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A podcast about sharpening your curiosity through science, stories, and bold questions. With Astrophysicist Dr. Dakotah Tyler & STEM Educator Justin Shaifer.
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56 Episodes
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In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with neuroscientist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Melise Edwards to explore the biology of behavior and the limits of human control. They discuss how genetics and environment interact to shape conditions like autism and schizophrenia, the role of bias in medical diagnoses, and what evolutionary biology reveals about differences in aging and disease. The conversation also dives into behavioral plasticity, sex d...
In this collaboration episode of Curiosity Theory and From First Principles, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer join Lester Nare and Krishna Chaudry for a wide-ranging conversation about UFOs, science, and the future of knowledge. They explore the reality of UAP sightings, what counts as scientific evidence, and how physics places constraints on extraordinary claims. The discussion also dives into how misinformation spreads, why the modern content ecosystem often rewards being wrong, and th...
In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer react to their interview with Ryan Gosling about Project Hail Mary and unpack the science, storytelling, and bigger themes behind the film. They discuss what makes Rocky such an effective alien character, why collaboration sits at the heart of the story, how the movie handles space science, and why hopeful sci-fi can matter so much in the real world. Along the way, they also reflect on the interview itself and what stoo...
In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Ryan Gosling to talk about the highly anticipated sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Ryan shares what it was like bringing the story to life on screen, including acting alongside the alien character Rocky and exploring the film’s themes of curiosity, collaboration, and scientific discovery. The conversation...
In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Les Alfred, host of the podcast She’s So Lucky, to explore ambition, resilience, and the pursuit of self-actualization. Join our Patreon to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Les shares her journey from wellness content creator to entrepreneur and media voice focused on personal growth, financial autonomy, and creative evolution. The conversation dives into the psychology of ...
Q&A Episode
Welcome back to Curiosity Theory with Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate). Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory In this episode, we have a deep and personal conversation about how to navigate a world where AI can fake reality, viral headlines blur truth, and curiosity becomes your best defense. From eerily realistic AI party photos and pheromone studies to hidden oceans beneath Earth’s surface, extreme drilling limits, and an interstellar v...
Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer start with spirit animals — a praying mantis and a green sea turtle — and from there the conversation goes everywhere it wants to. Prehistoric giant insects, the DART asteroid deflection mission, Edwin Hubble's discovery that Andromeda was never just a gas cloud, the psychology of failure and rejection, simulation theory, what happens when you die, Thomas Edison's rumored spirit phone, and Carl Sagan's fire-breathing garage dragon. The thread running thro...
What if the story of life starts earlier than we thought? We break down LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, what it is, what it is not, and what new genetic clues suggest about life before LUCA. We also connect the origin of life to astrobiology, how scientists read exoplanet atmospheres using starlight, and why Earth’s changing atmosphere matters when searching for life beyond our planet. Then we jump into medieval history and the Black Death. New evidence suggests the plague’s spread ...
This week on Curiosity Theory, we’re back with Part 2 of our crossover with Science and the City. Dakotah, Justin, Ashley, and Kalpana jump into a rapid-fire science conversation covering everything from Moon and Mars travel risks to evolution hypotheticals, lab-grown meat, AI hype cycles, nerd culture, astrophotography, and even whether you’d choose immortality and live past the heat death of the universe. It’s loose, funny, and curiosity-driven. Four science communicators following the most...
Join our Patreon to support! https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore everything from primate behavior to exploding volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io. They discuss research suggesting same-sex behavior in primates may strengthen social bonds during stressful times, dive into evolution and extinction, debate ants versus humans as “apex” species, and unpack a testosterone experiment in lizards that shows how aggress...
On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Maynard Okereke (@HipHopMD) for a conversation that moves from the Amazon rainforest to the future of humanity. Maynard shares stories from wildlife expeditions in the Amazon, including giant insects, venomous animals, biodiversity research, and discovering new species. The discussion explores evolution, mimicry, toxic species, and how ecosystems maintain balance over long timescales. From there, the conve...
On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore a wide range of scientific questions shaping our future. They discuss new research on the inverse relationship between cancer and Alzheimer’s, how aging introduces diseases evolution never prepared us for, and what might happen if humans dramatically extend lifespan. The conversation then turns to artificial intelligence, emotion, decision-making, and the growing power of algorithms to shape society. The episode...
On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore CTE, ADHD, and how society explains behavior in athletes and high-performance environments. Dakotah shares his personal experience with concussions, being evaluated for CTE, and later being diagnosed with severe ADHD as an adult. Together, they discuss why CTE is often used as a catch-all explanation for extreme behavior, and why that framing can ignore deeper factors like identity loss, emotional development, a...
This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore why so many people feel like life was better in the past and whether nostalgia is telling us the truth. They discuss the psychology of memory, why certain years like 2016 get mythologized, and how our brains prioritize emotional comfort over accuracy. The conversation also looks at long-term human progress, wealth, systems, and whether society is actually improving even when it feels unstable. Throughout the episo...
In this special collaboration episode, Curiosity Theory joins From First Principles for a deep conversation about science, intelligence, and the future of technology. Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer are joined by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhury to discuss academic paths, physics beyond academia, thermodynamics and life, and what neuroscience reveals about memory, learning, and spatial awareness. The episode also explores artificial intelligence, world models, robotics, one-shot learnin...
This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore new findings from NASA clean rooms that reveal microbes capable of surviving extreme sterilization, raising important questions about planetary protection and the resilience of life. The conversation expands into food preservation, gut health, and why people often report feeling healthier in Europe compared to the U.S. They examine how capitalism and regulation shape food systems, health outcomes, and everyday cho...
In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer build a science fiction universe in real time. Justin shares a developing sci-fi concept called The Universe Game, where advanced beings simulate entire universes in search of an intelligent civilization worthy of becoming a peer. The conversation explores simulation theory, loneliness at cosmic scales, free will versus intervention, and how small decisions can ripple across billions of years. The episode also dives int...
This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore recent astronomy discoveries, rogue planets, and what strange cosmic objects can teach us about the universe. They break down gravitational microlensing, how free-floating planets are detected, and the physics of planet formation. The conversation then expands into dark matter, failed galaxies, and why scientific breakthroughs often come from anomalies rather than confirmations. In the second half, the discussion ...
On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Michael Berhane, CEO and Founder of POC in Tech, to talk about AI, automation, education, and the future of work. They explore why entry-level tech roles are disappearing, how AI and economics are reshaping hiring, and why venture capital funding for Black founders remains so low. The conversation also dives into education, debating whether essays still make sense in an AI world, the return of oral exams, ...
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