From abiogenesis to AI, we rank the top Great Filter candidates and test them against the data to see which best explains the Fermi Paradox. Is the universe empty, or just dangerous? We explore ten filters—cosmic, biological, and civilizational—that could silence civilizations before they spread.

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Credits:
Could We Accidentally Destroy the Universe?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

The 10 Best Great Filters That Could Explain the Fermi Paradox (Narration Only)

3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object we’ve ever seen — but could it really be an alien artifact, or just another comet with unusual traits?

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Is 3I/ATLAS an Alien Artifact?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Chris Zabriskie, Stellardrone

Is 3I/ATLAS an Alien Artifact?

The discovery of 2017 OF201 reminds us that even small worlds can hold vast potential — not just as frozen orbs, but as stepping stones for interstellar civilization.

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Credits:
New Dwarf Planet Discovered: A Minor Planet With a Major Future?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:11 What Counts as a Dwarf Planet?
3:47 The New Arrival: 2017 OF201
4:47 From Iceball to Megastructure
6:03 Waypoint to the Stars
8:38 Lessons from Pluto and the Dwarf Planet Census
9:43 Engineering Challenges & Opportunities
10:50 Extrapolating the Frontier

New Dwarf Planet Discovered: A Minor Planet With a Major Future? (Narration Only)

Gravity has always shackled industry, but orbit frees us to build in ways Earth never allowed. This episode explores the rise of orbital foundries and the industries they unlock.

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Orbital Foundries & Zero-G Manufacturing: Building in Space
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Jeremy Jozwik, Ken York, Udo Schroeter
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Aerium, Stellardrone, Chris Zabriskie, and Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Orbital Foundries & Zero-G Manufacturing - Building in Space

The universe is beyond immense, and yet it might be nothing more than a tiny dot beside the rest of reality.

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Credits:
Exploring The Multiverse
Originally aired as Episode 462b; September 1, 2024 
Produced, Written & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editors: Thomas  Owens
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Ultra Deep Field"
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Labyrinth", "Forgotten Stars"
Taras Harkavyi, "Alpha and ..."

Exploring The Multiverse (Narration Only)

Exploring The Multiverse

Mars may be humanity’s next great home—but it’s not the finish line. From floating cities above Venus to mining Mercury and the Asteroid Belt, to building bases on the Jovian moons and Titan, we explore which destinations might follow Mars and how each could shape our future in space.

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Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:02 Why the Moon Should Come First
3:47 Candidate #1: Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs)
7:52 Candidate #2: Venus
11:35 Candidate #3: Mercury
15:16 Candidate #4: Lagrange Points & Earth-Orbit Infrastructure
17:51 Candidate #5: Jovian Moons
20:26 Nebula
22:06 Candidate #6: Titan (Saturn’s Moon)
23:46 Candidate #7: The Asteroid Belt
25:44 Candidate #8: Comet Mining & Outer System Expansion
27:56 Cross-Support: Who Helps Whom?

After Mars - 8 Candidates For Where Humanity Should Go Next (Narration Only)

Meet the caretaker AIs: guardians of planets, habitats, and civilizations. What happens when machines become the spirit and soul of the worlds they protect?

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Credits:
Caretaker AI & Genus Loci 2025 Edition
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editors: Ludwig Luska 
Graphics:
Bryan Versteeg
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York YD Visual
Kris Holland Mafic Studios
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Caretaker AI & Genius Loci: When Worlds Grow Minds of Their Own

From lunar regolith to metal-rich asteroids, this episode examines how off-world resources could spark the largest economic boom in human history — and what the fuel, transport, and political math actually looks like.

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The Space Mining Boom - How Resources Will Shape the Future Economy
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Keith Oxenrider
Graphics:  Udo Schroeter
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Music Courtesy of Chris Zabriskie, Stellardrone & Epidemic Sound  http://epidemicsound.com/creator

The Space Mining Boom - How Resources Will Shape the Future Economy (Narration Only)

From nuclear nightmares to reality-breaking weapons, we examine how science and fiction imagine the end of everything. What happens when weapons don’t just destroy worlds but unmake reality itself? Explore the science of apocalypse.

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Doomsday Devices & Ontological Weaponry 
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Lukas Konecny
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Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic & Stellardrone

Exploring The Multiverse (Narration Only)

Isaac Arthur

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