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
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
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)

The Fermi Paradox  & Zombie AI: Are Rogue Machines Hiding in the Cosmos?

From genetically engineered warriors to armored giants storming enemy ships, we explore the science and fiction of space marines—super-soldiers built to conquer the stars. Join us as we examine real-world technologies and speculative enhancements that might one day bring these legendary troops to life.

Watch my exclusive video Post-Consciousness Civilizations: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-postconsciousness-civilizations-evolving-beyond-human-awareness
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Post-Scarcity Civilizations: Infinite Resources & Our Future
Episode 495a; April 20, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Jeremy Jozwik
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"
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment",  "A New Day in a New Sector"Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

Space Marines (Narration Only)

Explore the real economics of building and operating a space elevator—from ship-launched ribbons to megaton climbers—and how this infrastructure could change the world.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Space Elevator Economics: Building And Operating A Superhighway To Space 
Episode 726; June 19, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Edited by:
Adrian Nixon
Ludwig Luska
Peter Swan
Graphics:
Anthrofuturism
Atlantis Project
Katie Byrne
Phil Swan
Sergio Botero
Udo Schroeter
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"
Aerium, "Deijocht"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata", "Cosmic Soup"

Space Elevator Economics - Building And Operating A Superhighway To Space (Narration Only)

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

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

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
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

Music:
Markus Junnikkala, "Always tell me the odds"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata"
AJ Prasad, "Staring Through"
Dan McLeod, NeptuneUK, "Calculations"
Markus Junnikkala, "A Memory of Earth"
Phase Shift, "Forest Night"

Civilizations at the End of Time: Iron Stars

A trip deep into the far future, to the End of Earth
Visit our sponsor, Brilliant: https://brilliant.org/IsaacArthur/
For most of human history, the end of Earth, the Universe, and Time itself were all identical, now we know the world will end in 4 billion years, long before the Universe begins to wind down. Today we will ask how we can extend that, and keep Earth around for far longer.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/p58yFf7aZsM

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
To help us grow your SFIA community, follow https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Script Editing
Edward Nardella
Keith Blockus
Mark Warburton
Matthew Acker
MolbOrg
N Kern
Sigmund Kopperud (Wicked Woxel)

Graphics Team:
Edward Nardella
Jeremy Jozwik
Jarred Eagley
Justin Dixon
Jeremy Jozwik
Katie Byrne
Kris Holland of Mafic Stufios: www.maficstudios.com
Luuk Warringa
Mihail Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Nick Talmers Nieuwoudt
Pierre Demet
Sergio Botero: https://www.artstation.com/sboterod?fref=gc
Stefan Blandin

Music Supervisor
Luca De Rosa

Music:
Markus Junnikkala, "Always Tell me the odds"
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Back to Home"
Kai Engel, "Soli"
Ayreon, "Frequency Modulation"
Ayreon, "String Theory"
Ayreon, "The Theory of Everything, Part 3"
Dexter Britain, "After The Week I've Had"
Markus Junnikkala, "A Fleet Behind The Moon"
NJ Mandavilel, "The Resting Vale"
Ayreon, "Age Of Shadows"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata"
Kevin MacLeod, "Spacial Winds"
Brandon Liew, "Into the Storm"

Dying Earth [Narration Only]

One of the biggest reasons for colonizing other worlds is to ensure we don't die with our own sun, but even those alien suns we might travel to will die one day. And yet, our image of stars living than erupting spectacular as a red giant or supernova, present a somewhat false impression, as those stellar remnants often last far longer than the stars which bore them. Could civilizations survive around these dead stars? Could they even outlast the End of the Universe, as the last stars fade away?

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/GpYGMIZ9Bow
Get a free month of Curiosity Stream: http://curiositystream.com/isaacarthur
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
SFIA Merchandise available: https://www.signil.com/sfia/

Social Media:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE

Credits:
Civilizations at the End of Time: Dying Stars
Episode 178, Season 5 E12

Written by:
Isaac Arthur

Editors:
Andrew Norman
Darius Said
Evan Schultheis
Keith Blockus
Konstantin Sokerin
Matthew Acker
Stuart Graham https://beyondnerva.wordpress.com

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

Graphics by:
Fishy Tree https://www.deviantart.com/fishytree/
Jarred Eagley
Jeremy Jozwik https://www.artstation.com/zeuxis_of_losdiajana
Ken York https://www.facebook.com/YDVisual/
Sergio Botero https://www.artstation.com/sboterod?fref=gc

Produced & Narrated by:
Isaac Arthur

Music:
Markus Junnikkala, "Always Tell Me the Odds" https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata" https://lombus.bandcamp.com
A.J. Prasad of Dark Future, "Staring Through, pt1" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA8-7qwaEPU
Aerium, "Fifth Star of Aldebaran" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRnUJY3l5vIJFGsY3XvW4dQ
A.J. Prasad of Dark Future, "Cold Shadow" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA8-7qwaEPU
Phase Shift, "Forest Night" https://www.last.fm/music/Phase+Shift/_/Enigmatic

Dying Stars (Narration Only)

We continue our discussion of the Boltzmann Brain - a hypothetical randomly assembled mind rather than an evolved one - by looking at the Anthropic Principle and the Fine-Tuned Universe Theory, alternative ways of viewing the probability of our existence than the classic Copernican Principle. 
Watch the video versions:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UfQb_-XAuY
Part 2: https://youtu.be/GrK9EaQRp2I


Visit our sponsor, Brilliant: https://brilliant.org/IsaacArthur/
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
SFIA Merchandise available: https://www.signil.com/sfia/

Social Media:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE


Credits:
Boltzmann Brains, Part 2: The Anthropic Principle
Episode 195b, Season 5 E30b

Written by:
Isaac Arthur
Jade Tan-Holmes

Script Editor:
Olly Epsom

Produced & Narrated by:
Isaac Arthur
Jade Tan-Holmes

Music:
Markus Junnikkala,
"Plotting a Course" & "We Roam the Stars"
https://www.markusjunnikkala.com

Boltzmann Brains

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 Series Introduction

According to modern cosmology, one day all the stars will burn out and the Universe will be full of dead planets, black holes, and other stellar remnants, slowing decaying till entropy brings the Heat Death of the Universe. But could this fate be postponed or even reversed?

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/80tdw-kBiu8
Visit our sponsor, Brilliant: https://brilliant.org/IsaacArthur/
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
SFIA Merchandise available: https://www.signil.com/sfia/

Social Media:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE

Credits:
Postponing the Heat Death of the Universe
Episode 225; Feb 13, 2020

Writers:
Isaac Arthur

Editors:
Darius Said
Jerry Guern
Keith Blockus
Phonetic Failure

Produced & Narrated by:
Isaac Arthur

Cover Art:
Jakub Grygier

Graphics:
Jeremy Jozwik https://www.artstation.com/zeuxis_of_losdiajana
Ken York https://www.facebook.com/YDVisual/

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