Hello, SFIA audio listeners. In this month's Nebula exclusive, big alien theory,

we're asked at the reason alien civilizations might be rare is because most aliens are huge.

To hear it and every episode early and add-free, plus hours of bonus content,

check out go.nebola.tv slash Isaac Arthur and use my code, Isaac Arthur.

Many people fear the end is nigh, but often disagree on which end that is and why,

which is understandable since there are so many to choose from, and who knows, we might not

need to pick just one.

When it comes to disasters, you often get a bulk discount.

So welcome back to another sci-fi Sunday here on SFIA, where we focus on topics out

of science fiction and try to discuss how real or unreal they are, and what our modern

knowledge of science tells about them, including what it suggests as alternative approaches.

It is hard to say what the most common

sci-fi tropes are, since they change over time as new science fiction is written, with new

ideas and concepts. But right now, anyway, they do include staples like evil twins,

time travel, robots, aliens, and many more, with one of the big ones being trying to

avert an apocalypse

or surviving after one.

And that's the reason for today's title, Surviving an Apocalypse as opposed to the Apocalypse,

as we will be looking at a number of civilization-ending scenarios today, and asking what

the aftermath might look like and how to repair things afterwards.

We'll aim for optimism but also realism.

After all, there is a light at the end of every tunnel.

...