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Are We Doomed?

NPR Network
Artificial Intelligence
Nuclear War
Nuclear Weapons
Internet
Climate Change
Geoengineering
Vaccines
Gene Drives
Roman Empire
Louisville, United States
Lexington, United States
New York, United States
Miami, United States
Invasive Insects
Scams
Aging
United States
Supervolcano
Deepfakes
AI Risks

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes27Founded6 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Are We Doomed?

Latest Episodes

The universe should be crawling with life. With hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy and hundreds of billions of galaxies, at least someone must have gotten a few billion years’ head start on us. So where is everybody?

This is the Fermi Parad... more

Why are babies born young? How come a squirrel lives longer than a rat, but not as long as a naked mole rat (or Ben’s cousin’s tortoise)? Scientific breakthroughs over the past few decades suggest the ultimate doom awaiting us all — aging, and eventu... more

You’re a critter in the forest, peacefully munching on a tree — until it’s chopped down, turned into a pallet, and you’re shipped across the ocean. What do you do? Sometimes, the answer is escape, find defenseless trees in your new home, and eat them... more

“Uh oh,” said several Manhattan Project scientists after they helped build a bomb and then it got used. They jumped to stop it from ever being used again. Solution: a newsletter. Through a somewhat convoluted chain of events that spawned the most fam... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Susan Dominus
Reporter, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
Episode: Can Science Defeat Aging?
Andrew Liebhold
Entomologist who studies biological invasions
US Forest Service (Forestry) / multi-institutional collaboration
Episode: Bug Fight Club
Chris Looney
Entomologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Episode: Bug Fight Club
Alex Bell
Head of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Episode: Who Keeps Winding the Doomsday Clock?
Joseph Cox
Investigative reporter and co-founder of 404 Media
404 Media
Episode: Can "Scams" Be a Doom?
Jim Green
Former NASA Chief Scientist
NASA
Episode: Just a Minor Sun Explosion
Elizabeth Butler
Astrophysicist, Space Weather Prediction Center
NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center
Episode: Just a Minor Sun Explosion
Maria Hollenhorst
Voice of the game master
Episode: Just a Minor Sun Explosion
Carl Zimmer
Science writer and New York Times columnist
The New York Times /Science writer
Episode: The Everything Vaccine

Host

Ben Bradford
Host of Are We Doomed?

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 641 ratings
  • J’dis

    👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Yeeoui
    Canada5 days ago
  • Surprisingly Educational

    This show is fantastic. The team is great about explaining many very scientific issues.

    Also, hilarious.

    “Someone runs a stop sign? ‘We’re going the way of the Romans’”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jake, not Jacob
    United States9 days ago
  • Are we doomed

    🧐🥸😛😗😋🤪😎🥉best show ever

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Gravy man 2
    United Kingdom10 days ago
  • Funnier than it needs to be

    I still laugh about jokes from old episodes. Educational and occasionally makes me snort laugh

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    josiedeo
    United States11 days ago
  • You’ll want to listen

    I love this podcast

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    It's_all_me
    United States15 days ago

Listeners Say

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

High production values and credible expert guests.
Thoughtful, well researched and engaging.
Listeners appreciate practical takeaways and grounded discussion.
Accessible yet rigorous explorations of complex risks.
Some episodes are dense and long, requiring focused attention.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#35
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#38
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#154
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#155
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#65
United Arab Emirates/Science
Apple Podcasts
#85
China/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Everything Vaccine
Q: Are we ever going to solve disease with one universal vaccine?
The guests and host agree that it's unlikely to ever fully eradicate disease with a single universal vaccine due to biology and evolution, but there is potential for broad, cross-protective immunity that could dramatically reduce impact and change how we respond to future pandemics.
Now I'm Scared of Cyborgs
Q: What do these companies want from brain implants beyond medical restoration?
Experts suggest they are pursuing enhancement and AI integration, aiming to merge human capability with machine processing, not just restore lost function; regulatory and ethical questions loom as this shifts from therapy to augmentation.
Our Vision of the Post-Apocalypse Is Wrong
Q: Can you tell me about fortress prepping and the violence math you mention?
Chris explains fortress-style survival is flawed because violence is unpredictable and histories of past collapses show collaboration and community resilience are far more effective than isolated, violent defense.
Is Geoengineering A Good Idea?
Q: What are the biggest governance challenges?
There is no comprehensive international framework yet; risk of a power vacuum where no single body can enforce rules, leading to potential unilateral actions by nations or private actors without consensus.
Are We Going the Way of the Roman Empire?
Q: What did you find makes political collapse occur?
Monty Marshall found that polarization grows into factionalism, political instability, and ultimately either autocratization or the collapse of central authority, with two typical pathways through history.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Age Range
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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?

This show blends science, history, and policy to unpack existential risks and big questions about civilization, technology, and the future. Across episodes it often centers on plausible, science-grounded threats—nuclear war, space and planetary defense, climate intervention, AI, and systemic vulnerabilities—while foregrounding human decision-making, governance, and resilience. A distinctive thread is using narrative storytelling, expert interviews, and compelling demos to separate credible risks from hype, offering practical takeaways for listeners who want to think clearly about doomsday scenarios without being overwhelmed. The format tends to bring in diverse viewpoints—from scientists and policymakers to historians and writers—creating a... more

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

1. Unexplainable
2. Freakonomics Radio
3. Throughline
4. Radiolab
5. The Daily

How many episodes of Are We Doomed? are there?

Are We Doomed? launched 6 months ago and published 27 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. Susan Dominus
2. Andrew Liebhold
3. Chris Looney
4. Alex Bell
5. Joseph Cox
6. Jim Green
7. Elizabeth Butler
8. Maria Hollenhorst

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