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...
The captain sounds the alarm. The waters around the ship rumble. Strange lights from deep below inch closer and closer to you. Something is emerging from the Mariana...
Imagine an ultimate road trip across the globe. On a highway along the equator. Wait, there is no highway along the equator… yet. So how about we build one? What...
The sky appears darker. The temperature is starting to drop. Our rivers are freezing, crops are covered in snow! People could go hungry. Is it just me, or is the Sun...
It’s January 2027. No warning sirens sound across America or Europe. No emergency alert flashes across your phone. By the time the world realizes how serious things have...
In the fall of 2011, the quiet town of Zanesville, Ohio, was thrown into chaos by an event so extreme it stunned the entire United States. What began as an ordinary...
Imagine being able to travel to any point in time. Where would you go, and what would you do? You could witness some of the greatest moments in history or even change...
In 1918, the world was at war. While soldiers fought each other on the frontlines, an even greater threat emerged, the Spanish flu. Between 50 to 100 million people died...
Every year, hurricanes batter the North Atlantic and affect millions of people. The damage can be catastrophic, and these storms are getting worse. But what if we had a...
If you’re wondering where to take your first post-pandemic trip, here’s a place you don’t want to miss. Lake Baikal. This lake is unique. And its...
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...
In 7.5 billion years, the Sun will expand and engulf our planet, destroying all life as we know it. Of course, a mass extinction on Earth could happen much sooner than...
Did you know that Mars has polar ice caps just like we do here on Earth? With the right technology, they might be our water source should we ever move to the red planet...
It’s been 30 days since Uranus first appeared in the sky. At first, it looked like our Moon had found itself a stellar partner. But then, we understood something...
The digital age is well and truly upon us. And in recent years, there’s no development more talked about than Bitcoin. Forget about dollars, pounds, and euros...
What would happen if we tried to dump all our trash on Jupiter? It might sound like a perfect solution, but the reality would be far more dangerous than you think. A...
That star at the center of our Solar System, that superhot ball of plasma that gives us heat and energy, and amazing complexions… well, it’s a ticking time...
The Moon has inspired myths, guided sailors, and lit up our nights for thousands of years. But during one of the most intense periods of the Cold War, people considered...
Being locked up is already difficult. But then you are moved even further away from everyone else, into a prison within a prison. A cold, small room becomes your entire...
Could we all just be a part of our planet’s life-support system? Even from space, you can see that the planet Earth is full of life. When you take a closer look...

