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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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

What if the end of everything came not from cosmic fate, but from us? This episode examines the physics, probability, and peril of experiments that could, in theory, unravel the universe.

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Could We Accidentally Destroy the Universe?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editors: Lukas Konecny
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:38 Vacuum Decay (False Vacuum Collapse)
9:59 Strange Matter Conversion
13:09 Gray Goo Scenario (Nanotechnology Out of Control)
16:05 Runaway Energy Reaction
19:06 Altering the Constants of Nature
20:49 Brane Collision (M-Theory Catastrophe)
22:27 Time Travel or Causality Paradox
23:55 Nebula
25:20 Simulation Shutdown
27:21 Big Rip or Cosmological Instability
28:35 Baby Universe Creation or Collapse
29:51 Why It Hasn’t Happened Yet (Anthropic Principle & More)
31:49 Channel Updates

Could We Accidentally Destroy the Universe?

Could We Accidentally Destroy the Universe? (Narration Only)

You’ve made it to a new world—but how do you make a living when Earth is light-years away? We chart how colonies bootstrap markets, money, and meaning—from scrip and rationing to trade networks and post-scarcity systems.

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Colonial Economies - How Do You Make Money on a New Planet?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Colonial Economies - How Do You Make Money on a New Planet? (Narration Only)

Feudalism once ruled Earth—could it rule the cosmos too? We dive into the strange but plausible world of space nobles, orbital dukes, and knights of the vacuum clad in power armor or piloting mecha.

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Feudal Futures - Knights & Nobles in the Space Age
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Feudal Futures - Knights & Nobles in the Space Age (Narration Only)

Space isn’t just for lonely colonies—it’s for communities. Join us as we imagine constellations of space habitats bound by tethers, trade, and trust, building not just homes in the stars but entire civilizations.

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Space Habitat Clusters & Conglomerations
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Jarred Eagley, Jeremy Jozwik, Udo Schroeter
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Stellardrone and Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Space Habitat Clusters & Conglomerations (Narration Only)

NASA’s Perseverance rover may have found the best hint yet of Martian life — strange minerals in Jezero Crater that could be microbial fingerprints… or just clever geology.

Any comments, corrections, or thoughts on the video? email Isaac.Arthur.Utube@gmail.com
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Life on Mars: Perseverance’s Sapphire Canyon Discovery
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Chris Zabriskie

Life on Mars? Perseverance’s Sapphire Canyon Discovery

Life on Mars? Perseverance’s Sapphire Canyon Discovery (Narration Only)

Could life thrive in seas of methane instead of water? We explore Titan-like worlds and the alien ecosystems they might harbor.

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Life in Methane Oceans: Could Aliens Evolve on Titan-like Worlds?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editors: Thomas Owens & Lukas Konecny
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Stellardrone and Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Life in Methane Oceans: Could Aliens Evolve on Titan-like Worlds? (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 (Narration Only)

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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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)

Isaac Arthur

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