What if Earth’s orbit ventured as far from the Sun as Pluto, and got as close to it as Venus? Would the Sun burn the planet to a crisp at the closest...
Family planning. It sounds sensible, but it’s extremely controversial. At least, in some countries. What if it wasn’t? What if the world recognized a...
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...
Since the beginning of time, Earth has created life and then wiped out most of it in catastrophic, ultra-destructive moments. Starting with the very first extinction...
You wouldn’t notice it at first. But every second, the air around you is thinning, just a little. Within 30 seconds, you’d be gasping. Engines would fail, hospitals...
Humans have a knack for changing the environment. Often, these projects have effects we didn’t plan for. Sometimes, it’s disastrous. And other times, it gives us energy...
No more vast, barren deserts. Because we are going to turn them all into lush, green farmlands. How would we go about bringing new life to hot deserts? How much would...
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...
Coastal cities across the globe are planning how they will keep the sea away as it rises. One solution? Just move the city. How much would it cost? How do you lift a...
This is not some harmless hair. It’s volcanic glass and it could turn your life into an itchy, blistering existence. Uh oh. Looks like today’s forecast is volcanic...
The Arctic might soon become completely ice-free. And when all of the ice is gone, the world won’t be the same. But what if I told you there was a way to prevent...
It’s been over 200 million years since South America broke off Africa into its own continent. But now it’s behaving very strangely. It’s taking on water and going down...
Imagine the Sun releasing a burst of energy so powerful it could knock out power grids, stop airplanes mid flight, and push our world back into the dark ages. This is...
All over the world, people are treating bodies of water like they are giant garbage dumps. And experts say that continuing these practices will result in catastrophic...
The Paleozoic era began 530 million years ago when the Earth woke up from an ice age. This era lasted for 289 million years, but you might not even last five minutes in...
Taller than a six-story building. Longer than three school buses. Ten times as heavy as an elephant. The largest dinosaur ever is coming back from extinction. What would...
This giant rock lights up the night and can even change colors. So what would we do without it?
It might be the worst date on your weekly calendar, but it’s a date that you definitely don’t want to stand up. Garbage Day. You tie it all up into...
Sharks are the oceans’ primary predators. Eating every fish in their path. But what if you ended up in a pool full of them, and you were the prey? What would...
A dark, mysterious object has appeared at the outer edges of our Solar System. It looks like the remnants of a dying star. But it behaves like a black hole. Your mission...
