Today’s episode is a mind-bending, hilarious, slightly-terrifying, and unexpectedly heart-warming conversation with Dr. Katie Mack — theoretical astrophysicist, Hawking Chair of Cosmology at the Perimeter Institute, science communicator, and author of The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).

Katie spends her days studying the universe’s biggest question: How does it all end?
In her book, she breaks down the five leading theories behind the ultimate cosmic finale — from vacuum decay to the big crunch — and trust us, none of them are pretty. Or slow. Or gentle.

But here’s the twist:
This episode is not an hour of doom.It’s an hour of perspective.

Katie uses the fate of the cosmos as a giant metaphor for the value of our fleeting human lives. Yes, the universe is going to end (on a very, VERY long timeline), but instead of panicking, Katie wants us to feel grounded in the meaning and urgency of the moment we’re in right now. Every second is rare, precious, and cosmically improbable — and that’s the point.

We also get into:

• What it’s like to make a career out of studying destruction

• How she protects her mental health while thinking about dark matter and cosmic annihilation

• How Black Holes work... spoiler: if you fall into one, they do stretch you out... and it really is called sphagettification.

• What dating looks like when you might be the smartest person in the room… and possibly the planet

• Why curiosity is her favorite antidote to fear

• And her secret hope for humanity before the universe calls it quits

This is truly one of the most fascinating conversations we’ve ever had.
Katie is brilliant, humble, funny, and wildly relatable — even as she casually explains the death of the cosmos.

So settle in, prepare to have your mind expanded, and enjoy this gorgeous reminder:
The universe won’t last forever… which is exactly why we should savor every moment we get.

Take a listen. You won’t regret it.