The Fermi Paradox

For most of human history, when a person’s heart stopped, that was considered the end. Then, through centuries of trial and error, strange experiments, and medical breakthroughs, doctors discovered that death was not always instantaneous. A stopped heart could sometimes be restar ...  Show more

In 1976, a mysterious and deadly illness appeared almost simultaneously in Sudan and Zaire. It killed with frightening speed, baffled doctors, and was eventually named after a river few people had ever heard of: Ebola. Since then, it has caused some of the most feared outbreaks i ...  Show more

Ever wondered where all the aliens are? It’s actually very weird that, as big and old as the universe is, we seem to be the only intelligent life. In this episode, Josh examines the Fermi paradox, and what it says about humanity’s place in the universe. (Original score by Point L ...  Show more

Are we alone in the universe? If so, why? If not, where is everybody? Thankfully, math can help us with these astronomically profound questions. Keep on listening to learn all about the probability of extraterrestrial life. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2isqx83 Hos ...  Show more

Melvyn Bragg examines Extra Terrestrials. New planets have been observed far beyond our solar system and telescopes are being built that will enable us to look for water and oxygen on these distant planets. If water and oxygen are present, there is every reason to suppose that so ...  Show more

In 1950 Enrico Fermi sat down to have lunch with his friends and colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. While discussing UFOs, Enrico asked a simple question: if aliens exist, where are they? This conflict between the high likelihood of alien life and the lac ...  Show more