Curiosity Theory

On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore a wide range of scientific questions shaping our future.
They discuss new research on the inverse relationship between cancer and Alzheimer’s, how aging introduces diseases evolution never prepared us for, and what might happen if humans dramatically extend lifespan. The conversation then turns to artificial intelligence, emotion, decision-making, and the growing power of algorithms to shape society.
The episode also covers how the brain changes in space, the ethics of designer babies and genetic selection, and whether emerging biotech could turn inequality into biology. They close by unpacking myths about giant sea creatures, how little of the deep ocean we’ve explored, and why much of the ocean is actually nutrient-poor and sparsely populated.
It’s a wide-ranging discussion about science, ethics, evolution, and unintended consequences.
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Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer
Stay curious.

On this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore CTE, ADHD, and how society explains behavior in athletes and high-performance environments.
Dakotah shares his personal experience with concussions, being evaluated for CTE, and later being diagnosed with severe ADHD as an adult. Together, they discuss why CTE is often used as a catch-all explanation for extreme behavior, and why that framing can ignore deeper factors like identity loss, emotional development, and systemic incentives in sports culture.
The episode also examines ADHD through an evolutionary lens, including the hunter-gatherer hypothesis, risk-taking, creativity, and why certain cognitive traits struggle in modern systems while thriving in uncertainty. The conversation expands into loss aversion, minimalism, masculinity, and whether technology could ever replace the human meaning embedded in sport.
It’s a thoughtful, nuanced discussion about neuroscience, evolution, and seeing people as more than diagnoses.
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Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer
Stay curious.

This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore why so many people feel like life was better in the past and whether nostalgia is telling us the truth.
They discuss the psychology of memory, why certain years like 2016 get mythologized, and how our brains prioritize emotional comfort over accuracy. The conversation also looks at long-term human progress, wealth, systems, and whether society is actually improving even when it feels unstable.
Throughout the episode, they answer curiosity-driven science questions about heartbeats, lightning, space, water usage, and everyday misconceptions that reveal how intuition often fails us.
It’s a wide-ranging conversation about time, memory, science, and perspective.
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Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer
Stay curious.

In this special collaboration episode, Curiosity Theory joins From First Principles for a deep conversation about science, intelligence, and the future of technology.
Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer are joined by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhury to discuss academic paths, physics beyond academia, thermodynamics and life, and what neuroscience reveals about memory, learning, and spatial awareness.
The episode also explores artificial intelligence, world models, robotics, one-shot learning, emotional systems, AI alignment, and the growing political and ethical questions surrounding frontier technologies.
This is a long-form, first-principles conversation about how humans think, how intelligence emerges, and where science and technology may be headed next.
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Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer
Stay curious.

This week on Questionable Content, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer explore new findings from NASA clean rooms that reveal microbes capable of surviving extreme sterilization, raising important questions about planetary protection and the resilience of life.
The conversation expands into food preservation, gut health, and why people often report feeling healthier in Europe compared to the U.S. They examine how capitalism and regulation shape food systems, health outcomes, and everyday choices without relying on conspiracy thinking.
Later, they critically assess recent microplastics research, discussing whether current detection methods justify the alarming claims being made. The episode wraps with a discussion of Apple, Google, Gemini, OpenAI, and how big tech navigates innovation, risk, and AI competition.
It’s an honest, wide-ranging conversation about science, health, systems, and curiosity.
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Join our Patreon
 https://www.patreon.com/c/CuriosityTheory

Follow the show
 @curiositytheorypod
Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer
Stay curious.