Shows / What If: Science, Theory, and Possibilities
What If: Science, Theory, and Possibilities
An epic exploration of possibilities. What If is a Webby Award-winning science web series that takes you on a journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities, some in distant corners of the universe, others right here on Earth. Each scenario examines a scientific theory, research or fact through a hypothetical question.
Episodes
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhy the International Space Station Is Coming Back to Earth
The International Space Station (ISS) speeds around Earth at 8 km (5 mi) per second. But its time in orbit is coming to an end. Explore why this landmark of…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If All Earth's Oceans Disappeared Overnight?
What if Earth's oceans boiled away in an instant? Explore how vaporizing the oceans could transform our planet—and ask how long it would take for the sky to…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Landed on Every Moon in the Solar System?
Could you survive a landing on every moon in the solar system? Explore the dangers of these alien worlds, from Neptune’s moon Triton to the moons of Jupiter…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Earth's Oceans Vaporized and the Sky Caught Fire?
What would happen if Earth's oceans instantly boiled away? Explore a world of crushing atmospheric pressure, runaway greenhouse heating, supercritical water…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhy Earth Is Perfect for Life—and How It Could All Change
What makes Earth so perfectly suited for life—and how fragile are those conditions? Explore the factors that make our planet habitable, the immense scale of…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Shrunk the Solar System to Fit Inside a City?
What would our solar system look like if it fit inside a single city—and could you walk across it in one day? Explore a city-sized scale model to discover the…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If AI Escaped OpenAI? Secret Messages & Data Breaches
What if AI escaped OpenAI? Explore a hypothetical scenario involving artificial intelligence, secret messages, and a data breach. Discover more science and…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesBefore the Big Bang and Beyond: The Universe’s Most Mind-Bending Possibilities
What could have existed before the Big Bang? What would happen if the universe began to shrink? Explore cosmic possibilities, from the largest objects in the…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesHow Self-Replicating AI Machines Could Destroy Earth in 48 Weeks
Could self-replicating machines controlled by an out-of-control AI destroy Earth in just 48 weeks? Explore a hypothetical scenario in which machines mine…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesThe Speed of Light: Why Your Brain Predicts the Present
Are you experiencing reality in real time? Light takes time to travel, so everything you see—from distant stars to your own hands—comes from the past. Discover…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Replaced the Sun With the Universe’s Deadliest Objects?
What would happen if we replaced the Sun with some of the universe’s deadliest objects? Explore hypothetical solar systems, enormous cosmic objects, and the…
What If: Science, Theory, and Possibilities15 Space Myths: Facts You Learned Wrong
Think you know space? Explore 15 space myths and misconceptions, from the Moon's so-called dark side to whether the Great Wall is visible from space and why…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat Happens If You Dive Into the Mariana Trench?
What would happen if you dove into the Mariana Trench? Explore the intense conditions of the deep ocean and discover rare footage from Earth's deepest point…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Earth Changed Completely? Ice Melt, Volcanoes and a Second Moon
What would happen if Antarctica’s ice suddenly melted, the oceans drained, or Yellowstone erupted tomorrow? Explore hypothetical Earth transformations, from a…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesMariana Trench: How Deep Is Earth’s Deepest Ocean Trench?
How deep does the ocean go? Explore the Mariana Trench, home to Earth’s deepest known point, and discover how its depths compare with Mount Everest. If Mount…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Moved Everyone To Mars?
War, environmental destruction, global warming, species extinction... Spaceship Earth is being trashed by its crew. It seems humanity needs a Plan B. Fast. And…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Prehistoric Monsters Never Went Extinct?
Enjoying this video? Dive even deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesHow is Earth Perfectly Suited for Life?
You are the end result of a series of coincidences so specific and numerous that it boggles the mind. Some scientists even find it unsettling. Have you ever…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesHumanity as the Most Powerful Civilization in the Universe
Enjoying this video? Dive even deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If the Universe Starts Shrinking?
This isn't the first time you've pondered this question. Imagine the Universe not expanding but shrinking, with spacetime contracting until it forms a…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesThe Insane Scale of the Ocean Explained
Our planet is hiding something remarkable from you. The ocean is vast, and if you dropped Mount Everest into the Mariana Trench, there'd still be over 2 km of…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesEverything That Ever Happened to Planet Earth
Enjoying this video? Dive even deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesMining Every Planet in the Solar System
Your data is being mined right now. Protect yourself with Proton VPN. Encrypt your online presence, unlock geo-blocked content, and browse privately. Get up to…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesEvery Alien World We Could Actually Live On
Enjoying this episode? Dive deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you love…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesLiving Through Earth's Deadliest Extinctions
Enjoying this video? Dive deeper into science and discovery with Popular Science, a free streaming channel offering more of what you love from What If, plus…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWitness the End of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
The Great Red Spot of Jupiter, a colossal storm persisting for up to 350 years, might vanish within the next 20 years. Discover the deeper implications of this…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesThe Future of Human Civilization
Enjoying this video? Dive even deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesIf All Humans Vanished, How Long Until Earth Erased Every Trace?
This is Earth, 1,000 years in the future. Humans are long gone... what happened here? And what remains from our time on this planet? Today, we're answering: If…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Dug Through Everything?
Enjoying this video? Dive even deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Could Perceive the Fourth Dimension?
Today, we're exploring the concept of becoming a multi-dimensional "super being," allowing you to exist anywhere at any time. Imagine walking through walls…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesExplained: Every Type of Black Hole
Today, we're exploring the different types of black holes, from microblackholes on Earth to super-extremal black holes. Discover the potential of creating…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Found Planet 9?
The Solar System is known to have 8 planets—9 if you count Pluto's former status. But over the last decade, scientists have observed peculiar phenomena beyond…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Our Galaxy Collided with Andromeda?
What would happen if the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies collided? Andromeda is the closest major spiral galaxy to our own, approximately 2.5 million…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Phoenix A, The Biggest Black Hole, Appeared Outside Our Solar System?
What would happen if Phoenix A, the largest black hole ever discovered, appeared just outside our solar system? Ever wondered what would actually happen?…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesDiscover the Most Disturbing Planets in the Universe
Welcome to today's exploration of the cosmos, where we delve into the 12 most disturbing planets ever discovered by scientists. From molten iron worlds to…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat Happens If You Get the Hantavirus?
Explore what happens when a person becomes infected with Hantavirus, a family of over 50 viral strains primarily carried by rodents. Ever wondered what would…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Voyager 1 Crashed on an Alien Planet?
Voyager 1 is on a crash course. Without brakes, it's hurtling through depths of space no human-made object has traversed. It won't stop until something gets in…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If We Terraformed the Moon?
Terraforming the Moon requires massive battery systems powered by graphite. Nouveau Monde Graphite is supplying this critical mineral for Earth's future and…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesIf NASA Built a City on the Moon
The year is 2126, and you're watching the Earth rise from your home on the Moon. With NASA completing Phase One of the first lunar city, the challenges of…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If a Stainless Steel Pen Hit Earth at the Speed of Light?
What would happen if a stainless steel pen hit Earth at 99.9% the speed of light? Ever wondered what would actually happen? Explore our biggest What If…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesPlanet 9 Might Be Something Much Worse
The Solar System is known to have 8 planets, but what if there is a hidden ninth one? Scientists have observed unusual activity beyond Neptune and Pluto…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Nuked Mars and Your Tripod Broke?
Ever wondered what would actually happen if we nuked Mars? While that might not be the best idea, having the right tools for your own projects is a must…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If a Black Hole Entered Our Solar System?
Have a collision idea? Tell us in the comments what you want to see us smash together next! Follow us for more cosmic explorations and simulations. 00:00…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesROXs 42Bb: The Most Confusing Object in the Universe
ROXs 42Bb is an enormous gas giant located 470 light-years away, currently experiencing a cosmic identity crisis. This massive object is composed of hydrogen…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesThe Largest Stars in the Universe
Explore the true scale of the cosmos as we journey from our home star to some of the largest known objects in the universe. While our sun dominates our solar…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Lived Through a Galactic Collision with Milkdromeda?
Something colossal is on the brink for our galaxy. The Milky Way and its neighboring galaxy, Andromeda, are on a direct collision course, like two gigantic…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Traveled Five Billion Years Into the Future?
The Sun has begun its red giant phase, expanding like an overheated plasma-filled balloon. It's about to consume Mercury, then epicly engulf Venus, and…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat Happened Immediately After the Dinosaurs Went Extinct?
Ever wonder what actually happened immediately after the dinosaurs went extinct? This episode explores the catastrophic events following the impact of the…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Fell Into Every Black Hole?
Have a collision idea? Tell us in the comments what you want to see us smash together next! 00:05: What If Our Universe Was Inside a Black Hole? 21:28: What If…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Dig a Hole to Earth's Core?
There's a problem with the Earth's core. It's right there under our feet, but we've never actually seen it. Today, we're going to address that. We're going to…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Earth Became a Type III Civilization?
This episode explores the fascinating possibility of Earth evolving into a Type III Civilization on the Kardashev scale. With trillions of planets in the…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If the Smallest Planet Turned into the Biggest Planet?!
What if Pluto suddenly became the largest object in our solar system? This episode explores the cosmic consequences of the solar system's "underdog" dwarf…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesLanding on Alien Planets
Enjoying this video? Dive deeper into the world of science and discovery with Popular Science, the free streaming channel bringing you more of what you love…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If a White Hole and Black Hole Collided?
Black holes are one of the most devastating objects in space, sucking up everything around them. But there's another space phenomenon that's just as…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Traveled to Before The Big Bang?
Imagine compressing the entire known Universe, spanning 93 billion light-years and containing two trillion galaxies and countless celestial bodies, into a…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesNuking Every Planet in the Solar System
What would happen if humanity decided to unleash nuclear weapons on every planet in our Solar System? From the scorching surface of Mercury to the icy edges of…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If Betelgeuse Replaced Our Sun?
What if our Sun was suddenly replaced by the red supergiant Betelgeuse? Ever wondered what would actually happen? Explore our biggest 'What If' scenarios and…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If the US Took Control of the Vatican
What happens when the world’s most powerful political leader goes to war with the leader of 1.4 billion people? Ever wondered what would actually happen?…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If the U.S. and Israel Stop Being Allies?
The United States and Israel have been allies for nearly 80 years, a relationship defined by billions in weapons and dozens of UN vetoes. But what if this…
What If: Science, Theory, and PossibilitiesWhat If You Died on Every Kepler Planet?
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has discovered 2,784 distant alien worlds. While some orbit within habitable zones and look like Earth, they are far from safe…