Difference between revisions of "User:FaviFake"
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{{notice|<big>This is the table to edit. Before helping, '''[[User talk:FaviFake#The huge what if? index|read the discussion]]. After reading, help by: | {{notice|<big>This is the table to edit. Before helping, '''[[User talk:FaviFake#The huge what if? index|read the discussion]]. After reading, help by: | ||
*'''Do NOT''' add the missing articles, i'm working on that. | *'''Do NOT''' add the missing articles, i'm working on that. | ||
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|''"What if everyone who took the SAT guessed on every multiple‑choice question? How many perfect scores would there be?"'' | |''"What if everyone who took the SAT guessed on every multiple‑choice question? How many perfect scores would there be?"'' | ||
|No one would get a perfect score. | |No one would get a perfect score. | ||
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!3 | !3 | ||
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|''"How much Force power can Yoda output?"'' | |''"How much Force power can Yoda output?"'' | ||
|First regular release. From here on standard release day was Tuesday. It's about 19.2 kilowatts, or 25 horsepower. | |First regular release. From here on standard release day was Tuesday. It's about 19.2 kilowatts, or 25 horsepower. | ||
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|''"What would happen if you were to gather a mole (unit of measurement) of moles (the small furry critter) in one place?"'' | |''"What would happen if you were to gather a mole (unit of measurement) of moles (the small furry critter) in one place?"'' | ||
|As a mole is such a high number this would be tricky. They would condense into a pressurized sphere of meat that would freeze and occasionally explode from gases. | |As a mole is such a high number this would be tricky. They would condense into a pressurized sphere of meat that would freeze and occasionally explode from gases. | ||
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!5 | !5 | ||
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|''"What if there was a robot apocalypse? How long would humanity last?"'' | |''"What if there was a robot apocalypse? How long would humanity last?"'' | ||
|Humanity would survive if the robots cared about keeping themselves alive as well. If not, then we all die. | |Humanity would survive if the robots cared about keeping themselves alive as well. If not, then we all die. | ||
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!6 | !6 | ||
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|''"What if a glass of water was, all of a sudden, literally half empty?"'' | |''"What if a glass of water was, all of a sudden, literally half empty?"'' | ||
|As in a vacuum? Which half are you talking about? If the vacuum is on the bottom, it would explode, but if it's on the top, the air rushes in and it becomes normal water. | |As in a vacuum? Which half are you talking about? If the vacuum is on the bottom, it would explode, but if it's on the top, the air rushes in and it becomes normal water. | ||
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!7 | !7 | ||
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|''"Is there enough energy to move the entire current human population off‑planet?"'' | |''"Is there enough energy to move the entire current human population off‑planet?"'' | ||
|No, at least not without starving to death quickly and leaving our pets, belongings and everything else behind. | |No, at least not without starving to death quickly and leaving our pets, belongings and everything else behind. | ||
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!8 | !8 | ||
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|''"What if everyone actually had only one soul mate, a random person somewhere in the world?"'' | |''"What if everyone actually had only one soul mate, a random person somewhere in the world?"'' | ||
|Almost nobody would find their soul mate. | |Almost nobody would find their soul mate. | ||
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!10 | !10 | ||
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|''"What would the world be like if the land masses were spread out the same way as now ‑ only rotated by an angle of 90 degrees?"'' | |''"What would the world be like if the land masses were spread out the same way as now ‑ only rotated by an angle of 90 degrees?"'' | ||
|Mass biosphere collapse. | |Mass biosphere collapse. | ||
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!11 | !11 | ||
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|''"If you went outside and lay down on your back with your mouth open, how long would you have to wait until a bird pooped in it?"'' | |''"If you went outside and lay down on your back with your mouth open, how long would you have to wait until a bird pooped in it?"'' | ||
|195 years. Assuming you are in a area with a reasonable amount of birds. But why would you ''want'' to catch bird poop in your mouth? | |195 years. Assuming you are in a area with a reasonable amount of birds. But why would you ''want'' to catch bird poop in your mouth? | ||
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!12 | !12 | ||
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|''"What if a rainstorm dropped all of its water in a single giant drop?"'' | |''"What if a rainstorm dropped all of its water in a single giant drop?"'' | ||
|The surrounding area would be obliterated and there would be mass confusion for many following years. | |The surrounding area would be obliterated and there would be mass confusion for many following years. | ||
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!13 | !13 | ||
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|''"If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at the same time, would it change color?"'' | |''"If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at the same time, would it change color?"'' | ||
|Not with regular lasers, but with more power, you could destroy the world. | |Not with regular lasers, but with more power, you could destroy the world. | ||
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!14 | !14 | ||
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|''"How long would the Sun last if a giant water hose were focused upon it?"'' | |''"How long would the Sun last if a giant water hose were focused upon it?"'' | ||
|The Sun would become a black hole with all the mass of the water. | |The Sun would become a black hole with all the mass of the water. | ||
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!14 | !14 | ||
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|''"What if you shined a flashlight (or a laser) into a sphere made of one‑way mirror glass?"'' | |''"What if you shined a flashlight (or a laser) into a sphere made of one‑way mirror glass?"'' | ||
|One-way glass does not exist. The light shines through just like normal glass. | |One-way glass does not exist. The light shines through just like normal glass. | ||
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!14 | !14 | ||
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|''"If Michael Phelps could hold his breath indefinitely, how long would it take for him to reach the lowest point in the ocean and back if he swam straight down and then straight back up?"'' | |''"If Michael Phelps could hold his breath indefinitely, how long would it take for him to reach the lowest point in the ocean and back if he swam straight down and then straight back up?"'' | ||
|Michael Phelps would die somewhere between 100 and 400 meters of depth. If he was immune to pressure, then it would take 3 hours to swim to the bottom of the Marianas Trench and back. | |Michael Phelps would die somewhere between 100 and 400 meters of depth. If he was immune to pressure, then it would take 3 hours to swim to the bottom of the Marianas Trench and back. | ||
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!14 | !14 | ||
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|''"In the first Superman movie, Superman flies around Earth so fast that it begins turning in the opposite direction. This somehow turns back time [... ] How much energy would someone flying around the Earth have to exert in order to reverse the Earth's rotation?"'' | |''"In the first Superman movie, Superman flies around Earth so fast that it begins turning in the opposite direction. This somehow turns back time [... ] How much energy would someone flying around the Earth have to exert in order to reverse the Earth's rotation?"'' | ||
|Superman wasn't pushing the Earth. He was flying {{w|Superluminal motion|superluminally}} and was thus travelling back through time. | |Superman wasn't pushing the Earth. He was flying {{w|Superluminal motion|superluminally}} and was thus travelling back through time. | ||
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!14 | !14 | ||
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|''"How fast would you have to go in your car to run a red light claiming that it appeared green to you due to the Doppler Effect?"'' | |''"How fast would you have to go in your car to run a red light claiming that it appeared green to you due to the Doppler Effect?"'' | ||
|About one sixth of the {{w|speed of light}}. | |About one sixth of the {{w|speed of light}}. | ||
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!14 | !14 | ||
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|''"What would happen if you opened a portal between Boston (sea level) and Mexico City (elev. 8000+ feet)?"'' | |''"What would happen if you opened a portal between Boston (sea level) and Mexico City (elev. 8000+ feet)?"'' | ||
|There would be winds of 440 mph (708 km/h) sucking Boston into Mexico City. | |There would be winds of 440 mph (708 km/h) sucking Boston into Mexico City. | ||
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|''"When my wife and I started dating she invited me over for dinner at one time. Her kitchen had something called Bauhaus chairs, which are full of holes, approx 5‑6 millimeters in diameter in both back and seat. During this lovely dinner I was forced to liberate a small portion of wind and was relieved that I managed to do so very discretely. Only to find that the chair I sat on converted the successful silence into a perfect, and loud, flute note. We were both (luckily) amazed and surprised and I have often wondered what the odds are for something like that happening. We kept the chairs for five years but despite laborious attempts it couldn't be reproduced."'' | |''"When my wife and I started dating she invited me over for dinner at one time. Her kitchen had something called Bauhaus chairs, which are full of holes, approx 5‑6 millimeters in diameter in both back and seat. During this lovely dinner I was forced to liberate a small portion of wind and was relieved that I managed to do so very discretely. Only to find that the chair I sat on converted the successful silence into a perfect, and loud, flute note. We were both (luckily) amazed and surprised and I have often wondered what the odds are for something like that happening. We kept the chairs for five years but despite laborious attempts it couldn't be reproduced."'' | ||
|This... isn’t actually a question, but thank you for sharing! | |This... isn’t actually a question, but thank you for sharing! | ||
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!15 | !15 | ||
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|''"What if you exploded a nuclear bomb (say, the Tsar Bomba) at the bottom of the Marianas Trench?"'' | |''"What if you exploded a nuclear bomb (say, the Tsar Bomba) at the bottom of the Marianas Trench?"'' | ||
|It would warm a small patch of the ocean and not do much. With a bigger bomb, it could destroy the world. | |It would warm a small patch of the ocean and not do much. With a bigger bomb, it could destroy the world. | ||
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!16 | !16 | ||
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|'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | |'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | ||
|''"How dangerous is it to be in a pool during a thunderstorm?"'' | |''"How dangerous is it to be in a pool during a thunderstorm?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | |'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | ||
|''"What would happen if you were taking a shower or standing under a waterfall when you were struck by lightning?"'' | |''"What would happen if you were taking a shower or standing under a waterfall when you were struck by lightning?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | |'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | ||
|''"What would happen if you were in a boat, plane or a submarine that got hit by lightning?"'' | |''"What would happen if you were in a boat, plane or a submarine that got hit by lightning?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | |'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | ||
|''"What if you were changing the light at the top of a radio tower and lightning struck? Or what if you were doing a backflip? Or standing in a graphite field? Or looking straight up at the bolt?"'' | |''"What if you were changing the light at the top of a radio tower and lightning struck? Or what if you were doing a backflip? Or standing in a graphite field? Or looking straight up at the bolt?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | |'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | ||
|''"What would happen if lightning struck a bullet in midair?"'' | |''"What would happen if lightning struck a bullet in midair?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | |'''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''' | ||
|''"What if you were flashing your BIOS during a thunderstorm and you got hit by lightning?"'' | |''"What if you were flashing your BIOS during a thunderstorm and you got hit by lightning?"'' | ||
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|''"If cows could photosynthesize, how much less food would they need?"'' | |''"If cows could photosynthesize, how much less food would they need?"'' | ||
|4% less. There just isn't enough area. | |4% less. There just isn't enough area. | ||
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!18 | !18 | ||
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|''"In Armageddon, a NASA guy comments that a plan to shoot a laser at the asteroid is like “shooting a b.b. gun at a freight train.” What would it take to stop an out‑of‑control freight train using only b.b. guns?"'' | |''"In Armageddon, a NASA guy comments that a plan to shoot a laser at the asteroid is like “shooting a b.b. gun at a freight train.” What would it take to stop an out‑of‑control freight train using only b.b. guns?"'' | ||
|40000 people and some magic. Stopping an asteroid with a laser on the other hand is a lot easier. | |40000 people and some magic. Stopping an asteroid with a laser on the other hand is a lot easier. | ||
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!19 | !19 | ||
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|'''{{what if|19|Tie Vote}}''' | |'''{{what if|19|Tie Vote}}''' | ||
|''"What if there's LITERALLY a tie?"'' | |''"What if there's LITERALLY a tie?"'' | ||
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|2012‑11‑13 | |2012‑11‑13 | ||
1w later | 1w later | ||
| − | |[[File:Diamond.png| | + | |[[File:Diamond.png|138x138px]] |
|'''{{what if|20|Diamond}}''' | |'''{{what if|20|Diamond}}''' | ||
|''"If a meteor made out of diamond and 100 feet in diameter was traveling at the speed of light and hit the earth, what would happen to it?"'' | |''"If a meteor made out of diamond and 100 feet in diameter was traveling at the speed of light and hit the earth, what would happen to it?"'' | ||
|Nothing made of matter can travel at the speed of light, but at the closest speed observed (99.99999999999999999999951% of the speed of light, the speed of the Oh My God Particle), the Earth would explode with enough force to obliterate the entire solar system. | |Nothing made of matter can travel at the speed of light, but at the closest speed observed (99.99999999999999999999951% of the speed of light, the speed of the Oh My God Particle), the Earth would explode with enough force to obliterate the entire solar system. | ||
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|''"Is it possible to build a jetpack using downward firing machine guns?"'' | |''"Is it possible to build a jetpack using downward firing machine guns?"'' | ||
|Yes, but you need to talk to the Russians to do it right. | |Yes, but you need to talk to the Russians to do it right. | ||
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|''"If you carry a penny in your coin tray, how long would it take for that penny to cost you more than a cent in extra gas?"'' | |''"If you carry a penny in your coin tray, how long would it take for that penny to cost you more than a cent in extra gas?"'' | ||
|Never. | |Never. | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"If my printer could literally print out money, would it have that big an effect on the world?"'' | |''"If my printer could literally print out money, would it have that big an effect on the world?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"What would happen if you exploded a nuclear bomb in the eye of a hurricane? Would the storm cell be immediately vaporized?"'' | |''"What would happen if you exploded a nuclear bomb in the eye of a hurricane? Would the storm cell be immediately vaporized?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"If everyone put little turbine generators on the downspouts of their houses and businesses, how much power would we generate? Would we ever generate enough power to offset the cost of the generators?"'' | |''"If everyone put little turbine generators on the downspouts of their houses and businesses, how much power would we generate? Would we ever generate enough power to offset the cost of the generators?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"Using only pronounceable letter combinations, how long would names have to be to give each star in the universe a unique one word name?"'' | |''"Using only pronounceable letter combinations, how long would names have to be to give each star in the universe a unique one word name?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"I bike to class sometimes. It's annoying biking in the wintertime, because it's so cold. How fast would I have to bike for my skin to warm up the way a spacecraft heats up during reentry?"'' | |''"I bike to class sometimes. It's annoying biking in the wintertime, because it's so cold. How fast would I have to bike for my skin to warm up the way a spacecraft heats up during reentry?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"How much physical space does the internet take up?"'' | |''"How much physical space does the internet take up?"'' | ||
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|'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | |'''{{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}''' | ||
|''"What if you strapped C4 to a boomerang? Could this be an effective weapon, or would it be as stupid as it sounds?"'' | |''"What if you strapped C4 to a boomerang? Could this be an effective weapon, or would it be as stupid as it sounds?"'' | ||
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|''"How many model rocket engines would it take to launch a real rocket into space?"'' | |''"How many model rocket engines would it take to launch a real rocket into space?"'' | ||
|About 65,000, give or take a few. | |About 65,000, give or take a few. | ||
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|''"The story of the three wise men got me wondering: What if you did walk towards a star at a fixed speed? What path would you trace on the Earth? Does it converge to a fixed cycle?"'' | |''"The story of the three wise men got me wondering: What if you did walk towards a star at a fixed speed? What path would you trace on the Earth? Does it converge to a fixed cycle?"'' | ||
|No, but it does make some really cool patterns. The word "Bethlehem" was misspelled in this article. | |No, but it does make some really cool patterns. The word "Bethlehem" was misspelled in this article. | ||
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!26 | !26 | ||
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|''"Every now and then we have to insert a leap second because the Earth’s rotation is slowing down. Could we speed up Earth’s rotation, so that we do not need Leap Seconds?"'' | |''"Every now and then we have to insert a leap second because the Earth’s rotation is slowing down. Could we speed up Earth’s rotation, so that we do not need Leap Seconds?"'' | ||
|With 50 000 planets B-612 hitting the Earth each second and a few assumptions, we could stop worrying about leap seconds. | |With 50 000 planets B-612 hitting the Earth each second and a few assumptions, we could stop worrying about leap seconds. | ||
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|''"If one randomly chosen extra person were to die each second somewhere on Earth, what impact would it have on the world population?"'' | |''"If one randomly chosen extra person were to die each second somewhere on Earth, what impact would it have on the world population?"'' | ||
|Not much. The world just has too many people. | |Not much. The world just has too many people. | ||
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!28 | !28 | ||
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|''"From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?"'' | |''"From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?"'' | ||
|From the very edge of the atmosphere and even then it might not be fully cooked. | |From the very edge of the atmosphere and even then it might not be fully cooked. | ||
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|''"What would happen if you tried to fly a normal Earth airplane above different Solar System bodies?"'' | |''"What would happen if you tried to fly a normal Earth airplane above different Solar System bodies?"'' | ||
|It would be difficult to fly on Mars, so you would crash. The gas giants also have this problem, and you would freeze and tumble. Titan and Venus are the best bets, but Titan is cold and Venus is full of sulfuric acid. | |It would be difficult to fly on Mars, so you would crash. The gas giants also have this problem, and you would freeze and tumble. Titan and Venus are the best bets, but Titan is cold and Venus is full of sulfuric acid. | ||
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|''"When ‑ if ever ‑ will the bandwidth of the Internet surpass that of FedEx?"'' | |''"When ‑ if ever ‑ will the bandwidth of the Internet surpass that of FedEx?"'' | ||
|NEVER!!! | |NEVER!!! | ||
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|''"How much would the sea level fall if every ship were removed all at once from the Earth's waters?"'' | |''"How much would the sea level fall if every ship were removed all at once from the Earth's waters?"'' | ||
|Less than a human hair's width. | |Less than a human hair's width. | ||
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|''"How many unique English tweets are possible? How long would it take for the population of the world to read them all out loud?"'' | |''"How many unique English tweets are possible? How long would it take for the population of the world to read them all out loud?"'' | ||
|Forever, literally. | |Forever, literally. | ||
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!35 | !35 | ||
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|''"What would happen if a hair dryer with continuous power was turned on and put in an airtight 1x1x1 meter box?"'' | |''"What would happen if a hair dryer with continuous power was turned on and put in an airtight 1x1x1 meter box?"'' | ||
|Bad things. Like lava, and the burning of North America. | |Bad things. Like lava, and the burning of North America. | ||
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|''"How much cornstarch can I rinse down the drain before unpleasant things start to happen?"'' | |''"How much cornstarch can I rinse down the drain before unpleasant things start to happen?"'' | ||
|Define unpleasant. [[Megan]] seems to be having fun. | |Define unpleasant. [[Megan]] seems to be having fun. | ||
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|''"What if you somehow managed to make a stereo travel at twice the speed of sound, would it sound backwards to someone who was just casually sitting somewhere as it flies by?"'' | |''"What if you somehow managed to make a stereo travel at twice the speed of sound, would it sound backwards to someone who was just casually sitting somewhere as it flies by?"'' | ||
|Assuming the stereo is indestructible then yes. | |Assuming the stereo is indestructible then yes. | ||
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|''"With today's technology, would it be possible to launch an unmanned mission to retrieve Voyager I?"'' | |''"With today's technology, would it be possible to launch an unmanned mission to retrieve Voyager I?"'' | ||
|We could possibly spend a ton of money and resources to get a probe to Voyager. Getting it back is another story. | |We could possibly spend a ton of money and resources to get a probe to Voyager. Getting it back is another story. | ||
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|- | |- | ||
!39 | !39 | ||
| Line 494: | Line 597: | ||
|''"How hard would a puck have to be shot to be able to knock the goalie himself backwards into the net?"'' | |''"How hard would a puck have to be shot to be able to knock the goalie himself backwards into the net?"'' | ||
|This is another impossible scenario. | |This is another impossible scenario. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!40 | !40 | ||
| Line 502: | Line 607: | ||
|''"Am I right to be afraid of pressure cookers? What's the worst thing that can happen if you misuse a pressure cooker in an ordinary kitchen?"'' | |''"Am I right to be afraid of pressure cookers? What's the worst thing that can happen if you misuse a pressure cooker in an ordinary kitchen?"'' | ||
|The worst thing? Science. | |The worst thing? Science. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!41 | !41 | ||
| Line 510: | Line 617: | ||
|''"If everybody in the US drove west, could we temporarily halt continental drift?"'' | |''"If everybody in the US drove west, could we temporarily halt continental drift?"'' | ||
|Not even by a bit. | |Not even by a bit. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!42 | !42 | ||
| Line 518: | Line 627: | ||
|''"What is the longest possible sunset you can experience while driving, assuming we are obeying the speed limit and driving on paved roads?"'' | |''"What is the longest possible sunset you can experience while driving, assuming we are obeying the speed limit and driving on paved roads?"'' | ||
|95 minutes at the right place at the right time. | |95 minutes at the right place at the right time. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!43 | !43 | ||
| Line 526: | Line 637: | ||
|''"Could a high‑speed train run through a vertical loop, like a rollercoaster, with the passengers staying comfortable?"'' | |''"Could a high‑speed train run through a vertical loop, like a rollercoaster, with the passengers staying comfortable?"'' | ||
|No, not even if we change the requirements to just the passengers staying alive. | |No, not even if we change the requirements to just the passengers staying alive. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!44 | !44 | ||
| Line 534: | Line 647: | ||
|''"How high can a human throw something?"'' | |''"How high can a human throw something?"'' | ||
|16 giraffes. | |16 giraffes. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!45 | !45 | ||
| Line 542: | Line 657: | ||
|''"Is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo this] the most expensive music video ever?"'' | |''"Is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo this] the most expensive music video ever?"'' | ||
|No. Just no. | |No. Just no. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!46 | !46 | ||
| Line 550: | Line 667: | ||
|''"I've been told that if the Earth were shrunk down to the size of a bowling ball, it would be smoother than said bowling ball. My question is, what would a bowling ball look like if it were blown up to the size of the Earth?"'' | |''"I've been told that if the Earth were shrunk down to the size of a bowling ball, it would be smoother than said bowling ball. My question is, what would a bowling ball look like if it were blown up to the size of the Earth?"'' | ||
|The finger holes would collapse and then not much would happen. | |The finger holes would collapse and then not much would happen. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!47 | !47 | ||
| Line 558: | Line 677: | ||
|''"Let's assume there's life on the the nearest habitable exoplanet and that they have technology comparable to ours. If they looked at our star right now, what would they see?"'' | |''"Let's assume there's life on the the nearest habitable exoplanet and that they have technology comparable to ours. If they looked at our star right now, what would they see?"'' | ||
|They would see pretty much nothing with regular telescopes. The detection could be possible with radio technology. | |They would see pretty much nothing with regular telescopes. The detection could be possible with radio technology. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!48 | !48 | ||
| Line 566: | Line 687: | ||
|''"When (if ever) did the Sun finally set on the British Empire?"'' | |''"When (if ever) did the Sun finally set on the British Empire?"'' | ||
|It hasn't set and it won't for thousands of years. | |It hasn't set and it won't for thousands of years. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!49 | !49 | ||
| Line 574: | Line 697: | ||
|''"What would happen to the Earth if the Sun suddenly switched off?"'' | |''"What would happen to the Earth if the Sun suddenly switched off?"'' | ||
|We would see a variety of benefits across our lives but we would also freeze and die. | |We would see a variety of benefits across our lives but we would also freeze and die. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!50 | !50 | ||
| Line 581: | Line 706: | ||
|'''{{what if|50|Extreme Boating}}''' | |'''{{what if|50|Extreme Boating}}''' | ||
|''"What would it be like to navigate a rowboat through a lake of mercury? What about bromine? Liquid gallium? Liquid tungsten? Liquid nitrogen? Liquid helium?"'' | |''"What would it be like to navigate a rowboat through a lake of mercury? What about bromine? Liquid gallium? Liquid tungsten? Liquid nitrogen? Liquid helium?"'' | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 590: | Line 717: | ||
|''"What place on Earth would allow you to freefall the longest by jumping off it? What about using a squirrel suit?"'' | |''"What place on Earth would allow you to freefall the longest by jumping off it? What about using a squirrel suit?"'' | ||
|Mount Thor would allow the longest fall an‑AAAAAAAAAAA... | |Mount Thor would allow the longest fall an‑AAAAAAAAAAA... | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!52 | !52 | ||
| Line 598: | Line 727: | ||
|''"What if one were to drop 3,000 bouncy balls from a seven story parking structure onto a person walking on the sidewalk below? Should the person survive, what would be the number of bouncy balls needed to kill them? What injuries would occur and what would the associated crimes be?"'' | |''"What if one were to drop 3,000 bouncy balls from a seven story parking structure onto a person walking on the sidewalk below? Should the person survive, what would be the number of bouncy balls needed to kill them? What injuries would occur and what would the associated crimes be?"'' | ||
|Around 3 000 000 balls. Death would occur and you would be charged with '''manslaughter''' or '''murder'''. | |Around 3 000 000 balls. Death would occur and you would be charged with '''manslaughter''' or '''murder'''. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!53 | !53 | ||
| Line 606: | Line 737: | ||
|''"How quickly would the ocean's drain if a circular portal 10 meters in radius leading into space was created at the bottom of Challenger Deep, the deepest spot in the ocean? How would the Earth change as the water is being drained?"'' | |''"How quickly would the ocean's drain if a circular portal 10 meters in radius leading into space was created at the bottom of Challenger Deep, the deepest spot in the ocean? How would the Earth change as the water is being drained?"'' | ||
|NETHERLANDS RULE!!! P.S., everyone dies, new islands everywhere. | |NETHERLANDS RULE!!! P.S., everyone dies, new islands everywhere. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!54 | !54 | ||
| Line 614: | Line 747: | ||
|''"Supposing you did {{what if|53|Drain the Oceans}}, and dumped the water on top of the Curiosity rover, how would Mars change as the water accumulated?"'' | |''"Supposing you did {{what if|53|Drain the Oceans}}, and dumped the water on top of the Curiosity rover, how would Mars change as the water accumulated?"'' | ||
|it would split into many islands and the Netherlands will take over. | |it would split into many islands and the Netherlands will take over. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!55 | !55 | ||
| Line 622: | Line 757: | ||
|''"If you call a random phone number and say “God bless you”, what are the chances that the person who answers just sneezed? On average, not just in spring or fall."'' | |''"If you call a random phone number and say “God bless you”, what are the chances that the person who answers just sneezed? On average, not just in spring or fall."'' | ||
|The chances are 1 in 40000. | |The chances are 1 in 40000. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
!56 | !56 | ||
| Line 630: | Line 767: | ||
|''"If you wanted to anchor an airplane into the ground so it wouldn't be able to take off, what would the rope have to be made out of?"'' | |''"If you wanted to anchor an airplane into the ground so it wouldn't be able to take off, what would the rope have to be made out of?"'' | ||
|Whale hair. | |Whale hair. | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
|} | |} | ||
Revision as of 15:53, 19 January 2025
This is the table to edit. Before helping, read the discussion. After reading, help by:
YouTube: {{yt|YTNUMBER|DATE|YTLINK|VIDEOTITLE}}
EXAMPLE:{{yt|2|2022|12|31|https://www.youtube.com/2LSyNhb5Y|What if everyone pointed a laser at the moon?}}
Books: For the first book: {{book1|CHAPTER-NUMBER|OPTIONAL-CHAPTER-TITLE}}
For the second book: {{book2|CHAPTER-NUMBER|OPTIONAL-CHAPTER-TITLE}}
EXAMPLE:{{book2|69|Relativistic Baseball}}
|
| Update:
I hope to add all the missing articles (56-onwards) within the next 2-3 days. In the meantime, do the above. Thanks! |
</div>
| N | Date | Thumbnail | Title | Reader's question | Randall's answer | Books | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012‑07‑10 | Relativistic Baseball | "What would happen if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90% the speed of light?" | The result would be some kind of nuclear explosion, and possibly a ruling of "hit by pitch". |
| ||||
| 2 | 2012‑07‑10
0w later |
SAT Guessing | "What if everyone who took the SAT guessed on every multiple‑choice question? How many perfect scores would there be?" | No one would get a perfect score. | |||||
| 3 | 2012‑07‑17
1w later |
Yoda | "How much Force power can Yoda output?" | First regular release. From here on standard release day was Tuesday. It's about 19.2 kilowatts, or 25 horsepower. | |||||
| 4 | 2012‑07‑24
1w later |
A Mole of Moles | "What would happen if you were to gather a mole (unit of measurement) of moles (the small furry critter) in one place?" | As a mole is such a high number this would be tricky. They would condense into a pressurized sphere of meat that would freeze and occasionally explode from gases. | |||||
| 5 | 2012‑07‑31
1w later |
Robot Apocalypse | "What if there was a robot apocalypse? How long would humanity last?" | Humanity would survive if the robots cared about keeping themselves alive as well. If not, then we all die. | |||||
| 6 | 2012‑08‑07
1w later |
Glass Half Empty | "What if a glass of water was, all of a sudden, literally half empty?" | As in a vacuum? Which half are you talking about? If the vacuum is on the bottom, it would explode, but if it's on the top, the air rushes in and it becomes normal water. | |||||
| 7 | 2012‑08‑14
1w later |
Everybody Out | "Is there enough energy to move the entire current human population off‑planet?" | No, at least not without starving to death quickly and leaving our pets, belongings and everything else behind. | |||||
| 8 | 2012‑08‑21
1w later |
Everybody Jump | "What would happen if everyone on earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant?" | Earth would be unaffected, but almost all humans would probably be wiped out due to everyone trying to get home at the same time. |
| ||||
| 9 | 2012‑08‑28
1w later |
Soul Mates | "What if everyone actually had only one soul mate, a random person somewhere in the world?" | Almost nobody would find their soul mate. | |||||
| 10 | 2012‑09‑04
1w later |
Cassini | "What would the world be like if the land masses were spread out the same way as now ‑ only rotated by an angle of 90 degrees?" | Mass biosphere collapse. | |||||
| 11 | 2012‑09‑11
1w later |
Droppings | "If you went outside and lay down on your back with your mouth open, how long would you have to wait until a bird pooped in it?" | 195 years. Assuming you are in a area with a reasonable amount of birds. But why would you want to catch bird poop in your mouth? | |||||
| 12 | 2012‑09‑18
1w later |
Raindrop | "What if a rainstorm dropped all of its water in a single giant drop?" | The surrounding area would be obliterated and there would be mass confusion for many following years. | |||||
| 13 | 2012‑09‑25
1w later |
Laser Pointer | "If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at the same time, would it change color?" | Not with regular lasers, but with more power, you could destroy the world. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "How long would the Sun last if a giant water hose were focused upon it?" | The Sun would become a black hole with all the mass of the water. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "What if you shined a flashlight (or a laser) into a sphere made of one‑way mirror glass?" | One-way glass does not exist. The light shines through just like normal glass. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "If Michael Phelps could hold his breath indefinitely, how long would it take for him to reach the lowest point in the ocean and back if he swam straight down and then straight back up?" | Michael Phelps would die somewhere between 100 and 400 meters of depth. If he was immune to pressure, then it would take 3 hours to swim to the bottom of the Marianas Trench and back. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "In the first Superman movie, Superman flies around Earth so fast that it begins turning in the opposite direction. This somehow turns back time [... ] How much energy would someone flying around the Earth have to exert in order to reverse the Earth's rotation?" | Superman wasn't pushing the Earth. He was flying superluminally and was thus travelling back through time. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "How fast would you have to go in your car to run a red light claiming that it appeared green to you due to the Doppler Effect?" | About one sixth of the speed of light. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "What would happen if you opened a portal between Boston (sea level) and Mexico City (elev. 8000+ feet)?" | There would be winds of 440 mph (708 km/h) sucking Boston into Mexico City. | |||||
| 14 | 2012‑10‑02
1w later |
Short Answer Section | "When my wife and I started dating she invited me over for dinner at one time. Her kitchen had something called Bauhaus chairs, which are full of holes, approx 5‑6 millimeters in diameter in both back and seat. During this lovely dinner I was forced to liberate a small portion of wind and was relieved that I managed to do so very discretely. Only to find that the chair I sat on converted the successful silence into a perfect, and loud, flute note. We were both (luckily) amazed and surprised and I have often wondered what the odds are for something like that happening. We kept the chairs for five years but despite laborious attempts it couldn't be reproduced." | This... isn’t actually a question, but thank you for sharing! | |||||
| 15 | 2012‑10‑09
1w later |
Mariana Trench Explosion | "What if you exploded a nuclear bomb (say, the Tsar Bomba) at the bottom of the Marianas Trench?" | It would warm a small patch of the ocean and not do much. With a bigger bomb, it could destroy the world. | |||||
| 16 | 2012‑10‑16
1w later |
Today's topic: Lightning | "How dangerous is it to be in a pool during a thunderstorm?" | ||||||
| 16 | 2012‑10‑16
1w later |
Today's topic: Lightning | "What would happen if you were taking a shower or standing under a waterfall when you were struck by lightning?" | ||||||
| 16 | 2012‑10‑16
1w later |
Today's topic: Lightning | "What would happen if you were in a boat, plane or a submarine that got hit by lightning?" | ||||||
| 16 | 2012‑10‑16
1w later |
Today's topic: Lightning | "What if you were changing the light at the top of a radio tower and lightning struck? Or what if you were doing a backflip? Or standing in a graphite field? Or looking straight up at the bolt?" | ||||||
| 16 | 2012‑10‑16
1w later |
Today's topic: Lightning | "What would happen if lightning struck a bullet in midair?" | ||||||
| 16 | 2012‑10‑16
1w later |
Today's topic: Lightning | "What if you were flashing your BIOS during a thunderstorm and you got hit by lightning?" | ||||||
| 17 | 2012‑10‑23
1w later |
Green Cows | "If cows could photosynthesize, how much less food would they need?" | 4% less. There just isn't enough area. | |||||
| 18 | 2012‑10‑30
1w later |
BB Gun | "In Armageddon, a NASA guy comments that a plan to shoot a laser at the asteroid is like “shooting a b.b. gun at a freight train.” What would it take to stop an out‑of‑control freight train using only b.b. guns?" | 40000 people and some magic. Stopping an asteroid with a laser on the other hand is a lot easier. | |||||
| 19 | 2012‑11‑06
1w later |
Tie Vote | "What if there's LITERALLY a tie?" | ||||||
| 20 | 2012‑11‑13
1w later |
Diamond | "If a meteor made out of diamond and 100 feet in diameter was traveling at the speed of light and hit the earth, what would happen to it?" | Nothing made of matter can travel at the speed of light, but at the closest speed observed (99.99999999999999999999951% of the speed of light, the speed of the Oh My God Particle), the Earth would explode with enough force to obliterate the entire solar system. | |||||
| 21 | 2012‑11‑20
1w later |
Machine Gun Jetpack | "Is it possible to build a jetpack using downward firing machine guns?" | Yes, but you need to talk to the Russians to do it right. | |||||
| 22 | 2012‑11‑27
1w later |
Cost of Pennies | "If you carry a penny in your coin tray, how long would it take for that penny to cost you more than a cent in extra gas?" | Never. | |||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "If my printer could literally print out money, would it have that big an effect on the world?" | ||||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "What would happen if you exploded a nuclear bomb in the eye of a hurricane? Would the storm cell be immediately vaporized?" | ||||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "If everyone put little turbine generators on the downspouts of their houses and businesses, how much power would we generate? Would we ever generate enough power to offset the cost of the generators?" | ||||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "Using only pronounceable letter combinations, how long would names have to be to give each star in the universe a unique one word name?" | ||||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "I bike to class sometimes. It's annoying biking in the wintertime, because it's so cold. How fast would I have to bike for my skin to warm up the way a spacecraft heats up during reentry?" | ||||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "How much physical space does the internet take up?" | ||||||
| 23 | 2012‑12‑04
1w later |
Short Answer Section II | "What if you strapped C4 to a boomerang? Could this be an effective weapon, or would it be as stupid as it sounds?" | ||||||
| 24 | 2012‑12‑11
1w later |
Model Rockets | "How many model rocket engines would it take to launch a real rocket into space?" | About 65,000, give or take a few. | |||||
| 25 | 2012‑12‑18
1w later |
Three Wise Men | "The story of the three wise men got me wondering: What if you did walk towards a star at a fixed speed? What path would you trace on the Earth? Does it converge to a fixed cycle?" | No, but it does make some really cool patterns. The word "Bethlehem" was misspelled in this article. | |||||
| 26 | 2012‑12‑31 2w later | Leap Seconds | "Every now and then we have to insert a leap second because the Earth’s rotation is slowing down. Could we speed up Earth’s rotation, so that we do not need Leap Seconds?" | With 50 000 planets B-612 hitting the Earth each second and a few assumptions, we could stop worrying about leap seconds. | |||||
| 27 | 2013‑01‑08
1w later |
Death Rates | "If one randomly chosen extra person were to die each second somewhere on Earth, what impact would it have on the world population?" | Not much. The world just has too many people. | |||||
| 28 | 2013‑01‑15
1w later |
Steak Drop | "From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?" | From the very edge of the atmosphere and even then it might not be fully cooked. | |||||
| 29 | 2013‑01‑22
1w later |
Spent Fuel Pool | "What if I took a swim in a typical spent nuclear fuel pool? Would I need to dive to actually experience a fatal amount of radiation? How long could I stay safely at the surface?" | As long as you don't touch strange things and you don't swim too close to the fuel rods, it would be just like a regular pool. Except for the fact you would never make it to the pool. |
| ||||
| 30 | 2013‑01‑29
1w later |
Interplanetary Cessna | "What would happen if you tried to fly a normal Earth airplane above different Solar System bodies?" | It would be difficult to fly on Mars, so you would crash. The gas giants also have this problem, and you would freeze and tumble. Titan and Venus are the best bets, but Titan is cold and Venus is full of sulfuric acid. | |||||
| 31 | 2013‑02‑05
1w later |
FedEx Bandwidth | "When ‑ if ever ‑ will the bandwidth of the Internet surpass that of FedEx?" | NEVER!!! | |||||
| 32 | 2013‑02‑12
1w later |
Hubble | "If the Hubble telescope were aimed at the Earth, how detailed would the images be?" | A smudge of colour. |
| ||||
| 33 | 2013‑02‑19
1w later |
Ships | "How much would the sea level fall if every ship were removed all at once from the Earth's waters?" | Less than a human hair's width. | |||||
| 34 | 2013‑02‑26
1w later |
100px | "How many unique English tweets are possible? How long would it take for the population of the world to read them all out loud?" | Forever, literally. | |||||
| 35 | 2013‑03‑05
1w later |
Hair Dryer | "What would happen if a hair dryer with continuous power was turned on and put in an airtight 1x1x1 meter box?" | Bad things. Like lava, and the burning of North America. | |||||
| 36 | 2013‑03‑12
1w later |
Cornstarch | "How much cornstarch can I rinse down the drain before unpleasant things start to happen?" | Define unpleasant. Megan seems to be having fun. | |||||
| 37 | 2013‑03‑19
1w later |
Supersonic Stereo | "What if you somehow managed to make a stereo travel at twice the speed of sound, would it sound backwards to someone who was just casually sitting somewhere as it flies by?" | Assuming the stereo is indestructible then yes. | |||||
| 38 | 2013‑03‑26
1w later |
100px | Voyager | "With today's technology, would it be possible to launch an unmanned mission to retrieve Voyager I?" | We could possibly spend a ton of money and resources to get a probe to Voyager. Getting it back is another story. | ||||
| 39 | 2013‑04‑02
1w later |
Hockey Puck | "How hard would a puck have to be shot to be able to knock the goalie himself backwards into the net?" | This is another impossible scenario. | |||||
| 40 | 2013‑04‑09
1w later |
Pressure Cooker | "Am I right to be afraid of pressure cookers? What's the worst thing that can happen if you misuse a pressure cooker in an ordinary kitchen?" | The worst thing? Science. | |||||
| 41 | 2013‑04‑16
1w later |
Go West | "If everybody in the US drove west, could we temporarily halt continental drift?" | Not even by a bit. | |||||
| 42 | 2013‑04‑23
1w later |
Longest Sunset | "What is the longest possible sunset you can experience while driving, assuming we are obeying the speed limit and driving on paved roads?" | 95 minutes at the right place at the right time. | |||||
| 43 | 2013‑04‑30
1w later |
Train Loop | "Could a high‑speed train run through a vertical loop, like a rollercoaster, with the passengers staying comfortable?" | No, not even if we change the requirements to just the passengers staying alive. | |||||
| 44 | 2013‑05‑07
1w later |
High Throw | "How high can a human throw something?" | 16 giraffes. | |||||
| 45 | 2013‑05‑14
1w later |
ISS Music Video | "Is this the most expensive music video ever?" | No. Just no. | |||||
| 46 | 2013‑05‑21
1w later |
Bowling Ball | "I've been told that if the Earth were shrunk down to the size of a bowling ball, it would be smoother than said bowling ball. My question is, what would a bowling ball look like if it were blown up to the size of the Earth?" | The finger holes would collapse and then not much would happen. | |||||
| 47 | 2013‑05‑28
1w later |
Alien Astronomers | "Let's assume there's life on the the nearest habitable exoplanet and that they have technology comparable to ours. If they looked at our star right now, what would they see?" | They would see pretty much nothing with regular telescopes. The detection could be possible with radio technology. | |||||
| 48 | 2013‑06‑04
1w later |
Sunset on the British Empire | "When (if ever) did the Sun finally set on the British Empire?" | It hasn't set and it won't for thousands of years. | |||||
| 49 | 2013‑06‑11
1w later |
Sunless Earth | "What would happen to the Earth if the Sun suddenly switched off?" | We would see a variety of benefits across our lives but we would also freeze and die. | |||||
| 50 | 2013‑06‑18
1w later |
Extreme Boating | "What would it be like to navigate a rowboat through a lake of mercury? What about bromine? Liquid gallium? Liquid tungsten? Liquid nitrogen? Liquid helium?" | ||||||
| 51 | 2013‑06‑25
1w later |
Free Fall | "What place on Earth would allow you to freefall the longest by jumping off it? What about using a squirrel suit?" | Mount Thor would allow the longest fall an‑AAAAAAAAAAA... | |||||
| 52 | 2013‑07‑02
1w later |
Bouncy Balls | "What if one were to drop 3,000 bouncy balls from a seven story parking structure onto a person walking on the sidewalk below? Should the person survive, what would be the number of bouncy balls needed to kill them? What injuries would occur and what would the associated crimes be?" | Around 3 000 000 balls. Death would occur and you would be charged with manslaughter or murder. | |||||
| 53 | 2013‑07‑09
1w later |
Drain the Oceans | "How quickly would the ocean's drain if a circular portal 10 meters in radius leading into space was created at the bottom of Challenger Deep, the deepest spot in the ocean? How would the Earth change as the water is being drained?" | NETHERLANDS RULE!!! P.S., everyone dies, new islands everywhere. | |||||
| 54 | 2013‑07‑16
1w later |
Drain the Oceans: Part II | "Supposing you did Drain the Oceans, and dumped the water on top of the Curiosity rover, how would Mars change as the water accumulated?" | it would split into many islands and the Netherlands will take over. | |||||
| 55 | 2013‑07‑23
1w later |
Random Sneeze Call | "If you call a random phone number and say “God bless you”, what are the chances that the person who answers just sneezed? On average, not just in spring or fall." | The chances are 1 in 40000. | |||||
| 56 | 2013‑07‑30
1w later |
Restraining an Airplane | "If you wanted to anchor an airplane into the ground so it wouldn't be able to take off, what would the rope have to be made out of?" | Whale hair. |
