Hippos are often portrayed as slow, peaceful animals spending their days submerged in rivers or resting in muddy water. But beneath that seemingly relaxed appearance is...
Black holes are dense and scary. They suck up everything in their way. Their gravity is so strong it bends light and warps time. But what if I told you we might have...
This bug can survive anything, except maybe the bottom of your shoe. But what would happen if we squished every cockroach on Earth? How would this affect the food chain...
What if the Moon was more than just a lifeless rock? Under that bright light, it could be hiding an alien civilization. When did this alien life begin on the Moon? What...
Five billion years from now, the Sun will be running out. Assuming anyone is still here to care, that becomes an urgent problem, because a star running low on fuel is a...
Solitary confinement in Gitarama prison means a room measuring one square meter. No ceiling. No bed. Just walls and however long they decide to leave you there. The...
The Moon has been quietly orbiting Earth for billions of years. It lights up our nights, influences the tides, and appears harmless from a distance. But imagine stepping...
The Earth is a dying rock and time is running out. You only have 10 years to plan your escape. How could we evacuate as many people as possible? What resources would we...
What Earth do you live on? A round one? Flat one? Maybe your world is resting on the back of a huge cosmic turtle? What about a hollow Earth? Just a planet’s shell...
Humans have been around for a blink of Earth’s history. In that time we’ve come through ice ages, plagues, and every kind of disaster the planet could throw...
Order some rain for your dry lawn, cancel the upcoming tornado, schedule a week of sunshine for your vacation… What if we could manipulate the weather just like...
The Deepest Lake on Earth Is Filled With Creatures Found Nowhere Else, and We Still Know Almost Nothing About It
Hidden deep within southern Siberia lies one of the most mysterious places on Earth. At first glance, Lake Baikal looks like an ordinary freshwater lake surrounded by...
Most insects are harmless, and many play an important role in the environment. But a small number possess painful stings, toxic venom, or defensive chemicals that can...
For the first time, its experimental X 59 aircraft has successfully broken the sound barrier. But unlike every supersonic jet that came before it, this aircraft is...
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...
They feed on the blood they suck from their prey. Animals and juicy humans like you are in these deadly insects’ diets. They’re also called assassin bugs, for a good...
Waves moving across the ocean at incredible speeds. Walls of water reaching 30 meters (100 feet) high. Enough force to tear apart forests, destroy buildings, and carry...
For centuries, humans have dreamed about finding a new home among the stars. Earth is the only planet we know that supports life, but with thousands of planets...
Spanning more than 66 million years, the Cenozoic Era shaped the world we live in today. From the rise of mammals to the emergence of modern humans, this era tells a...
What would happen if the United States and China went to war? It is one of the most discussed military scenarios in the world. On one side, the United States remains the...

