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...
Hippos are often seen as calm animals that spend their days relaxing in rivers and muddy waters. But behind their peaceful appearance is one of the most dangerous...
On the night of December 2, 1984, the residents of Bhopal woke up choking on poison. The air smelled strange as people suddenly felt their eyes burning and their throats...
At first, it doesn’t look dangerous. Maybe it’s a self help seminar. A spiritual community. A group that promises happiness, purpose, and a place to belong...
Jetpack technology is getting better, and maybe someday, jetpacks will be available for your everyday commute. But what if, instead of just using a jetpack for a short...
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...
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...
Wouldn’t it be great to have a truly jaw-dropping view? Like windows looking directly into space? Well, it’s time to build your very own cosmic skyscraper. What would it...
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...
The warning has already been published. It sits in a scientific journal, written in careful academic language, and it says something no headline wants to print:...
Humans dominate Earth today, building cities, launching spacecraft and transforming the planet in ways no other known species ever has. But what if we were not the first...
[dx_custom_adunit mobile_id=”RTK_v1lP”] Since its formation, the Earth has been revolving west to east on its axis. If one day our planet started rotating in...
What if you had the power to control things without touching them? What if you could use your mind for anything from bending spoons to lifting cars, and even stopping...
Imagine having the strength of a wolf, the balance of a cat, or the ability to fly like a bird. For centuries, these ideas have belonged to mythology and science fiction...
Few creatures inspire as much fear as venomous spiders. Just the thought of accidentally reaching into a dark corner and feeling a sharp bite is enough to make most...
The Sun generates its energy through a process called nuclear fusion. In its core, hydrogen atoms fuse together under the forces of extreme pressure and heat to form...
Together, the U.S., Russia, and China control nearly half of the world’s military power, dominate the global economy, and influence the most powerful international...
The Earth might not be here forever. A huge solar flare, an asteroid impact, or a local gamma-ray burst – anything could wipe us out for good. If we’re...
A sudden reduction in size, shrinking by one centimeter per second, would expose a human to progressively smaller scales of the natural world, from ordinary objects to...
Pluto has long been one of the most debated celestial bodies in our solar system. Once classified as the ninth planet, it was redefined in 2006 as a dwarf planet, a...
