Advertise on podcast: Curiosity Theory

This episode is brought to you by The End of Oak Street, in theaters August 14th. In this special sponsored episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Justin Shaifer and Dr. Dakotah Tyler break down the real science behind The End of Oak Street, in theaters August 14th. The discussion moves from favorite dinosaurs and the basic premise of the film to the actual physics of what it would take to travel back in time, including the Kardashev scale, E=mc², and why you would need to convert roughly 50 Jupiters worth of mass into pure energy just to get started. From there they get into what prehistoric Earth actually looked like: a planet running hotter than today, with higher oxygen levels, no grass, and a North American interior that was completely underwater. The conversation also covers what you would eat if modern food didn't exist, why the cycad plants that dominated the era would not exactly be a meal, why prehistoric insects could grow to the size of your arm, why a giant frog the size of a beach ball was a real animal, and why none of that is actually what would kill you. The biggest threat to any time traveler isn't the T-Rex — it's the bacteria your immune system has never encountered. They close on the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago and what the world might have looked like if it had missed entirely. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and the premise of The End Of Oak Street  00:01:00 Favorite dinosaurs and what we actually know about them  00:03:02 North America used to be an ocean  00:04:37 The energy physics of time travel and the Kardashev scale  00:08:19 How long could you actually survive without modern technology  00:09:41 Prehistoric climate: how much hotter was it really  00:12:00 What water sources would even be safe to drink  00:15:22 What food was available and why most of it would starve you  00:21:23 Time travel mechanics in the film: wormholes and causality  00:28:31 Why prehistoric insects were gigantic and how oxygen made it possible  00:32:25 Beelzebufo: the giant frog that was very real  00:33:42 Humans vs. prehistoric predators — we were at the bottom  00:42:49 The bacteria and disease that would actually kill you first  00:46:26 Would prehistoric plants make good bio weapons?  00:49:00 Fire, survival skills, and your best chance of making it  00:55:17 What if the asteroid never hit 66 million years ago?  00:55:28 Birds are dinosaurs and why that matters  00:57:50 Final thoughts and why you should go see The End Of Oak Street Follow us  @curiositytheorypod  @dr.starkid  @mr.fascinate Sponsored by The End of Oak Street — in theaters August 14th. Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share Curiosity Theory with someone who's curious about the universe.

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Dr. Taylor Cummings, educational psychologist and founder of The Self-Love Doc, for a conversation about what Western science gets wrong about knowledge, healing, and the human experience. The discussion moves from her dissertation, titled The Miseducation of Taylor Cummings, and how colonial frameworks shaped what we call legitimate science, to what happens when you strip emotion, language, and African-centered ways of knowing out of the picture entirely. From there they get into embodiment and why most people have never been taught to understand their own bodies, how K-12 education kills curiosity before it ever gets started, and what self-love actually means when you look at it through the lens of educational psychology rather than a motivational caption. The conversation also dives into her personal story of misdiagnosis, going on and then coming off an SSRI, and finding her own path to healing through identity and consciousness. She breaks down why depression and mental illness might be better understood as systems problems rather than individual failures, what evolutionary mismatch tells us about modern life, how African-centered and Akan healing traditions offer frameworks Western psychology is only beginning to catch up to, and why carbon, stardust, and the cosmos have more to do with self-knowledge than most people realize. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and meeting Dr. Taylor Cummings  00:03:00 The Miseducation of Taylor Cummings: her dissertation explained  00:04:20 How Western science stripped emotion and African knowledge from the picture  00:13:25 Embodiment: why we don't know our own bodies  00:14:17 How K-12 kills curiosity and what education gets wrong  00:19:00 What self-love actually means from a psychology perspective  00:22:00 Her personal journey: injury, community college, and trusted mentors  00:26:05 What psychology gets wrong about grief and loss  00:31:30 Her SSRI story: misdiagnosis, medication, and finding her own path  00:34:06 African-centered healing traditions and the Akan  00:42:14 Why depression might be a systems problem not a personal one  00:47:49 Evolutionary mismatch: we were never meant to live like this  00:56:00 Carbon, stardust, and what the cosmos has to do with consciousness  01:12:51 Consciousness, energy, and collective connection  01:25:13 The Decolonize Your Mind resource guide  01:26:06 Where to find Dr. Taylor Follow us  @curiositytheorypod  @dr.starkid  @mr.fascinate Guests  Dr. Taylor Cummings | @theselflovedoc Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share Curiosity Theory with someone who's curious about the universe.

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Joshua Regis, co-founder and CEO of KritKarr, an AI-powered platform for auto repair, for a conversation about fixing one of the most broken industries in America, what the trades are actually worth, and who gets to write the future. The discussion moves from Josh's path out of traditional school and into automotive work, how he discovered that a car contains every trade skill in existence, and how the flat rate pay system exploits the mechanics who keep the industry running. From there they get into what KritKarr is building, how AI diagnostics and mobile mechanics can bring trust and transparency back to auto repair, and why skilled trades are a six-figure opportunity that almost nobody is talking about. The conversation also dives into whether robots will replace mechanics and why the human touch still matters, how automation is set to widen the wealth gap, the SpaceX IPO and what commercializing space actually means for regular people, whether we should be trying to colonize Mars before fixing things on Earth, and what Afrofuturism has to say about who controls the narrative of the future. It opens on the Tulsa Race Massacre and the question of what Black Wall Street could have become, and that thread runs underneath everything. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and meeting Joshua Regis  00:03:00 Black Wall Street, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and what could have been  00:07:28 Sci-fi, anime, and the Tony Stark effect  00:14:50 How Josh went from struggling in school to becoming a mechanic  00:15:44 Why a car contains every trade skill in existence  00:20:35 Flat rate vs hourly: how the auto industry underpays mechanics  00:27:42 What KritKarr is and how it works  00:29:55 Skilled trades as a six-figure career opportunity  00:35:00 Will robots replace mechanics? The human touch debate  00:41:56 Automation, the wealth gap, and universal basic income  00:50:56 The SpaceX IPO and what commercializing space actually means  00:57:08 Mars colonies: who benefits and at what cost?  01:00:18 Solar panels in space and the future of energy  01:07:50 Should we fix Earth before trying to leave it?  01:14:18 Afrofuturism, Black culture, and who controls the future's narrative  01:17:00 Where to find Josh and KritKarr Follow us  @curiositytheorypod  @dr.starkid  @mr.fascinate Guests  Joshua Regis Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Check out KritKarr  https://www.kritkarr.com/ If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share Curiosity Theory with someone who's curious about the universe.

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, astrophysicist, cosmologist, writer, and author of Disordered Cosmos and the new The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry and the Cosmic Dream Boogie, for one of the most wide-ranging conversations the pod has had yet. The discussion moves from how a blog post at Perimeter Institute became the seed of her first book, to what neutrinos actually are, why they are among the strangest particles in the Standard Model, and why they may have played a quiet but essential role in making life on Earth possible. From there they get into Population III stars, how the first heavy elements ever got made, and the surprisingly contested question of what separates a galaxy from a globular cluster. The conversation also dives into the philosophy of science and Dr. Prescod-Weinstein's concept of white empiricism, the idea that white supremacy and patriarchy shape what counts as legitimate knowledge and who gets treated as a credible scientist. She talks about what her new book offers readers who are skeptical that physics is for them, why the cosmos is a Black aesthetic, how hip hop and Big K.R.I.T. ended up in a physics book, and why access to a dark night sky is a social justice issue, not just an astronomy one. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and meeting Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein  00:02:30 How a blog post became Disordered Cosmos  00:04:50 Blue Sky, Threads, and whiteness in online spaces  00:09:00 Being one of few Black women at the frontier of physics  00:11:45 Science communication, community accountability, and the book-before-tenure risk  00:15:27 What are neutrinos? Three flavors and oscillation explained  00:25:00 Why neutrinos may be essential to life on Earth  00:30:00 Population III stars and the origin of every heavy element  00:35:00 What makes a galaxy? Globular clusters, dark matter, and contested definitions  00:44:55 Neanderthal DNA and an unexpected dental tangent  00:49:40 Philosophy of science and the concept of white empiricism  00:52:00 How white supremacy and patriarchy shape what counts as valid science  01:02:30 The Edge of Spacetime: what readers can expect  01:04:48 Poetry, hip hop, and the cosmos as a Black aesthetic  01:08:40 Objectivity, mythology, and storytelling in science  01:14:00 Dark sky access as a social justice issue  01:19:52 Who science is written for and to  01:23:14 On courage, haters, and Kat Williams  01:25:18 Where to find Dr. Chanda and her books Follow us  @curiositytheorypod  @dr.starkid  @mr.fascinate Guests  Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share Curiosity Theory with someone who's curious about the universe.

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Dr. Naia Butler-Craig, a newly minted aerospace engineer and NASA electric propulsion researcher, for a conversation about rocket science, how we actually move through space, and where humans are headed next. The discussion moves from her path through grad school and into NASA to how electric propulsion works and why it beats chemical rockets on efficiency, what it would really take to get people to the Moon and Mars, and what living and working at the agency is like from the inside. Along the way, she breaks down what is happening inside a Krypton Hall effect thruster and why plasma, not combustion, is the future of deep space travel. The conversation also dives into why astrology is not astronomy, how to think about trust and misinformation in science, the engineering and people behind the missions we take for granted, and the surprising ways space tech is advancing medicine on Earth through Avatar tissue chips. It closes on the sci-fi and the curious childhood that set her on this path in the first place. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and meeting Dr. Naia Butler-Craig  00:01:15 Her path into NASA and life inside the agency  00:11:43 Electric propulsion vs chemical rockets explained  00:17:23 Getting humans to the Moon and Mars  00:24:04 Why astrology is not astronomy  00:31:50 Trust, misinformation, and relying on science  00:37:00 Is NASA still competent? The engineering behind spaceflight  00:46:01 Avatar chips: how space tech advances medicine  00:58:50 How sci-fi and a curious childhood shaped her  01:03:34 Inside a Krypton Hall effect thruster  01:11:37 Where to find Naia and final thoughts Follow us  @curiositytheorypod  @dr.starkid  @mr.fascinate Guests  Dr. Naia Butler-Craig Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  / curiositytheory

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with KeShawn Ivory, a soon-to-be PhD astrophysicist who studies the large-scale structure of the universe, for a deep conversation about dark matter, cosmology, and the invisible stuff that holds the universe together. The discussion moves from what dark matter actually is to how the universe became clumpy and lumpy instead of smooth, why the first atoms appeared minutes after the Big Bang, and how primordial black holes (a mountain's worth of mass packed into the size of a proton) became one of the more compelling candidates for what dark matter might be. Along the way, they get into how scientists detect something they can't see, what counts as evidence, and how scientific consensus actually moves. The conversation also dives into the hunt for dark matter through detection experiments, the role of skepticism in good science, what it means to know something, and KeShawn's favorite idea of all: that dark matter works as a framework for any force that is deeply impactful but hard to see, from race and systemic disparities in sociology to genomic dark matter in biology and trauma in art. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and meeting KeShawn Ivory 00:02:30 The PhD as a credential and the path to science communication 00:08:55 What dark matter actually is 00:10:00 Why the universe is clumpy: large-scale structure 00:11:30 The early universe and the first atoms 00:20:30 The cosmic microwave background and the universe's baby picture 00:30:00 How we know dark matter is really there 00:33:30 Primordial black holes as a dark matter candidate 00:40:00 Dark stars and other exotic candidates 00:47:40 Healthy skepticism and how scientific consensus moves 00:53:00 Science, truth, and what it means to know something 00:59:00 The hunt for dark matter: WIMPs, axions, and detectors 01:08:00 How theory predicts the particles we look for 01:17:50 Astrosociology: dark matter as a lens on race and systemic forces 01:24:10 Dark matter as a storytelling tool in biology and art 01:26:18 Where to find Kishan and Black Space Week Follow us @curiositytheorypod @dr.starkid @mr.fascinate Guests Kishan Ivory (Dark Mattering) Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon / curiositytheory If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share Curiosity Theory with someone who's curious about the universe.

Dakotah and Justin revisit the original idea behind Curiosity Theory: curiosity as a North Star. That quickly turns into an argument over whether wanting to know what is in someone’s fridge counts as curiosity or just being nosy. The conversation eventually gets more serious. They talk about the courage required to question beliefs, why scientific progress often threatens ideas people consider sacred, and the difference between an old belief being useful and actually understanding why it works. Then they get into aging, genetic engineering, designer babies, and immortality. If we eventually learn how to extend human life dramatically, who gets access first? And would society become better, or would the most powerful people simply hold power for even longer? Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

In this collaboration episode of Curiosity Theory and Grits & Eggs Podcast, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Deante Kyle and Big Ice Kup Kat for an unfiltered conversation about AI, capitalism, social media, internet culture, and the future of humanity. They discuss the rise of artificial intelligence, billionaires and wealth inequality, the psychology of social media addiction, and whether modern technology is actually improving human life. The conversation also dives into online culture, work, relationships, movies, internet misinformation, and the increasingly strange direction society seems to be heading. This episode is more explicit and unfiltered than a typical Curiosity Theory episode, but we wanted the conversation to remain authentic and uncensored. Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Toby from Epic Spaceman, the YouTube creator known for using cinematic animations to make the scale of the universe easier to understand. They talk about cosmic scale, visual storytelling, interstellar travel, whether future humans would still be human, what telescopes actually see when we look at stars, Betelgeuse going supernova, why UFOs are probably not alien spacecraft, and where microbial life might exist in our own solar system. Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer talk through media literacy, scientific literacy, and why people can watch the same piece of content and walk away with completely different interpretations. They discuss misunderstood clips, fluoride and the naturalistic fallacy, AI water usage, statistics without context, confirmation bias, AI-generated media, satire, comment sections, and why curiosity has to include the ability to slow down and ask what is actually being said. Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Maynard Okereke, also known as Hip Hop MD, for a deep conversation about the future of humanity, evolution, and the idea of starting a new civilization from scratch. They explore how human behavior is shaped by evolution, whether traits like competition and greed can ever be removed, and what it would take to build a better society on a new planet. The discussion also dives into genetic engineering, space colonization, and the philosophical implications of immortality. Along the way, they tackle big questions about identity, meaning, and whether humanity could ever outgrow its own nature. Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with biologist Forrest Valkai, also known as the Renegade Science Teacher, to explore evolution, intelligence, and what it really means to be human. They discuss how evolution shapes life on Earth, from whales evolving from land mammals to humans’ place within the broader tree of life. The conversation challenges the idea that humans are uniquely special, exploring intelligence, communication, and behavior across species. They also dive into science communication, misinformation, and how we actually measure learning in the modern content landscape, along with deeper questions about culture, biology, and meaning. Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

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 differences in the brain, and whether free will actually exists, raising deeper questions about how much control we really have over who we become. Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

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 the role science communicators play in bridging the gap between research and the public. The episode expands into emerging technologies like AI, genetic engineering, and the accelerating pace of discovery, raising deeper questions about how society keeps up with scientific progress. Visit our Merch Store https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.

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 stood out most from Gosling’s perspective on the film. Visit our Merch Store  https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merch Join our Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory Follow the show @curiositytheorypod Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer Stay curious.