Is A.I. Going to Kill Us All?
42 min
How do you make sure A.I. has humanity's best interest at heart? Jorge explores humanity's future with two "A.I. Alignment" experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the show
Ever wonder if your pet is lying to you, what's inside a black hole, or whether you'd survive being cryogenically frozen? With infectious curiosity, cartoonist and former roboticist Jorge Cham makes science fun and accessible as he answers your biggest questions on the ScienceStuff podcast.
Newest episodes
What Makes Traffic So Bad?
37 min
Stuck in traffic? There's someone to blame, but it's not who you think it is. Jorge cruises to an answer with two traffic science experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Talk to Dolphins?
33 min
They're some of the smartest animals on Earth. Could we ever have a conversation with them? Jorge takes the plunge with two dolphin experts to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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All episodes
Is A.I. Going to Kill Us All?
42 min
How do you make sure A.I. has humanity's best interest at heart? Jorge explores humanity's future with two "A.I. Alignment" experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Makes Traffic So Bad?
37 min
Stuck in traffic? There's someone to blame, but it's not who you think it is. Jorge cruises to an answer with two traffic science experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Talk to Dolphins?
33 min
They're some of the smartest animals on Earth. Could we ever have a conversation with them? Jorge takes the plunge with two dolphin experts to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can A.I. Be Funny?
35 min
Can computers crack jokes? Are comedians in trouble? Jorge talks to an AI expert to find the punchline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Makes Someone Left-Handed?
37 min
Is it genetic or random? And why do we have a preferred hand anyway? Jorge gets the right answers from some left-handed experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Math Ruining Sports?
36 min
Math is a key player in every major sport these days. Is it helping teams win, or is it making games boring to watch? Jorge talks to a "Moneyball" expert to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are We Going Back to the Moon?
33 min
Jorge talks to three scientists involved in the Artemis Moon Program to find out why we're going back there after 50 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should We Mine the Asteroid Belt? (feat. Phil Plait)
34 min
Do asteroids have precious metals we can mine? Or is one of them going to hit us and make us go extinct first? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: The Bob Ross Effect
8 min
Can watching someone paint make you feel better? Scientists have proof that watching Bob Ross can significantly improve your mood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Did People Eat 3000 Years Ago?
30 min
3000 years is a long time. How do we know what was on the menu? And would we eat it today? Jorge talks to an archaeologist about ancient foods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do Our Knuckles Crack?
37 min
Why do our joints snap, crackle and pop? And why can't we stop doing it? Jorge investigates the evolution, psychology and physics of this annoying habit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do People Forget Memories?
35 min
What happens to the things we remember when we can't remember them anymore? Jorge talks to two psychologists about the science of forgetting and the fascinating world of amnesia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is Super Memory (And How Do You Get It)?
35 min
Some people can remember 100,000 digits of pi, or everything that's ever happened to them. How do they do it? And can anyone learn this skill? Jorge goes down memory lane to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Animals Have a Sense of Humor?
29 min
Do chihuahuas chuckle? Or jaguars joke? Jorge kids around with animal experts to find out if animals can be funny (on purpose). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is the Moon So Big?
35 min
NASA is sending astronauts back to the moon. But why? What deep mysteries still hide on the far side of the moon? Jorge jumps over the moon to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is AI Slop Doing to Us?
39 min
AI is everywhere these days. What happened to make it so powerful all of a sudden? And what is all this AI content doing to our brains? Jorge talks to three experts to find the answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: How to Stop Procrastinating
8 min
Is there hope for the eternal procrastinator? Jorge gets some tips for living with procrastination from three expert psychologists. Learn more about our experts' work: procrastinus.com (Dr. Piers Steel) fuschiasirois.com (Dr. Fuschia Sirois) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Procrastinate?
33 min
We finally got around to it: an episode about procrastination. Why do we do it? Is it really bad? And is there such as a thing as productive procrastination? Jorge talks to three psychologists about the science of putting things off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Go Bald?
32 min
What's the skinny on why we lose our hair? Is it genetic or avoidable? Or do we need to comb over society's stigma about it? Jorge gets to the hairy truth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Supersenses Exist?
33 min
Can we hear echoes like bats, or see x-rays like Superman? Believe it or not, scientists think the answer is yes. Jorge talks to three experts involved in extending human senses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Science of Imagination
33 min
What's happening in your brain when you're being imaginative? And can it affect your mental health? Jorge talks to two neuroscientists to imagine the possibilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
ScienceStuff Classic: What is a Quantum Computer?
40 min
What is this mysterious technology, and how is it going to affect our lives? Jorge talks to a Quantum scientist and visits their lab to see and hear these machines in action. This episode originally aired March 17, 2025. We will be back with a new episode next week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does the Year Have 365 Days in It?
33 min
Happy New Year! To celebrate, we're digging into the science of the year: Why is it 365 days, is it changing, and will we always celebrate New Year's the same way? Plus, we recap our favorite episodes of the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is the North Pole Moving?
28 min
Santa better pack his bags because the North Pole is on the move. Jorge talks to planetary scientist Matt Siegler to find out what's causing this magnetic shift. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: Can a Dog Talk to a Cat?
10 min
Jorge catches up with science fiction author Mary Robinette Kowal to learn what her cat and dog have to say. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Communicate with Animals?
36 min
Can you chat with your cat? Or dialogue with your dog? Jorge talks to Christina Hunger and Federico Rossano about the global movement to teach pets to talk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Nobel Winning Trick Behind All Your Devices
29 min
It won the Nobel Prize in 2025, but what is it and what can you do with it? Jorge talks to one of the Nobel Prize winners to get the inside scoop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Love an Addiction?
36 min
Why are we so hooked on love? Jorge and neuroscientist Dwayne Godwin take a deep dive into the loving brain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is It Safe to Edit Your DNA?
32 min
Want to upgrade yourself and be taller, fitter or smarter? You could do it by editing your genes. But is it safe, or ethical? Jorge talks with two gene experts to get the answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to Build a Real Lightsaber
42 min
Wrrraaohhh! Is it possible to make a REAL lightsaber that can glow, cut, and feel solid? Jorge duels with four physicists (or is it physi-Siths?) to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Animals Have Consciousness?
32 min
Is your dog self-aware? Do bees have feelings? Can octopuses dream? Jorge dives into the minds of animals with two sentience experts to figure it out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can You Hibernate a Human?
33 min
Bears, squirrels and birds (oh my!) can do it, but can humans? Jorge explores how this technology could be a game changer for medicine and space travel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: What if we find aliens?
10 min
In this follow-up mini-episode, Jorge talks to an anthropologist about how humans would react if we ever discover alien life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where Are All the Aliens?
33 min
Is there life out there in the cosmos? Jorge talks to scientists about whether we are truly alone in the Universe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Smart is an Octopus?
30 min
They are clever and flexible thinkers, but what's the limit of their intelligence? Jorge wraps his arms around this mystery with three cephalopod experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Upload Our Brains to a Computer?
36 min
Would you be the same person inside a chip? Jorge gets his head in the cloud with two scientists and a philosopher to discuss this possibility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does the Week Have 7 Days?
31 min
And why does the day have 24 hours? Jorge explores the science behind the time units we use in our everyday lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Animals Appreciate Music?
34 min
What's an animal's favorite song? And can music make them feel better? Jorge talks to three experts who play music to animals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did Dinosaurs Really Have Feathers?
34 min
When exactly did feathers evolve? And for what purpose? Jorge digs in with two dinosaur paleontologists to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Happiness, Part 2: Does Money Make You Happy?
30 min
What other factors affect your happiness? And does more money mean more problems? Jorge continues his quest to find a formula for happiness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Happiness, Part 1: What Really Makes Us Happy?
30 min
Some say the pursuit of it defines our existence. But is there science behind it? Jorge talks to some happy experts about what really makes you happy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can You Stop a Hurricane?
36 min
They're huge, they're deadly, but are they unstoppable? Three experts take us inside a hurricane and reveal whether we could ever stop one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does the Universe Have a Speed Limit? (feat. Sean Carroll)
30 min
Can we go faster than light? Jorge goes into overdrive with two physicists to see if we can ever catch up to the fastest thing in the Universe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated?
30 min
Eggcellent question! Jorge goes beyond the shell to find out why there's no consensus on whether to keep eggs cool or not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Predict Earthquakes?
29 min
Can animals, A.I. or signals in the sky tell us when the ground is going to tremble? Jorge shakes things up at an earthquake research center and experiences an earthquake in the process. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Have Five Fingers?
28 min
Is five a magic number? Why don't we have 3 fingers, or 7? Jorge gets the digits on this mystery with two evolution experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is a Space Elevator?
29 min
Going up! Can an elevator take you all the way to space (and beyond)? Jorge talks to two scientists trying to make this happen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do Frogs Taste Like Chicken?
31 min
It's an old joke that lots of meats taste like chicken. But why is that? Jorge takes a bite out of this meaty topic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is There Anything Harder Than Diamonds?
29 min
What makes diamonds so hard? And could anything beat it? (The answer is yes.) Jorge gets the hard answers from physicist Jodie Bradby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Terraform Mars?
34 min
Is it humanity's destiny to colonize Mars? Jorge talks to Martian experts to learn whether we can ever move to our sister planet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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