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Are We Doomed?

NPR Network
Nuclear War
Artificial Intelligence
Gene Drives
Internet
Supervolcano
AI Risks
Global Civilization
Yellowstone National Park
Tambora
Malaria
Population Bomb
Robot Future
Mosquito
Fallout Shelter
Nuclear Winter
Food Security
NATO
Iran
United States
Global Catastrophic Risk

Is the world ending, or does it just feel like it? "Are We Doomed?" investigates the greatest risks facing society, the planet, and our species. What’s real? What’s hype? And how do we actually make it out alive? Nukes. Asteroids. Autocracy. Rogue AI. Climate-driven pandemics. Angry hippopotamuses. Teeth clenched, curiosity engaged, quips ready, this “slightly narrative” podcast explores everythin... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes8Founded2 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Are We Doomed?

Latest Episodes

The internet is how you get your news, your paycheck, your groceries, your banking, and    sometimes your drinking water. Humanity has quietly handed over the keys to civilization to a network most of us don't understand and couldn't rebuild. So what... more

People have been predicting the end of the world forever. They’ve always been wrong. Maybe we’re wrong today, too.

So, we’re looking back at three past dooms predicted in the 20th century, none of which arrived as advertised. Why not? What can we l... more

The air raid sirens scream (actually, they don’t work anymore). An emergency alert goes out, because … nuclear missiles are in-bound.

It’s happening! How do we survive (non-Hollywood edition)? From diving into crumbling fallout shelters to emerging... more

Mosquitoes are little jerks. They suck your blood to make more mosquitoes, spread deadly diseases like malaria and dengue, and have killed more humans than any other creature in the history of Earth. But now, we can fight back.

Gene-editing technol... more

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Recent Guests

Bruce Schneier
Cryptographer, author of Click Here to Kill Everybody; Harvard lecturer
Harvard University / Author
Episode: We Try and Kill the Internet
Doug Madory
Network defense expert, internet outages specialist
Unknown (network security researcher)
Episode: We Try and Kill the Internet
Matt Novak
Author and Paleofuture founder, tech historian
Paleofuture (Smithsonian / Gizmodo contributor)
Episode: Past Dooms That Didn't Arrive
Alex Wellerstein
Nuclear weapons historian, author
Historical research and education on nuclear weapons
Episode: How To Survive a Nuclear War
Kevin Esvelt
Biologist at MIT Media Lab
MIT Media Lab
Episode: How Do You Kill a Mosquito?
Michael Poland
Geophysicist, scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
United States Geological Survey
Episode: Supervolcano!
Shonika Da Silva
Volcanologist at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Episode: Supervolcano!
Katja Grace
Researcher at AI Impacts, cited on AI risk
AI Impacts
Episode: Let’s Design the AI That Kills Us All
Hamza Chaudhry
National security expert
Future of Life Institute
Episode: Let’s Design the AI That Kills Us All

Host

Ben Bradford
Host and journalist guiding the episode with a focus on risk analysis and storytelling.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 222 ratings
  • Mosquitoes, volcanoes and nuclear war…oh my!

    It’s not as scary as the title might imply. Well researched, thought provoking and a little bit fun. The mosquito episode is my favorite so far.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kass B.
    United States2 days ago
  • Fine

    This podcast is fine even interesting but they just skip to the point but then you have to wait the whole podcast that is way to long for Ben to explain the answer.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Shadow23022
    United States3 days ago
  • Explains how different events would/could happen.

    Holds my attention with clear research.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PB2431
    United States3 days ago
  • Great Podcast

    Engaging, well produced and like the narrator

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Morty 1992
    Ireland4 days ago
  • 10/10 recommend

    For a doom podcast very wide ranging in scope and well researched. Ben Bradford is a great story teller and his pivots from prior government/history podcasts to something like this shows his versatility. Keep them coming!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    sportinglifeMD
    United States4 days ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the thoughtful balance of realism and optimism.
The host's storytelling and expert guests make complex risks approachable and gripping.
High production quality and insightful, sometimes unsettling, but hopeful coverage.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#16
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#26
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#116
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#16
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#225
Germany/Science
Apple Podcasts
#238
Italy/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Past Dooms That Didn't Arrive
Q: Why have predictions historically been wrong about the future of technology and society?
Because forecasters often fixate on a single technological or social trend, ignore how other changes might offset it, and tie forecasts to current anxieties rather than exploring a broader set of possible futures.
How To Survive a Nuclear War
Q: What happens to people after a nuclear blast if they don't die immediately?
Most would survive the blast and initial chaos but face a long, dangerous road of radiation exposure, sheltering, and later famine, making the long-term hazards the real challenge.
How Do You Kill a Mosquito?
Q: So, how do you kill a mosquito?
The discussion explains building a gene drive in which engineered mosquitoes would spread a trait that either sterilizes offspring or skews sex ratios, aiming to suppress or erase the disease-carrying population while trying to preserve ecological roles and minimize unintended consequences.
How To Start a Nuclear War
Q: What are the issues that worry you the most in regards to nuclear threats?
Seth Baume notes the big four threats now include AI alongside climate, pandemics, and nuclear weapons, and emphasizes that real-world data is scarce, so insights come from near-miss events and theoretical modeling rather than actual nuclear wars.
Let’s Design the AI That Kills Us All
Q: Is current AI progress moving toward a scenario where such an AI could exist?
Progress is rapid and potentially trajectory-altering, with many systems already capable of powerful tasks, but the full realization of a rogue, goal-driven, weaponized AI depends on keeping or losing control of the development path, to be mitigated by safety measures and oversight.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Are We Doomed?

What is Are We Doomed? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorous, tightly produced show that tackles civilization-scale risks with a steady mix of expert interviews, historical context, and scenario storytelling. Episodes explore nuclear war, AI existential risk, volcanic hazards, and other high-stakes topics, cutting through sensationalism with evidence-driven analysis, practical safety considerations, and real-world policy implications. Notable strengths include high-quality sound design, skilled interviewing, and a knack for translating complex science into accessible, safety-minded takeaways. The format often blends narrative elements with expert commentary to help listeners understand risks, probabilities, and actionable paths forward, making it appealing to curious, policy-minded audienc... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Are We Doomed??

These podcasts share a similar audience with Are We Doomed?:

1. Landslide
2. Dreaming Against the Machine
3. Stuff You Should Know
4. Unexplainable
5. The Art of Adventure

How many episodes of Are We Doomed? are there?

Are We Doomed? launched 2 months ago and published 8 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Are We Doomed??

Recent guests on Are We Doomed? include:

1. Bruce Schneier
2. Doug Madory
3. Matt Novak
4. Alex Wellerstein
5. Kevin Esvelt
6. Michael Poland
7. Shonika Da Silva
8. Katja Grace

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