What The If?

It's Opposite Apollo Day! In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the first landing on the Moon, our special guest today is Nancy Atkinson from Universe Today! Her amazing new book is "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Mission." We ask: What The IF we lived on the Moon and had to send the first mission to EARTH?

This lunacy gives rise, as with all our IFs, to an amazing about of information about the REAL Apollo mission, and the science, engineering and chutzpah it took to do it. The only thing that could have been harder would have been if we... lived on the Moon and had to send a Moon-person to the Earth and, as Moon-Kennedy proclaimed, "return them safely to the... MOON!"

If you wanna visit the Earth, if you want to get off it again, how you gonna do it? OMG, you gotta bring your own Saturn V with you, so good luck with that. Landing on the Earth is hard!

It's one of our most crunchy and delicious meals of Sci and Fi yet. Check it out.

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NANCY ATKINSON is a science journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She has been with Universe Today since 2004, and also writes for Ad Astra.

Her new book on the Apollo program is titled “EIGHT YEARS TO THE MOON: The History of the Apollo Missions” and shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who helped make the Apollo program so successful. The book comes out just in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the first to land on the Moon. You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/162414490X/

Her first book “INCREDIBLE STORIES FROM SPACE: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond. Caltech astronomer Mike Brown called the book “delightful” and Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of the New Horizons said “Incredible Stories From Space was a “great read.” See more reviews and purchase the book at Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. “Incredible Stories From Space” was published by Page Street Publishing, a subsidiary of Macmillan.

Nancy was the host of the NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast from 2009-2014 (now SSERVI), was part of the production team for Astronomy Cast from 2008-2015, and worked with the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast where she was project manager from 2009-2011. She also has articles published on Wired.com, Space.com, NASA’s Astrobiology Magazine, Space Times Magazine, and several newspapers in the Midwest.

In 2010, Nancy was awarded the New Horizons Traveling Fellowship by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs.

Website: https://www.nancyatkinson.com

Twitter: @Nancy_A

Instagram: @nancyatkinson_ut

Facebook: nancy.atkinson4

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Please REVIEW our show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

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EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is on sale now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/60811…81524745417

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

Our TWIS Special, Part TWO!

TWIS the IF? What The TWIS? You put your science in my what! It's a special, double stuffed, super combo show. Dr. Kiki invited us to bring the IF to her long-running public radio show and podcast, This Week In Science.

In Part 1 we got some science up in the NEWS! Dr. Kiki, Justin & Blair invite Philip & Matt to join the insightful, hilarious and very, very bizarre news stories that fly around the roundtable this week.

Now In Part 2: Join us as we take the NEWS to the IF! There was a really, really weird news story this week about a scientist in China injecting HUMAN cells into a PRIMATE embryo. Happy Birthday! Or is it??? What the IF this procedure becomes commonplace? What miracles could it bring? What horrors? What horrific miracles??? Question marks run amok!

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This Week in Science (TWIS) is a weekly, hour-long web and radio show presenting an humorous, often opinionated, and irreverent look at the week in science and technology. In each episode, TWIS discusses the latest in cutting-edge science news on topics such as genetic engineering, stem cells, cybernetics, epigenetics, space exploration, neuroscience, microbiology, the end of the world, and a show favorite – Countdown to World Robot Domination.

With Dr. Kiki (Kirsten Sanford, PhD), Justin Jackson & Blair Bazdarich

Connect with TWIS!

http://TWIS.org

http://twitter.com/@TWIScience

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Please REVIEW our show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: pod.link/1250517051

EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is on sale now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/60811…81524745417

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

Our TWIS Special, Part ONE!

TWIS the IF? What The TWIS? You put your science in my what! It's a special, double stuffed, super combo show. Dr. Kiki invited us to bring the IF to her long-running public radio show and podcast, This Week In Science.

Here in Part 1 we get some science up in the NEWS! Dr. Kiki, Justin & Blair invite Philip & Matt to join the insightful, hilarious and very, very bizarre news stories that fly around the roundtable this week.

In Part 2 join us as we take the NEWS to the IF! There was a really, really weird news story this week about a scientist in China injecting HUMAN cells into a PRIMATE embryo. Happy Birthday! Or is it??? What the IF this procedure becomes commonplace? What miracles could it bring? What horrors? What horrific miracles??? Question marks run amok!

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This Week in Science (TWIS) is a weekly, hour-long web and radio show presenting an humorous, often opinionated, and irreverent look at the week in science and technology. In each episode, TWIS discusses the latest in cutting-edge science news on topics such as genetic engineering, stem cells, cybernetics, epigenetics, space exploration, neuroscience, microbiology, the end of the world, and a show favorite – Countdown to World Robot Domination.

With Dr. Kiki (Kirsten Sanford, PhD), Justin Jackson & Blair Bazdarich

Connect with TWIS!

http://TWIS.org

http://twitter.com/@TWIScience

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Please REVIEW our show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: pod.link/1250517051

EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is on sale now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/60811…81524745417

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

DR. ROBIN GEORGE ANDREWS, science writer for The NY Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, and many more, joins us with an IF that'll keep you on your feet: What The IF we could walk on Jupiter's ultra volcanic moon, IO? Would you walk on a hot pizza? If so, you're ready for the trip! The views of Jupiter would be spectacular, but bring your kevlar umbrella because lava's gonna come flyin' out of the sky. One of the most spectacular places in the solar system, Io is also terribly mysterious, bizarre, and confusing to even the greatest scientists of our time. Pack your bags, bring some galoshes, and let's go!

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Robin Andrews is a doctor of experimental volcanology, a full-time freelance science journalist, a part-time photographer, a scientific consultant, an occasional lecturer, public speaker and explain-how-volcanoes-work TV guest, as well as a pending author of a rather curious book. He can tell you exactly how powerful the Death Star is, how cryovolcanoes on alien worlds work, why a supervolcano probably isn’t what you think it is, and why the Moon is shrinking. His work has appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE ATLANTIC, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, EARTHER, GIZMODO, FORBES, THE VERGE, ATLAS OBSCURA, DISCOVER MAGAZINE, WIRED and elsewhere.

VISIT his website: https://robingeorgeandrews.com

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REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051

EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is on sale now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

Best selling author ALASTAIR REYNOLDS is our guest! He's Philip's favorite author on the planet and one of the world's most popular Science Fiction writers.

Al brings a whopper of an IF, loosely inspired by one of his newest stories, "Different Seas" which he wrote for the new prophetic anthology, "TWELVE TOMORROWS" from MIT Press.

WTiF Elon Musk sent a bunch of dummy bots to the red planet into whose bodies we could transport ourselves, via telepresence, and explore from the comfort of our own home? It's just like being there!

But WTiF there's other bots being run around the planet, too, by people who's minds may be filled with the itch to cause mischief... or murder??? Watch your back, you n00b!

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ALASTAIR REYNOLDS is a science fiction writer based in Wales. A former space scientist, he turned from studying pulsars and binary stars to fiction. He's now the author of sixteen novels and more than seventy short stories. His work has been shortlisted for the Hugo, Arthur C Clarke and Sturgeon awards, and he's won the Seiun, Sidewise, European Science Fiction Society and Locus awards. His stories have been adapted for stage and television.

VISIT his website: alastairreynolds.com

Check out the TWELVE TOMORROWS anthology: mitpress.mit.edu/books/twelve-tomorrows

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EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is also in stores now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417

REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of APOLLO 11, we're featuring an encore of our episode with FRASER CAIN -- veteran space journalist and publisher of UNIVERSE TODAY!

Fraser asks: WTiF we NEVER STOPPED going to the MOON? Imagine! By now we would have already spent FIFTY YEARS traveling to, and building on The Moon. What incredible things would we have achieved by now? What does this alternative today look like? Where can we fly? What can we see? Let's IF all the way TO THE MOON, and beyond!

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today and the co-host of Astronomy Cast. He's been writing about space and astronomy since he founded Universe Today in 1999. He lives on Vancouver Island, Canada with his wife, children and dog.

Visit https://UniverseToday.com to read the latest space and astronomy news from Fraser and his team!

And check out their latest book, the Ultimate Guide to Viewing THE COSMOS, available at bookstores everywhere and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1624145442/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is also in stores now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417

REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

Pollution run AMOK! Imagine if no one -- no one at all -- tried to stop the poisoning of our land, water and air?

Our listener Daniel asks: What The IF the Environmental Protection Agency were never, ever, ever created? What would America look like, smell like, and taste like?

Our most pungent IF yet!

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EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is also in stores now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417

REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

The incredible Science Fiction author PAUL McAULEY joins us to celebrate episode 100!

With a preview of the science behind his upcoming novel, WAR OF THE MAPS, Paul asks: What The IF we could save the Earth from the inevitable death of the Sun?

It's gonna be a lotta work! First we've gotta MOVE the Earth outward when the Sun expands into a RED GIANT, then we need to HUDDLE UP close when the Sun shrinks into a WHITE DWARF.

Yep, Paul treats us to some EPIC ENGINEERING and ultra vivid SOLAR SCIENCE.

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PAUL McAULEY'S first novel won the Philip K. Dick Award, and he has gone on to win almost all of the major awards in the field. For many years a research biologist, he now writes full-time. McAuley's novel THE QUIET WAR made several "best of the year" lists, including SF Site's Reader's Choice Top 10 SF and Fantasy Books of 2009. His latest novel is AUSTRAL: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Austral-Paul-McAuley/dp/1473217318

And his latest short story is featured in Wade Roush's exciting anthology TWELVE TOMORROWS from MIT Press, which also features new stories from Elizabeth Bear, SL Huang, Clifford V. Johnson, J. M. Ledgard, Liu Cixin, Ken Liu, Paul McAuley, Nnedi Okorafor, Malka Older, Sarah Pinsker, Alastair Reynolds https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/twelve-tomorrows

EINSTEIN'S WAR by our very own MATT STANLEY is also in stores now! The Washington Post says "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence." A starred review recipient from KIRKUS, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, and BOOKLIST. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417

REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051

BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. In bookstores now.

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

Listener Bob from Virginia asks what it would be like if you found yourself INSIDE the BIG BANG?

Does time flow differently? Can you Netflix and BANG? Why is your best friend who's right next to you suddenly... TRILLIONS of miles awaaaaaayyyyy!!!

Put on your helmet and join us inside the freakish inflating spacetime bubble that began it ALL!

REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: https://pod.link/1250517051

BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. In bookstores now.

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt

Listener Jon from Sweden ascends to the rank of Super IFFer by submitting a winning IF! Jon asks, "What The IF... we knew EXACTLY how the BRAIN worked?"

Would we be stuck as mere observers of the working brain, or could we fiddle with it, improve it, HACK it? How would it feel if you were changing the code of your own brain?

Does the BRAIN have an ESC KEY? Let's hope so, because we're pluggin' yours in and messing with your MEATWARE. What the IF you dare!

REVIEW the show: itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1250517051?mt=2&ls=1

SUBSCRIBE for free: linktr.ee/whattheifshow

BUY, GIFT, READ Matt Stanley's engrossing new book! EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I. Choose your favorite store here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608113/einsteins-war-by-matthew-stanley/9781524745417/

Thanks & Keep On IFFin'!

-- Philip & Matt