From Martians undone by germs to predators who insist on sporting duels, we explore the most ridiculous alien invasion tactics in fiction, and what they reveal about strategy, science, and human resilience.

Join us as we journey beyond the birth of the universe to unravel the mysteries of what might have preceded the Big Bang—and whether time itself had a beginning.
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Credits:
The 10 Worst Alien Invasion Strategies
Episode 733; July 1, 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
0:48 10. The “Park and Wait” Strategy
2:02 9. Invading a Planet That Can Kill You
3:46 8. Single Point of Failure: The Hive or Control Ship
5:22 7. Telegraphing Your Arrival
6:50 6. Overly Convoluted Takeovers
8:30 5. Broadcasting Your Weakness
9:55 4. Playing Fair & Ritual Combat
11:54 3. Overconfidence & Underestimating the Locals
13:07 2. Hive Minds That Collapse Instantly
15:03 1. Ignoring the Home Field Advantage
16:06 Outro

The 10 Worst Alien Invasion Strategies (Narration Only)

If everything is free, what’s still worth striving for? From replicators to reputation, we examine the surprising economics of a post-scarcity world.
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Credits:
The Economics of a Post-Scarcity Universe - What Happens When Everything Is Free?
Episode 730; July 3, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:02 What Post-Scarcity Means Economically
5:10 Incentives Without Scarcity
8:17 Distribution, Duty, and Designed Idleness
14:27 Ownership and Property in a Post-Scarcity Economy
20:03 The Star Trek Economy & the Myth of a Moneyless Society
22:58 Wealth, Inheritance & Intergenerational Power
27:57 Upward Mobility and Inequality
29:02 Economic Failure Modes in Post-Scarcity
30:35 Where Economics Still Matters
33:02 The Infinite Price of a Meaningful Life

The Economics of a Post-Scarcity Universe - What Happens When Everything Is Free? (Narration Only)

This episode explores how spaceports will evolve in design, technology, and purpose—shifting from fuel-thirsty towers to seamless transport hubs for Earth, Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Watch my exclusive video Mass Drivers on the Moon: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-mass-drivers-on-the-moon-enabling-a-lunar-economy
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Credits:
Spaceport Innovations - Designing the Next Generation of Launch Sites
July 10, 2025; Episode 731
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Anthrofuturism
Atlantis Project
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Fishy Tree
Phil Swan
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

Spaceport Innovations: Designing the Next Generation of Launch Sites

Spaceport Innovations: Designing the Next Generation of Launch Sites (Narration Only)

Forget tentacles—what matters is the mind. We explore how alien behavior might emerge from evolution, culture, and technology, and why our biggest first contact risk may be misunderstanding.

Watch my exclusive video Mass Drivers on the Moon: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-mass-drivers-on-the-moon-enabling-a-lunar-economy
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Use the link  https://gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $36.

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Credits:
How Would Aliens Behave?
July 13, 2025; Episode 732
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Stellardrone, "Red Giant"
Chapters
0:00 Intro - Alien Expectations vs. Reality
4:04 The Evolutionary Roots of  Alien Behavior
8:19 From Common Ground to Alien Paths: Divergent Behaviors
13:19 First Contact: Communication & Misunderstanding
20:11 Alien Morality: Do They Even Have Ethics?
26:04 Alien Minds, Human Limits: The Final Reflection

How Would Aliens Behave? (Narration Only)

Transhumanism promises a better humanity—or perhaps something no longer human at all. Join us as we explore the moral dilemmas and future paths of human augmentation.

Watch my exclusive video Mass Drivers on the Moon: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-mass-drivers-on-the-moon-enabling-a-lunar-economy
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SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
How Would Aliens Behave?
July 13, 2025; Episode 732
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Donagh Broderick
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"
Taras Harkavyi, "Alpha and..."

The Ethics of Transhumanism (Narration Only)

Join us as we journey beyond the birth of the universe to unravel the mysteries of what might have preceded the Big Bang—and whether time itself had a beginning.

Watch my exclusive video Mass Drivers on the Moon: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-mass-drivers-on-the-moon-enabling-a-lunar-economy
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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Use the link  https://gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $36.


Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
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SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Before the Big Bang - What Came Before Time?
Episode 738; July 20, 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 Asking the Impossible
2:08 The Limits of Time and Spacetime
7:45 Beyond the Big Bang: Alternate Beginnings
14:38 Other Realities: Higher Dimensions and Shadow Universes
18:28 Emergent Time
22:38 Bubble Collisions and Multiverse Scars
24:44 Conclusion: What Came Before Time?

Before the Big Bang - What Came Before Time?

Before the Big Bang - What Came Before Time? (Narration Only)

From carbon nanotubes to multi-layered graphene, we explore the revolutionary materials that could turn space elevators from sci-fi dreams into real-world infrastructure. Discover how these supermaterials might let us weave ribbons to the stars.

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Credits:
Materials For Space Elevators - From Carbon Nanotubes To Graphene And Beyond...
Episode 741; July 24, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Edited by:
Adrian Nixon
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"

Materials For Space Elevators - From Carbon Nanotubes To Graphene And Beyond... (Narration Only)

From metal scrolls buried under alien skies to frozen vaults holding minds or monarchs for millennia, we examine how advanced civilizations might safeguard their legacy against the slow grinding of eternity.

Watch my exclusive video Mass Drivers on the Moon: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-mass-drivers-on-the-moon-enabling-a-lunar-economy
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
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Credits:
Vaults of Eternity - Planetary Archives & Stasis Fields - Extended Edition
Episode 741; July 27, 2025
Written, Narrated & Produced by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Jeremy Jozwik
Sergio Botero
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Vaults of Eternity - Planetary Archives & Stasis (Narration Only)

Aliens don’t always attack with lasers—sometimes, the smartest invasions begin with a gift, a whisper, or a smile. Join us as we count down ten invasion strategies that actually make sense.

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Credits:
The 10 Best Alien Invasion Strategies
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
1:20 10. The Infiltration Gambit: Invasion Without a War
3:58 9. False Prophets – The Alien Messiah Strategy
5:55 8. Weaponized Belief – Memes, Myths, and Messiahs
7:53 7. The Hybrid Convert Strategy
8:59 6. Shock and Awe: The Killing Star Approach
12:39 5. Divide and Conquer: Turning Humanity Into Its Own Worst Enemy
14:10 4. Trojan Tech: When the Upgrade Is the Invasion
17:40 3. Overwhelming Force and Organization
18:52 2. Preemptive Invasion & Interdiction for Conformity – The Galactic Empire Problem
20:32 Beyond Scorched Earth

The Ethics of Transhumanism (Narration Only)

Isaac Arthur

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