the End of Time: Iron Stars (Narration Only)

We begin the new Outward Bound series by discussing the Colonization of Mars, and survey all the colonizing and terraforming options from the early settlement days to the far future and a Green Mars. 

We will also look at alternatives to terraforming which might make more sense for Mars, like bioforming the people to the environment, rather than terraforming it to our environment.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/kmFOBoy2MZ8

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Graphics Team:
Edward Nardella
Jarred Eagley
Justin Dixon
Katie Byrne
Kris Holland of Mafic Stufios: www.maficstudios.com
Misho Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Pierre Demet
Sergio Botero
Stefan Blandin

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Mark Warburton
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Colonizing Mars (Narration Only)

It is often thought that if we cure aging or find out how to upload a human mind that humans will be immortal. Today we will examine that notion and see how well it holds up against astronomical timelines.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/6icg0tu_5z4

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Graphics Team:
Edward Nardella
Jarred Eagley
Justin Dixon
Katie Byrne
Kris Holland of Mafic Stufios: www.maficstudios.com
Misho Yordanov
Pierre Demet
Sergio Botero: https://www.artstation.com/sboterod?fref=gc
Stefan Blandin

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Mark Warburton
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Digital Death (Narration Only)

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.

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Video version:
https://youtu.be/V-96C4ExhWM

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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier:
https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Self - Replicating Machine (Narration Only)

An Introduction to SFIA's Civilizations at the End of Time series, looking at how we might go about surviving the end of the world, the end of all stars, and even entropy itself.

Civilizations at the End of Time: Iron Stars (Narration Only)

Isaac Arthur

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