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...
It sounds impossible today, but in the 1930s, a Nazi movement existed inside the United States. While Nazi Germany was rising in Europe, American supporters of Adolf...
A huge gas giant suddenly appears in the sky. You look up in wonder. It’s beautiful. The second Saturn replaces our Moon in its orbit, Earth would just as suddenly...
The Middle Ages, a time when you were more likely to die on the toilet than take a bath. And now you’re going there with an educational mission. It’s up to...
In December 1968, two teenagers were shot to death in their car. There were no clues pointing to who was responsible, leaving investigators with a deadly mystery and no...
Picture getting into your car and setting off on a journey that circles the entire planet without ever leaving a single highway. It sounds like science fiction, but what...
Imagine if we could collect the energy out of thin air. And I mean it quite literally. You know how you were taught that a vacuum is nothing but empty space? That...
When people imagine humanity’s future beyond Earth, Mars is usually the first destination that comes to mind. It is close, familiar in some ways, and has been studied...
Time travel sounds like a gift until you look at the destinations. Earth has spent 4.5 billion years cycling through conditions that would kill a modern human within...
Let's say, the Earth's magnetic field took a break and allowed strong solar winds to strip away our protective space-blanket. Would Earth instantly turn into a big...
You and your family decide to take a camping trip in the great outdoors. You’re relaxing in your tent, when suddenly, you smell smoke. You assume the kids are...
No one knows exactly what to expect if we encountered other forms of alien life. Would they talk like us? Look like us? Or would they be completely different? What if...
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...
In North America we love our summers. We are basically trained to love them. From an early age we are taught that our calendar breaks up into school, and summer holidays...
There were four major suspects in the Zodiac Killer’s case, but none of them were ever charged with committing the crimes. For years, the killer’s identity...
When people think about the world’s most venomous animals, images of deadly snakes, dangerous jellyfish, or poisonous scorpions usually come to mind. The saw...
Hundreds of meters underground. Large enough to house tens to hundreds of thousands of people. And walls strong enough to withstand the force of a nuclear blast. These...
Take a slow, deep breath right now and notice how satisfying that simple act feels. What fills your lungs in that moment is oxygen, making up only about 21 percent of...
A new dinosaur-themed amusement park with real dinosaurs just opened. And you’re part of the first group of visitors. Suddenly a scream pierces your ears. You turn...
Imagine an entire network of flying cars zooming around 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) above our congested city streets. Your morning commute would be a lot different up...
