Uncomfortable questions answered in NPR’s Are We Doomed?

How worried should we be about humanity’s future? In Are We Doomed?, award-winning journalist Ben Bradford investigates threats to civilization, from nuclear war and AI to pandemics and, apparently, angry hippos. Produced by NuanceTales for the NPR Network, the podcast blends visuals, narrative storytelling, and interviews.

What to expect: Each episode tackles a potential catastrophe, explaining how it works, how worried we should be, and what we can do about it. The show combines accessible science, historical accounts, and interviews to separate real risks from disaster-mongering. In one episode, titled “Can the Sun Blow Up the Power Grid?”, Bradford examines the Carrington Event, a solar storm that disrupted electrical technology in 1859. He asks whether another storm of similar strength could cripple our far more connected world and whether modern infrastructure is better prepared.

Bradford speaks with Jim Green, former chief scientist at NASA and founder of Metavisionaries, and Elizabeth Butler of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. They explain how solar eruptions trigger geomagnetic storms, why these storms can damage power grids and satellites, and how much warning authorities might have before one hits. The episode also revisits the 1989 Quebec blackout, which left 6 mn people without electricity for nine hours, and then considers a much harsher scenario: damaged transformers, disrupted communications, and outages lasting months or even years.

What we liked: The podcast’s YouTube arm uses animations to keep the subject matter fun when it gets too bleak. Bradford also keeps his narration conversational and straightforward, breaking down complicated topics into simpler terms. Historical examples and interviews give the stories weight, while episodes generally run 30 to 40 minutes, making the show easy to fit into a busy day.

The verdict: Are We Doomed? makes the world’s risks easier to approach without sacrificing the science behind them. It suits anyone who wants to understand the threats behind the headlines without the dread, and the Carrington episode is a good place to start. You’ll come away a little more informed and a little less scared.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can tune in on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube.