Modern humans have existed for only a tiny fraction of Earth’s history. During that time, our species has survived ice ages, natural disasters, pandemics, and...
Your planet has a heartbeat. You have never heard it, but you have depended on it every second of your life. It pulses thousands of kilometers beneath your feet: a...
Beneath the Earth’s surface lies the core, a scorching sphere of iron surrounded by a layer of molten metal. Temperatures at the core reach approximately 6,000°C...
Nothing can travel faster than light. But what if we switched the rules a little? Imagine a world where the speed of light was slower. Way slower. Yep, about the speed...
A peaceful hike through the wilderness can quickly turn into a nightmare if you encounter one of nature’s most powerful predators. Bears are among the largest land...
Every living thing on this planet owes its existence to a single star. Heat, light, and the raw energy that keeps ecosystems running all trace back to the Sun, and...
Earth feels permanent only because human lives are so short. On the scale of the cosmos, however, our planet is passing through a brief moment in an existence that...
Swipe Down for Full Video Story Io, one of Jupiter’s four largest moons, feels like it belongs in a science fiction nightmare. Its surface is a chaotic, ever changing...
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Wise words. But what if two of the world’s most powerful nations burned their friendship, and each other, to the...
Personal hygiene is important. That includes washing your feet on a regular basis. But from now on, not a single drop of soap will touch your weary hooves. How soon...
The delicate balance of the entire Solar System exists in a gravitational dance between planets. Swap the orbits of two of them and you could end up wreaking all kinds...
[dx_custom_adunit mobile_id=”RTK_v1lP”] Cycling, as a means of transportation, is growing in popularity in cities all over the world; with good...
If humans began living permanently on other planets, future generations would not look or function like us. Each planet’s unique gravity, atmosphere, temperature, and...
Body-crushing pressure. Toxic atmospheres. Unbearable temperatures. That’s what would be in store if you visited other planets in our Solar System. But what other...
What would really happen if you went into space without a suit?
The Mullaperiyar Dam sits in India’s Kerala state, quietly performing a job it has done for more than a century. Built over 100 years ago, it plays a crucial role...
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...
Sand dunes. These breathtaking, gigantic structures formed by tiny grains of sand are beautiful – until you’re being swallowed by one. Deserts are dangerous...
A deadly flash flood devastated Nepal, leaving hundreds missing and turning normally peaceful communities into scenes of destruction. Powerful rainfall sent huge amounts...
In 1977, Richard Peto, a British epidemiologist, theorized that large-bodied animals like elephants are more likely to contract cancer because of a higher number of...
