Imagine waking up in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. The sun is burning your skin, your lips are dry, and every wave reminds you how small and helpless...
It’s the oldest question on Earth. Where did we come from? Some people may thank a creator from above, but what if the hand that created humanity wasn’t...
You start your day hearing wild news. Jupiter has just swallowed Saturn. And it doesn’t stop there. Jupiter is on its way to swallow every planet in the Solar...
Militaries around the world are money-eating machines. And they keep getting more expensive. In 2019, the world spent $1.917 trillion on all the different militaries...
During Earth’s early days, a gargantuan collision left our planet spinning at an angle. That slight incline allowed life as you know it to flourish. But what if this...
This is the Sun. And this is a neutron star. But don’t let its size fool you. Neutron stars are massive gravitational monsters, and orbiting one wouldn’t end...
The world you know no longer exists. Your family, friends, and neighbors are gone. Outside, horrific zombie-like creatures roam the streets. And if you breathe in their...
Imagine if all the Earth’s oxygen disappeared. Not forever, just for, say, an hour? Could you hold your breath that long? What would happen to the atmosphere? And...
Before anyone even thinks about jumping in, it helps to understand what Lake Natron actually is. Located in northern Tanzania, this lake has no normal outlet to rivers...
Swipe Down and Turn Up the Sound to Hear the Full Experience. Space is often described as silent. With no atmosphere to carry sound waves, there is nothing for...
In six hours, you, your government, and 124 million other people across 14 states will be tested by the greatest disaster to ever hit the U.S. East Coast. A great wave...
After 2,250 medical trials, involving 380,000 patient volunteers, your wishes and your prayers have finally been answered: we found a cure for cancer. What if that were...
The Black Death is a deadly plague that struck Europe and Asia in the 1300s. Eventually, it killed over 50 million people worldwide. Once its bacteria infects your body...
The universe is home to trillions of worlds, but not all planets are created equal. Some are scorching enough to melt rock, others are battered by storms of molten...
How about we rip the United States and Mexico apart from each other, geographically speaking? It would open up new trade routes that would make a ton of money for both...
It feels like the world is moving at a faster rate than ever. Every day, smartphones are getting smarter, A.I. is becoming more inteligent and our environment seems to...
Today on What If, we’re taking Jupiter’s deadly gases and unleashing them on Earth. Where could you be safe from these toxic winds? How would you breathe...
With Earth’s geopolitical tensions on the rise, the possibility of a global conflict is becoming more than just a distant threat. But in the modern era, a future world...
Imagine waking up one morning to find our Sun replaced by a cosmic powerhouse far stranger than anything we have seen. From giants that could swallow planets whole to...
When it comes to extreme lifespans in the animal kingdom, the bowhead whale stands in a league of its own. Deep in the freezing Arctic waters, this enormous marine...

