WHAT IF: The Earth Wasn’t Tilted?
Every Wednesday, we’re asking a what-if question – how would our world be different if something were changed? Today’s question is from QSFer Julie Garrett: What if the Earth didn’t … Read more
earth
SPACE: Asteroid Bennu Totally Won’t Hit Earth in 2035. Probably.
An asteroid known as Bennu will pass within half the distance of the Earth to the Moon in the year 2135 but the probability of an impact with our planet … Read more
What If: The Earth Was Really Flat?
Earth — the blue marble — is our spherical home. But what if Earth were flat? After all, some people truly believe in this retrograde idea. How would everyday life … Read more
WHAT IF: Earth Stopped Spinning?
Earth is steadily spinning like a top, even if we can’t see, touch, hear or feel it. So, what would happen if Earth were to abruptly stop rotating? If the … Read more
What If: The Moon Were Twice as Close to the Earth?
In the 2003 Jim Carrey movie “Bruce Almighty,” Carrey’s character suddenly acquires God-like powers, and uses those powers to lasso the full moon and pull it closer to Earth to … Read more
SPACE: Lots of Alien Worlds Could Know We’re Here
At least 1,715 nearby star systems sat at a perfect angle to view Earth during the past 5,000 years, meaning aliens living in those systems, if they exist and have … Read more
How Do You Fight Space Junk? With Lasers, Of Course!
Telescope operators figured out years ago how to make the stars stop twinkling. Now, a team of Australian scientists wants to use the same technology to track space junk and … Read more
Is There a Protoplanet Inside the Earth?
A protoplanet slammed into the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago, knocking loose a chunk of rock that would later become the moon. Now, scientists say that remnants of that … Read more
What if Earth’s Magnetic Field Flips Again?
A reversal in Earth’s magnetic field thousands of years ago plunged the planet into an environmental crisis that may have resembled “a disaster movie,” scientists recently discovered. Our planet’s magnetic … Read more
Earth’s 200 Million Year Growth Spurt
Around 3 billion years ago, Earth’s crust ballooned during a massive growth spurt, geoscientists have found. At that time, just 1.5 billion years after Earth formed, the mantle — the … Read more