Imagine a world of endless possibilities. A world where every decision you make splits reality in half. And then the next decision splits it into another half. And then...
Imagine an enormous football stranded in the Solar System. I mean, the Earth shaped like one. What could cause our planet to change its shape so drastically? And what...
Welcome to the longest staring contest of your life. You’re about to go seven days without blinking. What device would keep your eyes forced open? How long would it take...
Ghost stories have fascinated people for thousands of years. Strange figures in dark hallways, mysterious footsteps, and the unsettling feeling that someone is standing...
The Sun is Yellow If you’ve always thought our star was a bright yellow ball of fire, you were wrong. For starters, it’s not yellow. It’s green. Sort...
You hear a sharp cracking sound. You look up. A massive tree is leaning toward you, its weight shifting as gravity takes control. There is no time to think, no time to...
Have you ever been curious about Medieval life? Would you travel back in time if you could? Do you think you would enjoy it? How long would you last? Hear ye, hear ye...
It looks like something from another planet. Rough skin, strange shapes, and a bright reddish shell that splits open like it is alive. If you saw it on a tree, you might...
In a matter of days, a nearby volcano will erupt, spewing debris and lava, and decimating your city. You know that fighting fire with fire usually makes things worse...
We visit a lot of planets here on WHAT IF, but K2-141b is the most extreme one yet. Are you ready to jump on board this one-way space shuttle? If you’d rather stay...
Imagine that the Sun is on the verge of exploding. Or that a planet-killing asteroid is headed our way. Or maybe you just want to take the entire planet on a joy ride...
There are few situations more terrifying than the idea of being inside a spacecraft when something goes wrong. Space is already an unforgiving environment, but a rocket...
Caviar. Whether you’re a foodie or not, chances are you have some opinions on this food. For some people, the thought of eating fish eggs even once is gross enough...
An invasion of the United States by China sounds like the plot of a blockbuster movie. The United States has not experienced a foreign invasion of its mainland in modern...
Imagine being able to sunbathe all day long. But instead of getting a nice tan to show off… You turn green! And get lazier. Don’t worry. It’s not the...
It starts with a simple cough, and before you know it, millions of people are infected. And it won’t stop there. It could keep growing and growing until billions...
Imagine living on the Moon. You’d have the best view of Earth, enjoy bouncing around in zero gravity and living your life as an astronaut explorer. Ah...
Picture this, you’re having a nice, relaxing walk on a private beach without a care in the world. All of a sudden, your foot drops into a deep and mucky puddle...
Humans have been evolving for the past six million years. But something’s gone terribly wrong. And now we are evolving backward. Once this process began, how long...
Seawater is salty, undrinkable, and a potential source of planet-saving fuel. Hold up. Fuel? Yes, that’s right. We have the technology to convert seawater into liquid...
