Earth has gone through at least five major ice ages in its history. And you better start adapting now. Because another ice age is about to begin. Hypothetically. How...
In an effort to fight climate change, the Sahara Desert could be going green… literally. Plans are being made to terraform the entire Sahara desert; changing it...
The biggest planet in the Solar System has gone rogue. And now it’s heading straight toward Earth. You have 30 days till this gas giant wipes us all out. What speeds...
Some places in the Solar System have some pretty expensive rain falling on their surface. Let’s see if we could bring those home. What would it take for Earth to...
If you ever find yourself falling into a volcano, there are a couple of things you should know. First off, when you reach the bottom, the magma’s not going to...
Some 13.8 billion years ago, a very hot, small and dense singularity expanded into what we now call the Universe. It hasn't stopped growing since. But what if it did?
If you’re watching this right now, you’ve probably used antibiotics at some point in your life. But did you really need to? The Centers for Disease...
What’s shiny, liquid, conducts electricity and is also the surname of a legendary rock star? You guessed it, mercury. This naturally occurring element has a lot of...
How would the world change if, all of a sudden, every biological man disappeared? Would the world become more peaceful? Why would you have to ration food? And why...
Say hello to the future of home security: the self-shielding house! I know you’re probably thinking, “why would I need so much protection? If I’m in...
Today on What If, we’re going to build the highest bridge on planet Earth. Welcome to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the “Roof of the World.”It’s home to the world’s...
Your body is shaking and you’re feeling nauseous. There’s a sharp pain in your chest, and with each passing moment, it gets harder and harder to breathe. And...
Imagine looking up at the moon and seeing space dust floating around it. Maybe broken-off parts of the moon are raining down on Earth. You’d wonder what happened;...
Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones. They’re all one in the same. Storms. Now, the mother of all of them is about to hit New York and you’re caught right in the middle of it...
Every year, about half a dozen hurricanes reach the United States. With effects ranging from heavy winds and some flooding to the complete decimation of communities...
To meat, or not to meat: that is the hotly debated question. How would life on Earth change if we stopped eating all things animal?
Attention, humans. Shapeshifting alien lizards have taken control of your world. They’ve maneuvered themselves into positions of power. And they could be anyone. Where...
Movies love quicksand. And why not? It’s exotic, it’s dramatic, and it’s highly exaggerated. Fun fact: it’s impossible to become fully submerged...
Dinosaurs often steal the spotlight when it comes to terrifying prehistoric creatures, but they were far from the only fearsome beasts to roam the Earth. From enormous...
It starts with a signal. Faint, strange, and unlike anything humanity has ever recorded. Within hours, it escalates into an event that changes the course of history as...
