12. THE SUN IS A GIANT BALL OF FIRE Did you know that the Sun isn’t really on fire? No. Our Sun isn’t a raging bonfire in the center of the Solar System...
Some 5 billion years from now, the Sun will expand and become a red giant. And the Earth might be just in the way… If humans were still around then, would we leave...
Black holes are often imagined as cosmic vacuum cleaners, devouring everything in their path, but what would actually happen if you dared to venture into one even for...
As the world watches the war Russia brutally started in Ukraine, you wonder how these countries would be different if the dictator Vladimir Putin never took office. Who...
Scientists have discovered many planets similar to Earth beyond our solar system. These exoplanets can be up to 10 times larger than Earth, which might be ideal for our...
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...
Communication is something humans often think we have mastered. We use languages, gestures, facial expressions, and technology to share information with each other. But...
Over the past century, astronomers have speculated about the existence of a mysterious 9th planet lurking in the outer reaches of our solar system. Although we’ve...
The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful… …So why not crawl up beside it and go to sleep until the seasons change? That’s what...
Imagine, it comes out of nowhere. A blinding flash, spanning the entire globe. It lasts only a few seconds, but when it’s over, everyone’s memories have been...
In 2020, when Kim Jong-Un disappeared for three weeks, the world went into full speculation mode. Was he ill? Dead? On a secret mission to binge-watch K-dramas? South...
With the cost of living soaring, an economic crisis, and wages that can’t be stretched enough to provide an enjoyable life, people are worried about their finances now...
It may sound unusual that a little bug could be this deadly, but it’s true. Mosquitoes spread diseases like malaria, yellow fever and the dengue virus. They do it...
You came to a water park for some good old summer fun. But the guy in line in front of you is missing a tooth. And the group behind you seems to be drunk. Now it’s...
The World Health Organization estimates that up to 320,000 people die by drowning every year, not to mention those eaten by marine creatures. Today, we’ve put together a...
Take a look at yourself. Are you a very old baby or a baby-like old person? Uh oh. Your biological clock is moving backward. What would your body look like at different...
What would happen if you took the most energetic explosion in the Universe and sent it straight into one of the most powerful gravitational objects ever discovered? On...
For most of history, shadows have been seen as the absence of light. They cool us down on hot days, hide objects from view, and signal that the Sun has moved across the...
The Kardashev Scale, first proposed by Russian astronomer Nikolai Kardashev, measures the technological advancement of civilizations by the amount of energy they can...
Imagine arriving in a galaxy where humanity controls every star, planet, and particle of energy. This is the reality of a type three civilization, one of the most...
