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

The 10 Best Great Filters That Could Explain the Fermi Paradox

The future of computing might be off-world. Learn how orbital data centers could power AI, solar energy, and a thriving space industry.

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Why Data Centers in Space Could Launch a New Space Economy?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:  Mafic Studios & Sergio Botero
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Why Data Centers in Space Could Launch a New Space Economy? (Narration Only)

From safety protocols to philosophy, AI alignment asks a hard question: can we build artificial intelligence that truly serves humanity?
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AI Alignment - Can We Make AI Safe?
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
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AI Alignment - Can We Make AI Safe? (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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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
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Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

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

Forget little green men — the galaxy’s most likely aliens may be hives and swarms. From biology to starships, insectoid life could shape civilizations stranger than ours.
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Insectoid Aliens - Hive Minds, Swarms, and Alien Evolution
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Thomas Owens
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Music Courtesy of Stllardrone & Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Insectoid Aliens - Hive Minds, Swarms, and Alien Evolution (Narration Only)

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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The Space Mining Boom - How Resources Will Shape the Future Economy

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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Doomsday Devices & Ontological Weaponry (Narration Only)

Before we plant flags on alien worlds, we’ll build homes that can cross the void. This episode explores how humanity’s first interstellar colony might be born inside the ship itself.

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The First Interstellar Colony Humanity’s Leap Beyond Sol
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Donagh Broderick & Ludwig Luska
Graphics: Bryan Versteeg, Jeremy Jozwik, Udo Schroeter
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The First Interstellar Colony Humanity’s Leap Beyond Sol (Narration Only)

Mars calls to us as the next world to conquer—but should we go yet? Explore the case for and against colonizing the Red Planet, from science to strategy to survival.

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Why We Should Go To Mars... And Why We Shouldn't
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Keith Oxenrider
Graphics: Jeremy Jozwik
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Why We Should Go To Mars... And Why We Shouldn't

Why We Should Go To Mars... And Why We Shouldn't (Narration Only)

Mars once had a magnetic field—can we bring it back? Learn what new seismic data reveals about the Red Planet’s heart and whether nuclear power could restart its spin.

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Could We Nuke Mars’ Core to Restart Its Spin
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
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Music by  Chris Zabriskie

Why We Should Go To Mars... And Why We Shouldn't

Isaac Arthur

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