Curiosity Theory
By: Dr. Dakotah Tyler & Justin Shaifer
Language: en-us
Categories: Science, Astronomy, Society, Culture
A podcast about sharpening your curiosity through science, stories, and bold questions. With Astrophysicist Dr. Dakotah Tyler & STEM Educator Justin Shaifer.Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon or visiting our Merch Store:Curiosity Theory Merch Store: https://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merchJoin our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CuriosityTheory
Episodes
Strange Universe: A Planet With No Star and a Galaxy That Never Formed
Jan 09, 2026This 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 shifts to AI, humanoid robots, speculative bubbles, money as a shared belief system, geopolitics, and the rise of what...
Duration: 01:13:14The Future of Work Is Way More Uncomfortable Than People Admit w/ Michael Berhane
Jan 06, 2026On 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, and how schools may need...
Duration: 01:04:30The Biggest Exoplanet Discoveries In 2025
Jan 02, 2026This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer talk through some of the most interesting astronomy discoveries and open questions shaping space science today.
They explore asteroid collisions, planet formation inside protoplanetary disks, lava worlds, water worlds, exoplanet atmospheres, and why many once-promising planets are turning out to be less habitable than expected. The conversation also covers moons, tides, stellar evolution, white dwarfs, neutron stars, and what all of this means for the search for life beyond Earth.
It’s an unscripted, big-picture conversation about where as...
Duration: 01:06:57It's Ok to Start Before You Know Exactly What You're Doing
Dec 30, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer unpack what it really means to start something before you feel ready.
From building a podcast studio from scratch to sharing stories of first videos, rejection, and creative fear, this conversation explores why curiosity, boredom, and discomfort are essential to growth. We talk about identity collapse, reinvention, science as a curiosity engine, and how sitting with uncertainty can open entirely new paths forward.
This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about creativity, courage, and staying curious in a...
Duration: 01:15:54Questionable Content: Are Humans Built For The World We Created?
Dec 26, 2025This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer unpack the AI hype cycle, speculative bubbles, and why humans keep falling for the same narratives every generation.
They talk through Project Genesis, Big Tech and government partnerships, Isaac Newton’s financial mistakes, crypto and AI comparisons, and whether the current moment feels more like progress or another bubble waiting to burst. The conversation also explores AI fear narratives, environmental concerns, dopamine inflation, social media burnout, creativity, work, and how modern life may be drifting away from what humans actually ev...
Duration: 01:08:08You Can’t Afford to Lose Your Curiosity w/ Hank Green
Dec 23, 2025On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Hank Green for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about curiosity, consciousness, credibility, and what it means to be human.
We talk about why humans are wired to be curious, how confidence and visibility often replace expertise online, how our brains guide decisions without our awareness, and why losing curiosity can fuel anxiety and dissatisfaction. The conversation weaves through evolution, animal behavior, free will, intelligence, science communication, and the challenge of staying thoughtful in a noisy...
Duration: 01:17:06Questionable Content: An MIT Fusion Scientist Was Shot & Conspiracies Followed Immediately
Dec 19, 2025On this episode of Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) explore how science, violence, evolution, and culture intersect.
The conversation begins with the killing of an MIT fusion scientist and why scientific tragedies so often spark conspiracy theories. They discuss nuclear fusion, corporate incentives, and rational explanations before widening the lens to gun violence, school shootings, media incentives, and personal perspectives on self-defense and parenting.
The second half of the episode dives deep into evolutionary biology. From bower birds and sexual selection to...
Duration: 01:02:57Help... My Best Friend Is An LLM w/ Science and The City
Dec 16, 2025This week on Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer teamed up with Science in the City hosts Ashley Christine and Kalpana Pot for a wild conversation that jumps from sci fi to short form science, flat earthers, and the internet brain rot we are all swimming in. It is messy, funny, and unexpectedly thoughtful. Equal parts science, culture, and unfiltered curiosity.
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Questionable Content: Disney Sold Its Soul For Some SlopTok
Dec 12, 2025This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) break down Disney’s massive new partnership with OpenAI’s Sora and what it means for creators, the WGA, IP ownership, and the new wave of AI-driven media.
They discuss celebrity likeness exploitation, the decreasing leverage of creators in an AI-dominated landscape, and how authenticity might become the new currency of art.
Dakotah then explains the newest James Webb breakthrough: the first strong evidence of an atmosphere around a small rocky exoplanet, TOI-561 b. They explore the...
Duration: 00:46:00What If We Could Control Pain w/ Neuroscientist Lindsay Ejoh
Dec 09, 2025On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) sit down with neuroscientist Lindsay Ejoh (@neuromelody) for a deep exploration into pain, gene editing, viral vectors, and the brain’s decision making machinery.
They break down how pain neurons work, how viruses modify DNA, what CRISPR allows us to change inside living tissue, and how empathy and fear circuits guide human behavior. They also tackle chronic pain, probabilistic reasoning, risk-taking behavior, and the ethical implications of future neurological interventions.
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Duration: 01:30:20Quantum Texting & Hyper-Micro Generations
Dec 02, 2025Are we the problematic generation?
In this episode of Curiosity Theory, astrophysicist Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and STEM educator and media producer Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) unpack how fast culture is shifting, why kids see Justin as “unk,” how generational labels get created, and whether Justin’s TEDx talk helped cement the term “Gen Z.”
Topics include:
• How social media has created five-year “micro generations”
• Young people using AI as an operating system
• Whether an algorithm could make better decisions than human leaders
• Dolphin communication, Zipf’s Law, and overlooked animal intelligence
•...
You've Been Lied To About Social Media Detoxing
Nov 25, 2025This week on Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) break down a new research study showing that taking a break from social media does not reliably improve or worsen mental health.
They dig into why detox narratives are so popular, the placebo and expectation effects behind “feeling better,” and the actual psychological mechanisms affecting mood, anxiety, and attention online. They also unpack dopamine myths, algorithm design, comparison culture, and how to build a healthier digital relationship grounded in evidence, not trends.
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Duration: 01:02:05A Universe Filled with Life & Waves
Nov 18, 2025On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) take you on a tour from ancient Mars to spiral galaxies to the trends moving through your social feeds.
We start with new NASA results and the possibility of life on Mars, unpack what counts as a real biosignature, and dig into ideas like panspermia and endosymbiosis to explain how life might start and how complex cells evolved.
Then we zoom out and connect the dots:
... Duration: 00:54:15Rebuilding the Human Body w/ Suh the Scholar, Ph.D.
Nov 11, 2025This week on Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) sit down with Suh the Scholar (@suhthescholar) — a PhD stem-cell scientist — for a deep, funny, and inspiring conversation about the future of human biology.
They explore stem-cell breakthroughs, the ethics of replacing body parts, and whether open-sourcing scientific knowledge could accelerate discovery for everyone. They also dig into creativity in STEM, identity, and how curiosity connects science with culture.
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Don't Trust the Experts: The War on Science
Nov 04, 2025This week on Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) unpack the rise of anti-intellectualism and the cultural war on science. From misinformation to AI ethics, they explore why people are losing trust in experts and sci-fi stories like Foundation and Alien Earth.
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Duration: 00:59:34Immune to the Nonsense w/ Nick the Immunologist
Oct 28, 2025This week on Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Nick Jackson (@nick.immunologist), an immunologist and PhD candidate, to explore the incredible complexity of the immune system and what it reveals about life itself.
They talk about how immunity learns, adapts, and evolves; how viruses shape who we are; and what biology teaches us about chaos, order, and survival. It’s part science, part philosophy, and all curiosity.
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Hardcore, Raging Space Nerds
Oct 21, 2025NASA is planning to land a nuclear reactor on the Moon — but what does that mean for humanity’s future in space? Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer break down nuclear fusion, stellar explosions, the origins of gold, pulsar planets, black holes, and even the first possible moments when life could have existed in the cosmos.
They explore how civilizations might rise and fall over billions of years and what “galactic fossils” ancient beings could have left behind.
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Duration: 00:58:58
First Day Out
Oct 14, 2025In this episode, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer dig into a wide range of topics and break in the new studio that Justin built from the ground up for Curiosity Theory!
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Duration: 01:20:25Let's Talk Life As We *Don't* Know It: Is Our Definition of Life Too Narrow?
Oct 07, 2025In this episode, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer take on the timeless question: what is life? They explore infinite systems, humans as part of larger structures, the debate over artificial life, and why adaptation may be the clearest marker of being alive. This wide-ranging conversation blends science, philosophy, and curiosity to tackle one of the deepest questions of all time.
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Dead Universes & Wet Stardust
Sep 30, 2025Audience Q&A: Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer go deep on cosmic questions. They explore theories about whether the universe already died, cycles of cosmic birth and death, the future of life, astrobiology and evolution, the search for exoplanet biosignatures, and how AI and technology shape the way we learn. It’s a wide-ranging, curiosity-driven conversation about life, the universe, and everything in between.
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Duration: 01:10:48Finding the Signal in the Noise: Career Transitions and Life Alignment
Sep 23, 2025In this episode, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer unpack the tricky process of career transitions. They talk about how to recognize misalignment, the importance of transferable skills, the power dynamics that hold people back, and how to find the courage to make a change. This conversation is part strategy, part therapy session, and full of practical insight for anyone thinking about their next move.
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Alien Comets & the Hunt for Earthlike Atmospheres
Sep 16, 2025This episode of Curiosity Theory with Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) first covers the science of finding life: alien communication strategies, the idea of a galactic Goldilocks zone where intelligent life may arise, biosignature searches in small exoplanet atmospheres, and what scientists are learning from the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas currently in our solar system.
Then we switch gears to talk about Meta and the ethics of AI after their disturbing internal ethics document leaked.
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Duration: 01:18:04Finding the Curiosity to Endure
Sep 09, 2025This week on Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer open up about pressure, family, and resilience. Dakotah talks about his own mental health journey and how curiosity became a lifeline From personal stories to practical tools, to a mind-bending thought experiment about being a smaller species, this episode blends lived experience with curiosity and imagination.
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Techno-Feudalism, Awkward Oligarchs, and... Talking Dolphins?
Sep 02, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer ask what happens when AI meets Dr. Doolittle. Could we actually talk to dolphins and other animals with machine learning? From animal communication to OpenAI’s for-profit turn, billion-dollar projects like Stargate, and the strange power games of modern oligarchs, we explore how technology, money, and ambition collide in shaping the future.
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Strange Exoplanets, Believable Sci-Fi, and Humanity 10,000 Years in the Future
Aug 26, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer take on your questions. From exoplanets to the far future of humanity, to which sci-fi ideas are actually realistic, this conversation bounces across science, imagination, and curiosity at its best.
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Fascinating Frontiers (with minor setbacks): Justin's Sci-Fi Anthology
Aug 19, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate) put Justin’s original sci-fi ideas under the microscope. They walk through first contact, gaseous life, hive minds, solar system sized parties, atmosphere engineering, uploaded ancestors, and the economics of a cloud afterlife.
From physics to biology to society, we ask: what works, what doesn’t, and what could maybe happen one day?
🎙 Hosted by
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate)
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CuriosityTheory
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: <...
Duration: 01:00:11Being 'Tough' Isn't Enough: A Men's Mental Health Toolkit
Aug 12, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer talk openly about the challenges men face when it comes to mental health.
A lot of conversations about men’s mental health swing between two extremes. One says toughness is all you need. The other says toughness is the problem. The truth is more complex than that, because men are more complex than that. In this episode we explore building a real toolkit: discipline, vulnerability, purpose, movement, philosophy, and community, to meet life’s challenges with the right tool at the right time.
Paper...
Duration: 01:00:03Flipping the Script on "Toxic" Traits w/ Maynard
Aug 08, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Maynard Okereke (aka @hiphopmd) to talk about what it means to lead with curiosity in a world full of noise and how to leverage ambition and drive without burning out.
From fighting misinformation to raising curious kids, this episode explores how science, skepticism, and storytelling come together.
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate)
Subscribe to our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/curiositytheory
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Astrology & Astronomy Were Married - Then Astronomy Filed For That D-I-V-O-R-C-E
Aug 05, 2025Why does astrology still hold so much power in the age of science?
In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid) and Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate) break down the surprising psychological and cultural forces behind astrology’s popularity. They unpack how it differs from astronomy, how belief systems spread through algorithms, and what science communicators can do to meet people where they are without compromising truth.
Also featuring a conversation about Justin & Dakotah's zodiac signs
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🔗 Referenced video: https://www.t...
Never Giving up Can Change Your Life: The Bounce Back Blueprint
Jul 29, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer open up about what happens when your curiosity fades — and how to get it back.
They reflect on burnout, rediscovery, and why staying curious is more than a mindset. It’s a survival strategy. From childhood documentaries to academic setbacks, this episode is packed with real talk, personal stories, and unexpected laughs.
If you’ve ever felt lost, uninspired, or stuck in the algorithm, this one's for you.
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate)
📺 Watc...
Duration: 00:58:30Exoplanets, Alien Life & Cosmic Odds
Jul 22, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer go deep into the science (and speculation) of alien life.
They break down how we search for exoplanets, what biosignatures NASA is actually looking for, and why life doesn’t need to look anything like what we expect.
From Venus to Alpha Centauri to unknown surprises, this episode is for anyone who’s ever looked up and wondered: are we the only ones out here?
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate)
📺 Watch full episode...
Duration: 00:52:00People Trust TikTok over PhDs: The Misinformation Nation
Jul 15, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer break down the science of thinking clearly — especially in an online world full of misinformation, pseudoscience, and expert denialism.
They talk about how to spot bad logic, why expertise is under attack, and how to stay grounded when even basic truths are constantly questioned.
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate)
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Is Understanding AI the New Literacy?
Jul 08, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer break down the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
From the tension between hype and reality to expert disagreements and a little solar physics just because, this is an honest, nuanced, and human conversation about a technology shaping everything.
*In this episode Dakotah said there were 1 million automobile accident deaths in the US annually, but that is a global figure, not just the US*
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@Dr.Starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@Mr.Fascinate)
📱 Follow the show: @c...
Duration: 01:22:52The Smartest People in the Room Might Be Telling Jokes w/ Manny
Jul 01, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with comedian Manny (@delamomanny) to talk about identity, creativity, and how much (or how little) people really change over time.
They dig into ambition, self-esteem, neurodivergence, streaming culture, and the challenge of balancing hustle with staying grounded.
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@dr.starkid)
Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate)
👤 Guest: Manny (@delamomanny)
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What Will Humans Become? Emergence & the Next 1000 Years w/ Ashley Christine
Jun 24, 2025In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer are joined by Ashley Christine — better known online as @modernday_eratosthenes — to unpack the challenge of staying true in a world made for noise.
We discuss vulnerability in writing, the tension between internet freedom and regulation, voter confusion, and the art of grabbing attention with meaning.
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@starkidphd)
Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate)
👤 Guest: Ashley Christine (@modernday_eratosthenes)
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🎧 Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you get audio.
Curious Enough to Never Fail!? Comedy, Confidence & Big Questions w/ Comedian Jazmyn W
Jun 17, 2025n this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@starkidphd) and Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate) are joined by comedian and content creator Jazmyn W (@jazmynw) to explore how comedy, creativity, and chaos intersect in the digital age.
We talk about pre-show rituals, growing an audience online, navigating perception, and how to stay authentic when you're constantly being watched.
It’s funny, thoughtful, and real — and it pulls back the curtain on the pressures and possibilities of life in the spotlight.
🎙 Hosted by:
Dr. Dakotah Tyler (@starkidphd)
Justin Shaifer (@mr.fascinate)
👤 Guest...
Duration: 00:54:29Curiosity As A North Star
Jun 10, 2025Welcome to the very first episode of Curiosity Theory — where we explore the questions that drive us and the stories that shape us.
In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler (astrophysicist & former D1 football player) and Justin Shaifer (science communicator & media producer) kick things off with a raw and real conversation about how curiosity has changed their lives.
We talk about:
The spark that led us to science
Turning pain into purpose
Overcoming fear and self-doubt
Why curiosity is essential for growth — in life and in society
If you’ve...
Trailer - Welcome to Curiosity Theory
Jun 08, 2025Curiosity Theory is built on the belief that curiosity isn’t just a personality trait. It’s a vital human force. In ancient times, it helped us survive. Today, it helps us stay engaged, connected, and sane in a world that often numbs us out.
We see curiosity as a muscle. When we train it—through science, ideas, stories, and questions—we grow. When we ignore it, we drift into apathy and disconnection.
This podcast is for the intellectually hungry, the dreamers, the critical thinkers, and the culturally curious.
Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and...
Duration: 00:00:18