A Human Free Earth And Other Wild What-If Scenarios

Bright Side

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Transcript

00:00:00If you were to look at Earth from the International Space Station at night, you'd be able to

00:00:05see the lights of the cities from space.

00:00:07That's how big our impact as a species is.

00:00:10There are huge multicultural cities all around the world.

00:00:14We've built buildings so high they nearly disappear out of sight.

00:00:18Cities built from the ground up for thousands and thousands of people to live in.

00:00:23But oh, what's this?

00:00:25What a beautiful monkey!

00:00:27What are you doing there, buddy?

00:00:28You want that banana?

00:00:29Yeah, it looks delicious.

00:00:31Be careful now, don't fall down that tree!

00:00:34Oops!

00:00:35Boy, nature can be so brutal sometimes.

00:00:38I'll bet it didn't wake up thinking it was gonna become a lion's breakfast.

00:00:42What?

00:00:43No humans?

00:00:44Where did they all go?

00:00:46Looks like when that monkey fell from the tree, it created a chain of events that led

00:00:50to no humans ever existing on Earth.

00:00:54I know what this is.

00:00:55We must be in an alternate universe.

00:00:58Well, let's skip a few thousand years ahead.

00:01:01What does Earth look like?

00:01:03Humans have altered about 50% or more of the planet's surface.

00:01:07So there aren't going to be any cities or landscape previously shaped by us in this

00:01:11reality.

00:01:12There's not going to be a human touch at all.

00:01:15The Earth now seems to be an animal paradise.

00:01:18They're everywhere.

00:01:19These animals that were previously only found in Africa are now all over different continents.

00:01:25There are lions roaming free in America.

00:01:27Oh, and look!

00:01:28In Europe, there are rhinos, elephants, wolves, wow, moose, even bears are here!

00:01:35Since there are no humans taking up most of Earth's space, mammals are now free to be

00:01:40everywhere.

00:01:41Well, you know, different mammals than us.

00:01:43There's a huge diversity of them too.

00:01:46Earth has become what seems to be an expansion of the Africa we know today, in terms of animal

00:01:52species.

00:01:53You can see large mammals too.

00:01:55Giant sloths, saber-tooths, and even mastodons are now walking the Earth like in the olden

00:02:01times.

00:02:02The reason why our Earth isn't like this is that humans take up a lot of the available

00:02:06space with their structures.

00:02:08For example, the reason why there's so much animal diversity in Africa in our universe

00:02:13isn't that the continent is just suited for animals to thrive.

00:02:18It's mostly because we haven't been too active in a big part of the continent.

00:02:22Our ancestors had a lot to do with the extinction of large mammals.

00:02:26Ice Age wasn't the only culprit there.

00:02:29On our Earth, humans are the intelligent life form.

00:02:33How about on this planet?

00:02:35As you might know, natural selection is what guides evolution.

00:02:39This, combined with random mutations we can observe in some species, suggests that even

00:02:44without humans on Earth, there's a chance for intelligent life to develop.

00:02:49So primates are now the dominant life form.

00:02:52Or maybe the meerkats evolved into a dominant species.

00:02:56The climate on this Earth is also cooler than ours.

00:02:59That's because there are no greenhouse gases.

00:03:02According to NASA, the current Earth warming trend is likely the result of human activity

00:03:07since the 1950s.

00:03:09This means the increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are the reason why

00:03:14our planet warms up.

00:03:16Greenhouse gases are called like this because, just like a greenhouse, they trap the heat.

00:03:22They let sunlight pass through the atmosphere, but the heat it brings doesn't leave our

00:03:26atmosphere because of them.

00:03:28They're a good thing because otherwise, life on Earth wouldn't even be possible.

00:03:33But because now they're too abundant, it causes the planet to warm more than it should.

00:03:38Now, let's go back to our alternate Earth.

00:03:41In the water, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is still fully intact.

00:03:46And it's still the largest coral reef system there is, as well as the biggest living organism

00:03:51on the planet, just like ours.

00:03:53This new Earth is also full of trees, and lush ones at that.

00:03:58Greenery everywhere.

00:03:59All sorts of trees exist and are home to all the different animals on the planet.

00:04:04And since there's no deforestation, the planet's lungs, the Amazon rainforest, is

00:04:09able to thrive and is looking more alive and vibrant than ever.

00:04:14But say, what if humans were to show up on this Earth right now, maybe this year, or

00:04:19the year before?

00:04:20They certainly wouldn't be the dominant species immediately, and would probably struggle

00:04:25at the very beginning.

00:04:27The evolution and learning process would be a slow one until they find themselves at the

00:04:32top.

00:04:33They have to adapt to their new home.

00:04:36This would be like traveling to around 130,000 years ago in our reality, to a place where

00:04:42modern humans, or Homo sapiens, had just shown up.

00:04:46Humans back then weren't new.

00:04:48The only new thing about them was that they evolved into Homo sapiens.

00:04:52It wasn't like we were dropped off from a spaceship onto Earth or anything like that.

00:04:57But in this alternative reality, that's exactly what happened.

00:05:01A bunch of humans were dropped from the sky on Earth.

00:05:05Now they must learn everything from the ground up.

00:05:08They need to figure out how to survive and thrive in their new environment.

00:05:12They have to hunt for their own food, and they need to take what they can from the planet,

00:05:17much like we did 130,000 years ago.

00:05:20These new humans are nomads.

00:05:22They can't settle in one exact place because they need to explore and understand their

00:05:27surroundings, just like the animals that surround them.

00:05:31As their groups become larger, they split into smaller ones to find new places suited

00:05:36to build their homes, or even a place where survival might be easier.

00:05:41Since it's been a while that they've arrived on this new Earth, they've done some exploring

00:05:45and found themselves more comfortable in their new setting.

00:05:49Their tools are better developed, and home-like structures, like huts, finally start appearing.

00:05:5550,000 years ago, we developed our language.

00:05:58These humans also developed their own because they need to communicate better with each

00:06:02other.

00:06:03With language, they become more and more organized, and are able to make better plans

00:06:08for their future.

00:06:10All dogs come from wolves, and there are two theories of how it might've happened that

00:06:15wild beasts became humans' best friends.

00:06:18One theory says early humans somehow ended up capturing wolf pups and kept them as pets,

00:06:24and over time, they would gradually domesticate wolves.

00:06:28Another theory states that wolves actually domesticated themselves.

00:06:32It's called survival of the friendliest.

00:06:36Because both wolves and humans were hunters, wolves probably also figured out they would

00:06:41have benefits if they stuck around humans instead of competing directly with them.

00:06:46Some wolves were fearful and aggressive toward humans.

00:06:50Others might've been friendlier, which also likely gave them access to the hunters'

00:06:54food supplies.

00:06:56As time passes, modern human behavior starts showing up.

00:07:01Fixed homes begin to appear in places that benefit people.

00:07:04Maybe next to a river, or places where the soil is fertile.

00:07:08This way, they're also able to become farmers and develop agriculture.

00:07:13As they settle down, communities start arising too.

00:07:17Since they are very social beings, it's only natural they're drawn to one another.

00:07:22Modern humans are all over the planet, spread around the continents, with communities and

00:07:26families of their own, and don't forget the pets.

00:07:30The planet's landscape shifts like it did in our reality, to accommodate the needs of

00:07:35humans.

00:07:36Cultures are developed, rivalry begins, they start pushing each other to great lengths.

00:07:43Thousands and thousands more years go by, and this human society starts to look a lot

00:07:47like the one we have today.

00:07:49Still, things might've happened a different way.

00:07:53There might've already been an intelligent species they would've had to compete with,

00:07:58and then their progress would probably have staggered a bit.

00:08:02Maybe a society could emerge where different intelligent lifeforms would be able to peacefully

00:08:08coexist.

00:08:09When you enter a coffee shop, a meerkat might be your barista.

00:08:13Your landlords could be a couple of gorilla siblings.

00:08:16Or when you go to a barber shop, a primate that's only wearing a barber jacket would

00:08:21be the one to cut your hair.

00:08:24If not, it's likely things would end up the same as our reality.

00:08:28Humans would not be the most numerous species on Earth, but they would certainly still be

00:08:33the most impactful one.

00:08:37That party was wild!

00:08:40You and your friends go out of the club and call a taxi.

00:08:44Ten minutes later, you're all riding in comfort to your homes.

00:08:48From the corner of your eye, while chatting with your buddies, you register that street

00:08:52lights are out already.

00:08:54Although it's 3 AM and still dark outside.

00:08:57Eh, whatever.

00:08:59The taxi drops you at your house and speeds away.

00:09:02The driveway is dark as well.

00:09:04Everyone's probably asleep, no wonder.

00:09:07You walk to your front door.

00:09:09Ah, the motion-sensitive light doesn't turn on.

00:09:12That's weird.

00:09:13The bulb must've blown.

00:09:16You shrug and fumble for your keys in the dark.

00:09:18Ah, gotcha!

00:09:20Now be quiet not to wake everyone.

00:09:23You don't turn on the lights in the hall, take off your shoes, and tiptoe to the bathroom.

00:09:28All you need now is a good shower to wash off the sweat from all that dancing.

00:09:33You click the light switch, and nothing.

00:09:35The light doesn't turn on here either.

00:09:38Now that's not a coincidence.

00:09:40You briefly think of going to the basement and using the diesel generator, but drop the

00:09:45idea.

00:09:46The thing is too loud.

00:09:47Okay, you'll wash in the dark then.

00:09:50You turn the bathtub, but all it does is gurgle and let out a few grimy drops, and then it

00:09:56goes quiet.

00:09:57Ah, wonderful.

00:09:58No light, no water.

00:10:01The best end of the night ever.

00:10:04Annoyed, you go upstairs to your room.

00:10:07Be careful not to step on your cat on the way.

00:10:11And fall on the bed without even undressing.

00:10:13What's the point, right?

00:10:16Morning.

00:10:18You wake up feeling yucky.

00:10:19The clothes cling to your body.

00:10:21You desperately need a shower now.

00:10:25You go downstairs to the bathroom, click on the lights without thinking, and it all comes

00:10:32back to you.

00:10:33There's still no light.

00:10:35You check the tap again.

00:10:37No news there either.

00:10:39Just great.

00:10:40Okay, it's 11 am already.

00:10:43Generator it is then.

00:10:45You go to the basement and pour some gas into the tank, then turn it on.

00:10:49It begins roaring loudly, but at least it works.

00:10:53That means you have electricity now.

00:10:55As you go back up, you see your mom's woken up.

00:10:59You explain what's going on and go outside to the nearby store to get some bottled water.

00:11:05On the way, you meet one of your neighbors.

00:11:07He's carrying a gallon bottle of water in each hand.

00:11:11You quickly find out everyone seems to have the same problem.

00:11:15No light, no water.

00:11:17As you turn the corner, even from afar, you can see a line before the store entrance.

00:11:22You have to wait for a full 20 minutes before your turn comes and you take your own 2 gallons.

00:11:31The cashier informs you in a tired voice that card payments are not available due to

00:11:36power outage.

00:11:38Only cash please.

00:11:39You roll your eyes and give him 5 bucks.

00:11:42Surely it's a temporary inconvenience, nothing more.

00:11:46You go back hauling the bottles.

00:11:50It's been a full month now without electricity and tap water.

00:11:54What started as a nuisance is now turning into a full-blown disaster.

00:12:00Most public venues are closed as well as factories and even schools.

00:12:04TV isn't working either, obviously, so many people have gone unemployed.

00:12:10You had to drop your studies, helping your parents in the yard.

00:12:13They've been busy growing their own vegetables there.

00:12:17But what really worries you is that there still hasn't been any official announcement

00:12:21about what's happening.

00:12:25People are starting to gather in close communities to help each other.

00:12:29Many of those whose work was related to computers and machines are now learning to survive on

00:12:34their own without the modern conveniences.

00:12:38But even farmers have had it tough.

00:12:40They try to use machines sparingly, saving the fuel, and their work has become increasingly

00:12:45hard.

00:12:48Bottled water is becoming a luxury too.

00:12:50The prices have skyrocketed in the past few weeks, and if it doesn't get better soon,

00:12:55only select few will have access to clean water.

00:13:00At home, you only turn on the diesel generator when it's necessary, to cook food or do

00:13:05a quick clean-up once every few days.

00:13:09At other times, you don't use electricity at all.

00:13:13You're starting to get used to waking up at dawn to catch as much sunlight during the

00:13:17day as possible.

00:13:19When the sun sets, nothing can be done in the darkness, so you either go to sleep after

00:13:25a hard day's work, or burn a candle and read a good old-fashioned book.

00:13:31Half a year has passed, nothing's changing, there's still no information about what

00:13:35caused the outage, and people who went on expeditions to other towns return with the

00:13:41same news from everywhere.

00:13:43The problem seems to be global.

00:13:46Getting used to your new lifestyle, you and your parents have reorganized your household.

00:13:52You've got a couple of cows and several chickens for milk and eggs.

00:13:56And your backyard is now a real garden with cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, and even apples

00:14:02growing under your supervision.

00:14:05Getting water for drinking and gardening is an ordeal, though.

00:14:08Bottled water has become too rare and extremely expensive.

00:14:11So now you have to go to the river 6 miles away.

00:14:15At first, you travel there by car, taking as many bottles and canisters as could fit.

00:14:22After a few months, you've completely run out of gas.

00:14:25So now and you're dead, walk all the way down there and back.

00:14:29At least you have a cart, so you can haul more than you would with your bare hands,

00:14:34but the journey still takes the best part of a day.

00:14:37The town has become a really friendly and supportive community.

00:14:41Neighbors help each other all the time.

00:14:43And it's become common to have barbecue parties with the whole neighborhood.

00:14:48Everyone's bringing their own food to contribute.

00:14:50And those who aren't coping with natural living yet take home some goods to fill their

00:14:55bellies for several days.

00:14:57Although you're living on the outskirts, almost in the country, it's still unusual

00:15:01how quiet it is without cars driving by.

00:15:05Still, another sound has replaced the engines – hooves clopping along the road.

00:15:11More and more people are riding horses again to get by.

00:15:15The town itself has grown almost empty.

00:15:18People are leaving their apartments to live in the country, and many of them have to unite

00:15:22in tight groups to survive on the plots of land they've procured for themselves.

00:15:27The best spots are, of course, along the riverbanks.

00:15:30That's where most townspeople have concentrated.

00:15:33Some try to organize posts and sell water from the river, but they were soon put to

00:15:38shame.

00:15:40Free access to water was given to everyone.

00:15:43It's your mom's birthday today!

00:15:46You and dad have traded some meat and vegetables for a nice bouquet of white roses and strawberries,

00:15:51her favorites.

00:15:52It's the fourth time you celebrate her birthday in this new world.

00:15:57Four and a half years you've been living off the ground, and things are looking better

00:16:01than ever.

00:16:02Your dad talked to the community and the former townspeople by the river, and they agreed

00:16:07to help build an irrigation system.

00:16:09You've dug three canals that help water everyone's crops and then return to the

00:16:14main flow.

00:16:16Now you don't have to travel 12 miles every few days.

00:16:20Also, people from your neighborhood have arranged for communal crops, and you work on your patch

00:16:25every day, sowing, plowing, and harvesting.

00:16:29Afterwards, the harvest is distributed among everyone according to the size of their households.

00:16:35With this system, nobody gets left out, even if they can't work in the field.

00:16:41Surprisingly, you took a liking to this lifestyle.

00:16:45You barely remember what it was like to have a smartphone or to watch TV, but you enjoy

00:16:50the singing of birds every night and working in the fresh air every day.

00:16:55Although it was hard at first, you've now grown tanned and lean and muscular, and both

00:17:00your physical and mental health has improved.

00:17:03You're no longer pursuing deadlines or hurrying anywhere.

00:17:07Your life is now peaceful, and you have a simple purpose – to live and help others.

00:17:14You haven't forgotten your friends either, and you come visit each other often.

00:17:18They come to help you in the field, and in the evenings, you have a dinner together,

00:17:22play cards, and sing songs around the fire.

00:17:25As far as you know, life's never been this simple yet satisfying.

00:17:30Nobody still knows what happened, but it seems to be for the better after all.

00:17:37As soon as the Earth is cut in half, almost all living creatures will come to an end.

00:17:42An apocalypse will begin, which has not been shown in movies.

00:17:46The atmosphere is damaged, the magnetic field will change, and the planet's landscape completely

00:17:53alters.

00:17:54But the planet will be completely renewed, and life, like a phoenix, will be reborn from

00:17:59the ashes.

00:18:01A super-powerful laser would be needed to separate the planet.

00:18:06Such a laser has to receive energy directly from the sun.

00:18:10The weapon goes into space on a rocket, thousands of miles above our world.

00:18:14Then, once the laser arrives at its destination, it opens wide to expose plates of solar panels.

00:18:21The laser absorbs and concentrates the sun's rays, then a powerful energy beam with the

00:18:27diameter of several cities shoots into the middle of the planet.

00:18:31Oceans through which the beam passes boil and evaporate from the high temperature.

00:18:37These vapors turn into a vast thundercloud in the sky.

00:18:40A strong wind drives these clouds over the continents.

00:18:44Heavy rain falls, which floods not only cities, but entire countries.

00:18:50As the tectonic plates shift, tsunamis are created.

00:18:54Huge waves crash onto the shore.

00:18:56The Earth is split in two.

00:19:00And this is just the beginning.

00:19:03The structure of the Earth, or rather, each half of it, is changing.

00:19:08Strong earthquakes occur all over the world.

00:19:11The worst disasters happen near the fault line.

00:19:14Billions of tons of ground are smashed.

00:19:18Massive landslides drag entire cities below.

00:19:21Chunks of land, thousands of miles in size, shoot away from our planet.

00:19:26All living creatures on these pieces of land fly into outer space.

00:19:32Other broken pieces of the planet land on the half that is closest to them.

00:19:36Imagine a huge rock the size of a whole city falling from the sky.

00:19:41And there will be hundreds or thousands of such stones.

00:19:45Those who live far from the cut site have a chance to survive.

00:19:49But even there, earthquakes will destroy houses.

00:19:53The moon will also start to throw off pieces from itself.

00:19:58These pieces, like a meteor shower, will fall onto the Earth halves and create massive explosions.

00:20:04These explosions will create fires.

00:20:07The skies will be covered with ash, and until it settles, we won't be able to see the sun.

00:20:13Both parts of the planet are drifting away from each other.

00:20:17The red hot heart of our Earth is right in the center between the two.

00:20:22This is the Earth's core, consisting of molten metals.

00:20:25Each half of the core exudes energy comparable to a star.

00:20:31Between the two parts of the planet, a layer of such hot space is created that nothing

00:20:36can survive there.

00:20:38Any item that falls into this space immediately turns into ashes.

00:20:42The mass of the core is much larger than the ground mass, so there is a higher level of

00:20:47gravity.

00:20:49The core sucks in everything that comes close.

00:20:52You can't travel from one part of the Earth to the other.

00:20:55The core's gravity attracts any shuttle.

00:20:58Each half of the Earth now lives on its own.

00:21:02Typically, the core inside our planet rotates and creates the Earth's magnetic field.

00:21:08This field is a shield that protects us from the sun and space.

00:21:12If the shield is damaged, solar and cosmic radiation passes through the atmosphere.

00:21:18Because the core is divided into two parts, the Earth's magnetic field becomes unstable.

00:21:24Power outages begin in both parts of the planet.

00:21:27Microwaves, TVs, kettles, traffic lights, computers, everything is broken.

00:21:34The screen of your laptop or phone starts turning on and off, the video may freeze,

00:21:39and the battery runs out and charges in one second.

00:21:43Satellites stop working, which means there will be no more GPS.

00:21:47High-frequency radio waves used for communication stop working, which means you can't make calls

00:21:53and send texts.

00:21:55In fact, all power plants may sink underground or be flooded because of the earthquakes,

00:22:01so there might not be electricity at all.

00:22:05Some people are sensitive to solar storms and experience severe headaches.

00:22:10When the magnetic field is damaged, the surviving people and animals will suffer from severe

00:22:15migraines.

00:22:16Scientists will have to invent special helmets to protect people from the sun.

00:22:20For full protection, people will have to live in underground cities.

00:22:25Compass needles no longer point north, they just spin in different directions.

00:22:30The birds go mad, they don't know where to fly to wait out the winter because the south

00:22:36no longer exists for them.

00:22:38All animals stop migrating.

00:22:40In the sky, planes can't navigate.

00:22:44Plants and flowers can't grow naturally thanks to the increased radiation from the sun.

00:22:49Livestock are poorly fed.

00:22:51The quality of products deteriorates.

00:22:54There's famine.

00:22:55The main goal for people on each half of the planet is survival.

00:23:00In some places, closer to the fault, the Earth's atmosphere is completely damaged.

00:23:05The conditions there will be similar to those in space.

00:23:09There is no air or heat.

00:23:11Only in a spacesuit can you stay in this territory.

00:23:14Unfortunately, you won't be able to jump and fly because gravity still works.

00:23:20Besides, it's gravity that becomes the salvation of our planet.

00:23:25Both parts of the Earth won't fly away from each other because of the force of gravity.

00:23:30Instead, they will rotate and start to attract each other.

00:23:34In a hundred thousand years, both parts of the planet will reconnect once more, and the

00:23:39Earth will be completely renewed.

00:23:42Since the core is molten metal, it will return to a single heart.

00:23:46But it will take much longer to connect the solid rock of the halves.

00:23:50A scar forms along the entire fault.

00:23:54The scar will be overgrown with forests and flooded with oceans.

00:23:58But there will be strong earthquakes in some places near this scar.

00:24:02By this time, all living things have probably disappeared.

00:24:06On our planet, conditions are about the same as 4.5 billion years ago.

00:24:12Seas and oceans boil, lightning strikes everywhere, tectonic plates change their shape, and lava

00:24:19flows from volcanoes in a rapid stream.

00:24:22The Earth looks like a vast boiling pot, inside which life is gradually created.

00:24:29Because the Earth has decreased in size and the core hasn't changed much, the gravity

00:24:34will be different.

00:24:36On land, it will be more difficult for an ordinary person to walk.

00:24:40They will weigh much more.

00:24:42In such conditions, new, previously unknown life will be created.

00:24:48Today, the world's atmosphere and oceans are polluted.

00:24:52The population is increasing, and glaciers are melting.

00:24:56In the future, things could be much worse for our planet.

00:24:59In a thousand years, when humanity has mastered space travel, we may decide to change our

00:25:05residence.

00:25:06We'll start looking for other Earth-like planets, and maybe we'll find something.

00:25:11However, nothing compares to our first home, and humanity decides to cure it.

00:25:17Perhaps we'll come up with the idea to divide the planet in half and live on one side.

00:25:22And after a hundred thousand years, we can come back to a new, healthy home.

00:25:28What if you divide other planets?

00:25:31Since they don't have a magnetic field, they won't be as affected.

00:25:35For example, Venus and Mars have no seas, oceans, or lakes.

00:25:40Some scientists think they're entirely dried up because the magnetic field has disappeared

00:25:45there.

00:25:46This led to the complete destruction of the atmospheres of these planets.

00:25:50The solar wind blew across their surface with such force that it dried up all the liquid.

00:25:57The Earth's atmosphere reflects this wind, so thankfully, we're safe.

00:26:02There would be no significant cataclysms on other planets, except for earthquakes.

00:26:08Like Earth, the two parts of each world would simply rotate until they reconnect once more.

00:26:14So, you notice anything weird?

00:26:19Recently there have been alarming changes in the water levels in different parts of

00:26:23Yellowstone Lake.

00:26:25At the same moment, the water level can be rising on one side of the lake and falling

00:26:30on the other.

00:26:32It looks as if the lake basin gets lifted by some underground forces.

00:26:36Can it be a sign of a looming disaster?

00:26:39Geysers, mud pots, and hot springs turn Yellowstone National Park into some extraterrestrial world.

00:26:46And all these wonders are fueled by a mighty supervolcano.

00:26:51Supervolcanoes produce super-eruptions.

00:26:53When it happens, they launch more than 240 cubic miles of ash, molten rock, and hot gases

00:26:59up into the air.

00:27:01To make it easier to imagine, four super-eruptions could fill the Grand Canyon to the brim.

00:27:07The Yellowstone Giant was thought to be responsible for at least three enormous eruptions and

00:27:12countless smaller ones.

00:27:14In that region, the volcanic deposits are scattered over tens of thousands of miles.

00:27:20Scientists believe they had been created by many weak eruptions.

00:27:23But after doing more research, experts found out these deposits had been left by two previously

00:27:29unknown super-eruptions.

00:27:31Those probably took place about 9 and 8.7 million years ago.

00:27:36This discovery means that the area around the Yellowstone volcano used to face a super-eruption

00:27:42every half a million years.

00:27:44But over the last three million years, the hotspot has seen only two super-eruptions.

00:27:49It makes scientists believe these catastrophic events are slowing down.

00:27:53Or, just maybe, one is overdue.

00:27:57Anyway, if the Yellowstone supervolcano went off with as much power as it had 2.1 million

00:28:03years ago, it would spit out more than 588 cubic miles of boiling lava.

00:28:10That's more than 4,500 times the volume of Sydney Harbor.

00:28:14That's a lot of lava!

00:28:16Whether it's likely to happen or not is another question.

00:28:19There's no doubt that something is going on with the volcano.

00:28:23The water level changes in Yellowstone Lake mean the caldera is lifting under the surface.

00:28:29And the caldera is what's left over after a volcano erupts and then collapses.

00:28:34The Yellowstone caldera is not just going up, creating a dome-shaped uplift.

00:28:40It also moves up and down in a kind of breathing motion.

00:28:43It might be because the magma is seeping into the crust.

00:28:47Or because this magma is heating up the Yellowstone hydrothermal system, making it expand and

00:28:53raise the crust.

00:28:55Yellowstone has the status of an active volcano.

00:28:58Its volcanic explosivity index is 8 out of 10.

00:29:03Such a high number means that if this volcano erupted, it would be an apocalyptic event.

00:29:09Right before the disaster, the ground around the national park would lift.

00:29:13Geothermal pools and geysers would heat up to boiling temperatures and get more acidic

00:29:19than usual.

00:29:20The magma would start to rise toward the surface.

00:29:23At some point, the rock roof of the magma chamber wouldn't be able to resist anymore

00:29:28and the explosion would kick off.

00:29:30A massive column of lava and ash would shoot up to a height of over 16 miles.

00:29:36After that, the volcano would keep pumping ash for days on end.

00:29:40The mixture of lava, ash, and gas would be hotter than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:29:46It would travel through the area at a speed of 300 miles per hour, faster than a racing

00:29:51car.

00:29:52The air near the center of the eruption would heat up to 570 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:29:57One of the most dangerous consequences would be ash fallout.

00:30:01Volcanic ash can turn into glassy cement within seconds after being inhaled and getting in

00:30:06the lungs.

00:30:07People and animals would have problems with breathing.

00:30:10Okay, so that's an understatement, just so you know.

00:30:14Buildings would start to collapse under the weight of this dense substance.

00:30:18It would take just several days until a 10-foot layer of ash covered the territory of about

00:30:2350 miles around the center of the eruption.

00:30:26After the ash got into the stratosphere, the temperatures all over the world would start

00:30:31to drop.

00:30:32If the eruption was rich in sulfur, an effective sun blocker, it would get so cold there would

00:30:38be no summer in the entire world for the next several years.

00:30:42The monsoon seasons would change.

00:30:44Agriculture would face serious problems.

00:30:46There would be issues with food supplies.

00:30:49Over the past 50 years, the Yellowstone caldera has risen almost two feet.

00:30:54It shouldn't alarm you, though.

00:30:56Experts are sure it's a natural behavior for Yellowstone.

00:30:59Periods of dome-shaped uplift are followed by the caldera lowering.

00:31:04Scientists think the supervolcano doesn't present any danger at the moment.

00:31:08For an eruption to happen, the magma inside has to be at least 50% molten.

00:31:14With Yellowstone, this number is just 5-15%.

00:31:18The probability of the eruption is 1 in 730,000.

00:31:23Safe to say it's a long shot.

00:31:25Even better, a recent study made the researchers believe the hotspot might be in a state of

00:31:30decline right now.

00:31:32Even despite all the breathing and dome-raising activity.

00:31:36Still, there have been tons of discussions about what people could do to prevent the

00:31:40disastrous super-eruption from happening.

00:31:43Even the most popular, and seemingly effective idea, was to cool the Yellowstone supervolcano

00:31:49down.

00:31:50Unfortunately, there's a catch.

00:31:53The volcano leaks out only 70% of the heat which comes from its magma-filled chambers.

00:31:58But the rest of the heat stays inside.

00:32:01As soon as it reaches a particular threshold, the volcano erupts.

00:32:05If it was possible to extract at least 35% of the Yellowstone volcano's heat, the eruption

00:32:11could be avoided.

00:32:13The cooler the magma is, the thicker and stickier it gets.

00:32:17It stops being so fluid and doesn't try to get out to the surface anymore.

00:32:21After considering these facts, NASA scientists came up with a plan.

00:32:26They suggested drilling a 6 miles deep well and pumping down cold, pressurized water.

00:32:32The temperature of the water that would get back to the surface would be approximately

00:32:36662 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:32:38This way, the heat would be gradually extracted from the volcano.

00:32:43And if a geothermal plant was built on the site, it would generate plenty of electric

00:32:47power.

00:32:48It would be very simple to produce, and its price would be very alluring – about $0.10

00:32:54per kilowatt-hour.

00:32:55At first glance, it was an amazing idea.

00:32:58But sometime later, it started to receive a lot of criticism.

00:33:02Imagine drilling through the Earth's crust, getting deeper and deeper, and then wham bam,

00:33:08you hit a hypothermal pocket.

00:33:10Uh-oh, get ready for a catastrophe!

00:33:13This can release gases that are likely to cause a series of super-powerful explosions.

00:33:19In the worst-case scenario, it may even trigger a full-scale volcanic eruption.

00:33:23Now, you already know about its catastrophic outcomes, from fountains of lava and avalanches

00:33:29of molten rocks to climate changes all over the globe.

00:33:33Yeah, not good.

00:33:35Or let's say you're drilling a well to deliver cold water to the volcano, and then

00:33:40you suddenly hit its magma chamber.

00:33:43In this case, instead of cooling the giant down, you'll make the top of the magma chamber

00:33:47much more fragile than it used to be.

00:33:50And the whole construction will be at risk of collapsing at any moment.

00:33:55And don't forget that your drilling may also release toxic gases.

00:33:59They often accumulate at the top of the reservoir with magma.

00:34:02Can it get any worse?

00:34:03Well, yes, it can.

00:34:05The whole process would stretch for more than 16,000 years.

00:34:10This method is too risky to cool the volcano down as fast as people would probably want.

00:34:16And scientists aren't even 100% sure that when the cooling system construction is finished,

00:34:21the volcano will stay cold for at least another 100 years.

00:34:25And last but not least, the project of making the Yellowstone supervolcano a bit cooler

00:34:31would cost a mind-boggling $3.5 billion.

00:34:35A huge price for something that might not work out altogether.

00:34:38Oh, by the way, Yellowstone isn't the only volcano that has a lava dome that's lifting

00:34:43at the moment.

00:34:45Lava domes are created when magma gets to the surface and then gathers around the vent.

00:34:50Scientists have found one of those inside an underwater volcano in Japan.

00:34:55This dome is more than 2,000 feet high and more than 6 miles wide.

00:35:00Even though the Japanese supervolcano seems to be sleeping, experts don't let their guard

00:35:05down.

00:35:06A volcanic system can go from being calm and docile to teetering on the edge of an eruption

00:35:12in the blink of an eye.

00:35:14Another massive dome is growing in the central Andes, on top of the planet's largest active

00:35:19magma store.

00:35:20The Altiplano Puna Plateau – there's a tongue twister – and where the dome was

00:35:25found is the second-highest plateau in the world, and the dome itself is more than half

00:35:30a mile tall.

00:35:32You might wonder how come experts have known nothing about this enormous uplift until recently.

00:35:38The answer is simple – it was hidden within the plateau.

00:35:42It's an arid region littered with volcanoes, and it stretches for thousands of miles.

00:35:47Yep, another case of hiding in plain sight.

00:35:52Oh boy, you find yourself in the mysterious ruins of an ancient city.

00:35:58You're the only member of the expedition who has managed to make it here.

00:36:02You're walking through a dark maze when you accidentally activate a trap.

00:36:06Whoa, that's a strange sound.

00:36:09Suddenly a huge rock starts rolling towards you down the hallway.

00:36:13You run as fast as you can, jumping over debris.

00:36:16A final dash and…

00:36:19This room looks like a treasury – gold coins and gems are scattered everywhere.

00:36:25You go wide-eyed with astonishment – that's enough money to live the life of luxury for

00:36:30decades on end.

00:36:32But it's not the shiny gold that interests you – it's an old lamp that lies in the

00:36:37rubble.

00:36:38As soon as you pick it up, the lamp starts shaking, and a huge genie jumps out of it.

00:36:44You have one wish.

00:36:46Yeah, just one, because it's a lazy genie.

00:36:49No problem!

00:36:50You ask for so much money that you'll never be able to spend it all.

00:36:54The genie claps his hands and disappears.

00:36:58Ding!

00:37:00This is a message to your phone.

00:37:02Your bank account has been topped by one zero zero zero zero.

00:37:06Boy, that number doesn't even fit on the screen.

00:37:11You go back to the surface and pull out your phone.

00:37:14You're gonna check who's the richest man on Earth now.

00:37:17Ah, there you are at the top of the page!

00:37:20And again, the number ends in three dots.

00:37:23Well, it's time to go home and start spending your money.

00:37:27The first thing on the list is a plane ticket.

00:37:29An extra legroom seat?

00:37:31Nah, too cheap.

00:37:33First class?

00:37:34The same.

00:37:35How about your own plane?

00:37:37Something like an Arabian Prince would own.

00:37:40You opt for a huge Airbus 380 converted into a private jet.

00:37:45There's a spiral staircase, an elevator, four VIP rooms, a concert hall, a Turkish bath,

00:37:51and a parking lot.

00:37:54You press the pay button, and your plane's waiting for you on the landing strip.

00:37:59You check your bank account, and the number hasn't even changed.

00:38:03So the genie didn't cheat.

00:38:06As you fly home, you wonder about other ways to spend your endless supply of money.

00:38:11A car?

00:38:12A house?

00:38:13You need some more time to mull it over.

00:38:16You land in your country, and now you need to get home.

00:38:19Taking a bus or catching a cab is out of the question.

00:38:23You walk up to a newly purchased Bugatti.

00:38:26This car is one-of-a-kind and costs $18.6 million.

00:38:33Your small apartment doesn't suit you anymore.

00:38:35You need something bigger – a skyscraper!

00:38:38So the world's most expensive skyscraper has been the Abraj Al Bayt in Saudi Arabia

00:38:44that costs $16 billion to build.

00:38:48But you invest $20 billion to break the record.

00:38:51The construction has started, but you still need somewhere to live.

00:38:55You buy a penthouse at 172 Madison Avenue in New York City for $100 million.

00:39:02You've already spent $17 billion, but it doesn't seem your bank account has changed.

00:39:07You feel bored.

00:39:08You decide to entertain yourself by buying the costliest things in the world.

00:39:13A watch with a bunch of the world's rarest diamonds – $55 million.

00:39:20One more car, this time an old-school Ferrari worth $70 million.

00:39:26It's yours!

00:39:28A baseball card that costs more than $3 million – hey, why not?

00:39:33A $450 million painting created by Leonardo DiCaprio – oops, I mean Leonardo da Vinci.

00:39:40It goes into the basket too.

00:39:42Wow, this shopping is so exhausting!

00:39:46Time to relax!

00:39:48Which means a private island!

00:39:50$610 million is the price of a huge island in Hawaii.

00:39:55It's the size of a large city, and now it's all yours!

00:40:00You aren't going to board your old plane to get to the island, uh-uh, you're buying

00:40:04a new one!

00:40:05It's a Boeing 747, the model presidents use when they need to fly somewhere.

00:40:11$660 million, and now it's all yours!

00:40:17Sitting on a luxury plane with a large team of flight attendants at your service, you

00:40:21feel like the world's number one person.

00:40:25And you've already imagined sailing around your new island, right?

00:40:29How could you forget about a yacht?

00:40:31The world's most expensive one is plated with gold and reportedly has some T-Rex bones

00:40:37in the bedroom.

00:40:38It took 3 years and 10 tons of solid gold to build, and you buy it for almost $5 billion.

00:40:46The island looks deserted.

00:40:48There's nothing here but golden beaches and lush greenery, but aren't you the richest

00:40:53man in the world?

00:40:54You decide to build yourself a palace.

00:40:57Click, and $3 billion Buckingham Palace appears on the island.

00:41:02And one more for your guest, please!

00:41:05Now you're actually traveling around the beautiful island on your own yacht.

00:41:09But your face doesn't look happy.

00:41:12The entertainment for the rich is rather boring.

00:41:15You look up at the sky and think about flying to the stars.

00:41:19And here you are, standing on the launch pad near the rocket that's about to take you into

00:41:24space.

00:41:25You've paid $52 million to do it.

00:41:28But the International Space Station seems to be filled with nothing but research labs.

00:41:33Not too exciting.

00:41:35That's why you build a new $150 billion space station with lots of fun stuff and even a

00:41:42spa.

00:41:43You've probably spent more money than all the richest people on the planet ever have.

00:41:47But your bank account still hasn't changed whatsoever.

00:41:52Your imagination is running amok.

00:41:54Ooh, Mars!

00:41:56You spend another $2.5 billion and become the first person to set foot on Mars.

00:42:01Well, red sands, steep mountains, craters…

00:42:05But there's nothing to do, even for you, the man with an unlimited amount of money.

00:42:10So you slam your rocket's door closed and go home.

00:42:15All your skyscrapers are already built.

00:42:18New York City with your house in the middle looks very different now.

00:42:22You're lying in a giant bedroom with marble floors, ancient Chinese vases, and a fountain.

00:42:28Your money can buy anything, but you're lonely.

00:42:32So you have another skyscraper built next to yours.

00:42:35This one is for your friends.

00:42:37And one more for your family.

00:42:40And of course, your beloved cat also deserves a private penthouse.

00:42:44You've run out of free space.

00:42:47It's time to build your own city.

00:42:49You choose a place that used to be a scorching desert with nothing but sand for miles on

00:42:54end.

00:42:55But you pay trillions of dollars and have a city built from scratch.

00:42:59There's a chain of restaurants with your name on them.

00:43:02There are billboards with your face in the streets.

00:43:05And a giant statue on the tallest building in the city looks exactly like you.

00:43:10The city is almost empty, but you drive through its streets, escorted by security guards in

00:43:15extravagant cars.

00:43:18For dinner, you buy the most high-priced fish in the world.

00:43:21It's the bluefin tuna for $3 million.

00:43:25And then you decide it's time to make a movie about yourself.

00:43:29The most expensive movie ever made cost $400 million.

00:43:33You pay $1 billion and hire the world's highest-paid actors.

00:43:39But when the movie's ready, the only audience watching it is you.

00:43:43Mostly because you're in your private theater.

00:43:46When the credits are rolling, you start to throw popcorn at the screen.

00:43:50You didn't enjoy the show.

00:43:52You walk down a long corridor with the most expensive pictures in the world.

00:43:57Next to them, you see the rarest archaeological finds and… is it another fountain?

00:44:02No, you're not okay.

00:44:05You spent trillions of dollars, but you haven't gotten an ounce happier.

00:44:10You decide to go back to where it all began.

00:44:14With a torch in your hand, you return to the ancient ruins.

00:44:17There it is, the treasury.

00:44:19You find the genie's lamp where you left it.

00:44:22As soon as you pick it up, the genie appears in front of you.

00:44:25He laughs at you because you've fallen into his trap.

00:44:29He gave you an infinite amount of money so that these riches drove you crazy.

00:44:35But you pull out your phone and press the Donate All button.

00:44:39In that very second, your money goes to charity accounts all over the world.

00:44:45Now scientists have more opportunities to work on new medicines.

00:44:49Ecologists have found more funds to use while saving our planet.

00:44:54But every person on Earth has enough food now.

00:44:58The genie gets angry because you've tricked him.

00:45:00He's about to strike you with a lightning bolt.

00:45:03But you grab the lamp and confine the genie to it forever.

00:45:08When you get home and turn on the TV, you see your face on every channel.

00:45:12You're called a hero, the savior of humanity.

00:45:16You get thousands of thank-you letters from people you've made happy.

00:45:20You smile and feel better too.

00:45:22Apparently, helping others is the best thing you can do.

00:45:28Another crazy thing happened to me recently.

00:45:30It was a Sunday morning, and I fried eggs for breakfast.

00:45:33But something was definitely wrong.

00:45:35I wasn't sure if it was the eggs or me though.

00:45:38Now, you've tried fried eggs, right?

00:45:40They normally taste like, you know, eggs.

00:45:43But that time, along with the eggs, I could also taste lemon, vanilla yogurt, and even

00:45:48some paper.

00:45:49And it's not as good as you might think.

00:45:51It tastes nice by itself, but together with eggs, it's gross.

00:45:56Whatever was the reason, I decided I'd be okay with just a tea for that day.

00:46:01But as soon as I tried it, I spat it out.

00:46:04What is that?

00:46:05Did I put a spoonful of black pepper there?

00:46:08I needed some water ASAP.

00:46:10I got a glass and, thankfully, it was just a regular glass of water.

00:46:15I tried to eat some strawberries but, along with the normal strawberry taste, they had

00:46:20a taste of hot chili.

00:46:22That's not a good combination, to be honest.

00:46:24It looked like something happened to all of the food in the house.

00:46:28I also had an orange juice, so I drank a glass of it.

00:46:31Surprisingly, it tasted totally fine.

00:46:34Suddenly, I got a weird thought.

00:46:36Do I taste colors?

00:46:38It was so crazy and strange that I needed to check this theory immediately.

00:46:43I admit, I licked the white back of my cell phone.

00:46:47It really did taste like vanilla yogurt, just like the egg.

00:46:50So, it was true, I could taste colors.

00:46:54That would mix with every food's original taste and mess it up.

00:46:58I wanted to go to the doctor, but although this new superpower was weird, it was still

00:47:03a bit exciting.

00:47:04Also, I couldn't wait to figure out what other tastes are like.

00:47:08So, I went to a store and got myself a pack of markers.

00:47:12I got to the table, opened the yellow one, and licked it.

00:47:15It did taste like lemon, so I licked each one and made a list.

00:47:20Pink tasted like strawberry, red was chili, orange was an orange.

00:47:25Blue was very bitter, light blue was salty, and violet was blueberry.

00:47:30Black was black pepper, beige nutmuss, gray paper, and green tasted like puke.

00:47:37Well, I had to conclude, I don't eat green food from now on.

00:47:42Not that I was really sad about it, though.

00:47:44Only one color was left, the brown one.

00:47:48I was very reluctant to try it, but I had to figure it out.

00:47:53To my relief, it had the taste of coffee.

00:47:56I don't like coffee, but it could be worse.

00:47:59I knew I had to go see my doctor, but I kinda wanted to live with this superpower for a

00:48:04while.

00:48:05It doesn't happen to you every day, you know.

00:48:07So I decided I'll go to the doctor tomorrow.

00:48:11And today, I had to learn how to live with this ability.

00:48:14I had to avoid putting in my mouth anything black, gray, blue, and green.

00:48:19Not only food, but the dishes and cutlery as well.

00:48:23And I had to figure out what food I can actually eat, because I didn't like strawberries

00:48:28that tasted like chili pepper.

00:48:30So I went to the store to get some transparent dishes.

00:48:34While walking, I was thinking about my menu for today.

00:48:37Orange juice works, strawberry, vanilla, and lemon yogurt too.

00:48:42I can make a fruit salad with mango, raspberries, grapes, banana, and yogurt.

00:48:48But that was all I could come up with.

00:48:50As I was thinking, I was biting my lip and found out it tasted like strawberry.

00:48:56In the store, it was pretty easy to find a transparent bowl.

00:48:59But spoons and forks were a problem.

00:49:02I think I went to every store in my city until I could finally find them.

00:49:06As soon as I got back home, I cut all the fruits and made a fruit salad.

00:49:10I hadn't eaten much that morning, as you remember.

00:49:13Honestly, it was the best salad ever.

00:49:16I saved some money because I didn't have to buy berries, oranges, and lemons, but the

00:49:20taste was there.

00:49:22As I was enjoying my meal, the phone rang.

00:49:24It was my grandma, and she invited me for dinner that evening.

00:49:28I tried to say I couldn't make it, but she wouldn't listen.

00:49:32Grandmas.

00:49:33No, it's just impossible to skip when they want to feed you.

00:49:36So she said she didn't want to hear any excuses and that I had to be at her house

00:49:42by 6.

00:49:43This meant I couldn't wait until tomorrow.

00:49:45I had to go to the doctor right then and get rid of this superpower before my grandma made

00:49:50me eat puke and drink tea with black pepper.

00:49:53I checked the time.

00:49:55I had only 20 minutes before my doctor left, and the clinic was several blocks away.

00:50:00I finished my salad and ran out of the apartment.

00:50:03I got to the clinic just 5 minutes before it closed for the day and asked if my doctor

00:50:07could see me because I had an emergency.

00:50:10To my relief, he agreed.

00:50:12When I told him that I could taste colors, he looked at me puzzled and probably thought

00:50:17it was a stupid prank.

00:50:19Then I told him the whole story.

00:50:21About the fried egg for breakfast and how I bought and tasted all the markers, that

00:50:25violet was blueberry and green was not an apple as he might've thought.

00:50:29But I spent hours trying to find a transparent spoon and fork.

00:50:34To be honest, in my head, it sounded better and was making much more sense.

00:50:38The doctor was silent and kinda suspicious.

00:50:41He measured my temperature, my blood pressure, and looked at my mouth.

00:50:45So, you've been eating markers, he smiled.

00:50:48Oops, I guess my tongue was the color of a rainbow.

00:50:51Well, that really doesn't sound normal for a grown-up.

00:50:54The doctor obviously didn't believe me, so he just let me go, recommending a good

00:50:59night's sleep.

00:51:01So I guess I was stuck with it, and I had to go to grandma's.

00:51:05Unfortunately, there was no way she'd feed me strawberry yogurt for dinner.

00:51:10I got home to get my new cutlery, so at least I didn't have to taste paper when eating

00:51:14with my grandma's gray metal fork.

00:51:17I had another couple of hours, so I did some Googling but still couldn't find any solution

00:51:23or even research on my condition.

00:51:25I thought that maybe I could wash it off, so I drank a gallon of water.

00:51:30But it didn't help, so I went to grandma's place feeling doomed.

00:51:34Plus, I really needed to go.

00:51:37She was happy to see me and announced that she had my favorite broccoli pancakes for

00:51:42me.

00:51:43Yeah, maybe yesterday they had been my favorite, but definitely not anymore.

00:51:48I tried to say I'm not hungry and I could just drink some orange juice.

00:51:52But of course, she wouldn't listen.

00:51:54She gave me a plate with 5 pancakes and a cup of black tea.

00:51:58Suddenly, I got an idea of how I could get rid of at least the pepper taste.

00:52:02If I put a piece of lemon in the tea, I'll get brown.

00:52:06Therefore, I'll have a coffee tea instead of a pepper tea.

00:52:10I was lucky, my grandma did have the lemon, so the tea problem was solved.

00:52:15But the worst part was the pancakes, and my grandma was looking at me all excited and

00:52:20pleased.

00:52:21But there was one thing I had to eat.

00:52:22I was trying hard to control my facial expression and looked very happy as if I was eating the

00:52:28best food on the planet, even though it was the most terrible meal in my life.

00:52:33And yes, I was drinking a lot of my coffee tea, well, 3 cups.

00:52:38But when I finished and thanked my grandma, she was so happy that I understood eating

00:52:43puke was worth it.

00:52:45Turned out my grandma actually had a vanilla yogurt, so I ate all she had to get rid of

00:52:50the taste I still had in my mouth after the pancakes.

00:52:54On my way home, biting my strawberry lip, I was thinking.

00:52:58I had to come up with a plan on how to get rid of this ability, but I couldn't think

00:53:03of anything.

00:53:04So, as soon as I got home, I just went to sleep, even though it was only 9 PM.

00:53:09I slept for 11 hours, and the next morning, I made myself a fruit salad with yogurt.

00:53:15Again.

00:53:16I guess from then on, it was my dish for the rest of my life.

00:53:20I was eating it with my transparent fork and watching a TV show, when I suddenly realized

00:53:25I couldn't taste any lemon there.

00:53:28And no orange as well.

00:53:30I bit my lip, and it didn't have a taste anymore.

00:53:33With my hands shaking, I opened the fridge to get my strawberries.

00:53:37I ate one, and it tasted like a regular normal strawberry.

00:53:42No chili pepper.

00:53:44Everything was back to normal like it never happened.

00:53:47But I swear it did.

00:53:48Really!

00:53:49Oh man, 5 minutes to go.

00:53:52The most important moment in your career is coming.

00:53:55You're sweating buckets in that tux, but it's too late to change now.

00:53:59You're at an international technology conference along with the world's most famous scientists,

00:54:04engineers, programmers, economists, and a whole bunch of other important people.

00:54:09Artificial intelligence developers have made a discovery that could change the world forever.

00:54:14And in 4 minutes, there will be a public demonstration of this world-changing revelation.

00:54:19You're here as a translator.

00:54:21You need to translate all this science-y stuff into several languages.

00:54:25You've loved learning languages your whole life.

00:54:28First, it was foreign films and TV series with subtitles, books, comics.

00:54:33Then you started to study more seriously.

00:54:35Your parents took you all over the world to absorb different world cultures.

00:54:39And when you found out there are about 7,000 languages on our planet, you decided to spend

00:54:45your life learning them.

00:54:46Well, some of them.

00:54:48Prestigious universities, post-grads, living in different countries, studying the history

00:54:54of ancient languages.

00:54:56All this made you the best translator and language expert in the world.

00:55:00And now you're a little nervous as you have to translate the conference into 7 different

00:55:05languages.

00:55:06The event begins.

00:55:08People start to talk about the evolution of AI.

00:55:11No, it's not going to take over the planet.

00:55:14On the contrary, it's going to make people's lives easier.

00:55:17Hmm, you have a bad feeling about this for some reason.

00:55:22The main developer leaks the big news.

00:55:24A new language has been created for the whole world to use.

00:55:28The language is simple to learn.

00:55:30The AI translation algorithm makes it easy to remember words, grammar.

00:55:35Basically, there will be no more communication problems anymore.

00:55:39To make learning it even easier, scientists have created an app that can translate any

00:55:44kind of speech into the new language.

00:55:46Context, meaning, sarcasm, irony, it can now all be translated into UCL – Universal Common

00:55:54Language.

00:55:55The world's population will be united like never before.

00:55:58That's when you realize that the biggest moment of your career is also the beginning

00:56:04of its destruction.

00:56:05Who's going to need a translator if everybody speaks the same language?

00:56:10Oh goody.

00:56:11Over the next 20 years, the planet moves to speaking the common language.

00:56:16Every gadget has the UCL app.

00:56:19The language is taught in schools and institutes.

00:56:22Big companies and corporations introduce mandatory language courses for their employees.

00:56:27AI translates thousands of books a day into UCL.

00:56:31In movies and TV, only actors who speak UCL get the big awards.

00:56:37People who just couldn't learn a foreign language before have no problem with UCL.

00:56:42The learning process is easy and fun.

00:56:44Plus, it's a requirement for literally everything.

00:56:47So…

00:56:481.

00:56:49Countries start canceling their visa programs.

00:56:522.

00:56:53Borders start getting erased.

00:56:543.

00:56:55All over the world, the number of conflicts is decreasing because now people can understand

00:56:59each other much better.

00:57:01Operating systems, video games, tech articles, songs, jokes, science stuff, you name it,

00:57:07are all created in the new world language.

00:57:11You can call anyone on the other side of the planet, tell them something, and listen to

00:57:15their interesting stories.

00:57:17You can go on a trip around the world and not be afraid you'll accidentally order

00:57:2117 squirrels for breakfast because you mixed up one little word.

00:57:26Movie companies stop dubbing movies, and no more subtitles, woohoo!

00:57:30The world has become more open.

00:57:33Air ticket prices are way down, and tourism and studying and working abroad is booming.

00:57:39Every year, more and more people renounce their citizenship and recognize themselves

00:57:43as citizens of the world.

00:57:46Science is developing faster than ever before because scientists from all over the world

00:57:50can finally work together.

00:57:53And studying foreign languages – a thing of the past.

00:57:56Okay, it seems like the world's become a better place, but UCL also has a dark side.

00:58:04Translators and language professors lose their jobs.

00:58:07Language schools get closed around the planet.

00:58:10Those dubbing actors also lose their jobs.

00:58:13You and many other people are opposed to the new language.

00:58:17You set about trying to prove that, sooner or later, UCL will cause a catastrophe.

00:58:23While the whole world communicates in the new language, scientists finished their first

00:58:27multi-country study of the human mind.

00:58:30The number of neural connections, so the thoughts and biological processes in the brain, have

00:58:35decreased.

00:58:37Scientists studied hundreds of thousands of people in three groups – multi-language speakers,

00:58:43one-language speakers, and those who were born in the new world and only speak UCL.

00:58:49Studies show that the human brain's stopped functioning as it did before.

00:58:53People used to try to understand foreign languages, speak them, and translate them, training their

00:58:58minds.

00:58:59Now, the parts of the brain that are responsible for this have stopped working.

00:59:04Even if you'd never learned a foreign language, you still used to see and hear words that

00:59:09you didn't understand, and your brain at least tried to process the information.

00:59:14Now our brains are relaxed.

00:59:17Some say, if there are no other languages, what difference does it make?

00:59:21Who cares about a relaxed brain?

00:59:24But that's not the end of it.

00:59:26The human brain has become worse at analyzing information, remembering, and finding clever

00:59:31ways out of difficult situations.

00:59:33It's hard for people to learn new knowledge.

00:59:36People's vocabulary ends up becoming smaller and smaller.

00:59:41Sometimes, people can't even say what's on their mind.

00:59:44The average IQ begins to dip.

00:59:48Learning the languages of the past is becoming almost impossible.

00:59:52Some are worried about the future.

00:59:54People may forget their history.

00:59:55Changes in the human brain are one thing, but forgetting our history could be really

01:00:00dangerous.

01:00:01Every language is linked to its geography and history.

01:00:05But most importantly, language brings cultural diversity into your daily life.

01:00:11For example, there are many more words to describe the cold in cold countries, more

01:00:16shades of green in tropical countries, you get the picture.

01:00:20With UCL, these little things that make cultures different just sort of vanish.

01:00:25Most people now like the same music, watch the same movies.

01:00:29People start to lose interest in everything.

01:00:32Imagine you saved up money for 6 months to fly to the other side of the world.

01:00:37You arrive there, and everyone talks and acts just like your neighbors back home.

01:00:42They even watch the same shows and follow the same influencers as you.

01:00:47From now on, you'll never be able to determine where a person grew up by their accent.

01:00:53People talk with the same intonation, use the same sentence structure in words.

01:00:58Communication becomes boring.

01:01:00To better express your emotions, you use gestures and body language.

01:01:05You people arguing starts to look a lot like two crazy people, quivering, twitching, waving.

01:01:11But the worst thing is that people start to lose their sense of humor.

01:01:15Because there's less vocabulary, there's less thought.

01:01:19It's getting hard to think, let alone talk.

01:01:21Dreams get super boring, and poetry and song lyrics all start to sound the same.

01:01:28Yeah, life's become much easier, but so what?

01:01:32We can easily understand each other, but at the same time, we've forgotten how exciting

01:01:37it can be to learn something new.

01:01:40AI keeps trying to simplify UCL, and every year it gets easier and easier.

01:01:46Scientists have found that, at this rate, people will communicate using only sounds

01:01:50in a few decades.

01:01:52Nobody will be able to clearly express their thoughts or explain their actions.

01:01:57The global understanding everyone has is soon going to change to epic misunderstanding.

01:02:03People will simply forget how to communicate their thoughts.

01:02:06You've had a rough time since you lost your job as a translator.

01:02:10You've spent nearly every waking moment trying to prove that languages are necessary.

01:02:16Fortunately, you and other translators and professors make it happen.

01:02:22People will never stop using UCL, but interest in learning old languages reappears.

01:02:28Learning an old language becomes the hot new thing.

01:02:32There are more language schools than ever before.

01:02:35There are only a few people left on the planet who still remember multiple old languages.

01:02:40You and other translators get rich.

01:02:44Learning languages is now the most popular hobby, which perfectly develops your mental

01:02:49abilities.

01:02:50If it used to be cool to have an expensive car, a stacked bank account, and a beautiful

01:02:55house, now the ability to speak two languages is considered a sign of success.

01:03:01Film companies are making movies, writers are writing books, artists are creating songs

01:03:07all in different languages again.

01:03:09The world goes back to being diverse, interesting, and fun.

01:03:14Merci beaucoup.

01:03:16Okay, what if pressing only one key could change your life forever and make it much

01:03:21easier?

01:03:22Well, if we were in Minecraft, everything would be possible.

01:03:26Too hard to live?

01:03:27Too many tasks, deadlines, school classes are tedious, and you just can't go on like

01:03:32this?

01:03:33Change your life mode to somewhat less challenging.

01:03:36Just press escape.

01:03:37Adjust your life difficulty choosing peaceful, easy, normal, or even hard for those who like

01:03:42it tough.

01:03:43If your teacher is as hostile as a green and white pixelated creeper, choose peaceful

01:03:48mode.

01:03:49Monsters don't spawn there.

01:03:51Or just get yourself a cat – creepers are terrified when they see them.

01:03:55Even if your pet looks a bit boxish.

01:03:57One more cool piece of news – if your life is in peaceful mode now, you don't even

01:04:01need to eat, which could save you a ton of money.

01:04:05As for appearances, no more worries about pimples.

01:04:08Now that you're pixelated, nobody's ever gonna notice them.

01:04:11You look the same every day.

01:04:13Your haircut, even if you hate it and can't wait for your hair to grow, never changes

01:04:18unless you change the skins.

01:04:20You can't grow or lose some pounds.

01:04:22Your body proportions are much different too.

01:04:24In our world, the head-to-body ratio is about 1 to 7, and in Minecraft, it's more as if

01:04:30everyone had a baby body with a huge head and smaller torso.

01:04:35You wouldn't have fingers, so if you had Minecraft body in real life, you wouldn't

01:04:39be good at fine motor skills.

01:04:41Um, I guess no Minecraft surgery, huh?

01:04:44No matter what kind of biome you live in, you don't need some super cold-resistant

01:04:49clothes or nice shoes.

01:04:51Life without changes means that you don't age the way we normally do.

01:04:55No more birthdays anymore.

01:04:57The cake you find in the game is not for candles or making wishes.

01:05:01It can only help you if you're starving.

01:05:04A day-night cycle is somewhat different now, with 100 Minecraft days equaling 33 standard

01:05:10hours.

01:05:11So, life expectancy should change too.

01:05:14The average lifespan in the USA is 78 years, or about 683,000 hours.

01:05:21So the average lifespan, according to Minecraft, would jump up to 5,700 years, eh?

01:05:27And you can also respawn!

01:05:30Ready to live forever?

01:05:32Food isn't that different from what we have in real life, even in terms of calories.

01:05:36A whole cake will replenish your energy so much more than a plain beetroot.

01:05:40Mmm, carbs!

01:05:42There would be some exceptions too.

01:05:44A golden apple gives extra health in Minecraft.

01:05:47So sad golden delicious from Walmart are only delicious in real life.

01:05:52You can starve in Minecraft in 2 game days, though it takes a bit longer in real life.

01:05:58Yeah, going with no food is a real challenge, but a human actually can do that.

01:06:02Water, on the other hand, is pretty essential in our world but doesn't do much to Minecraft

01:06:08people when they drink it.

01:06:09Today's agriculture uses some fertilizers to speed up plant growing.

01:06:14But if we had that bone meal Minecraft people feed their plants with, we'd have an abundance

01:06:19of any fruit or vegetables.

01:06:21Life would be quite boring, though.

01:06:23You wake up today and you mine.

01:06:25You wake up the next day, you craft.

01:06:28The retail industry could never compete with skillful people, who actually don't need it,

01:06:32being able to create various objects from scratch.

01:06:36Anyway, you don't need that much.

01:06:38You can do almost anything with a mere pickaxe, upgrading it to a diamond one.

01:06:43All those hardware stores full of handy items would go bust in a real world with a pickaxe

01:06:48replacing everything else.

01:06:51It'd also have to be a bit more hard-working, though.

01:06:54If you want to have a nap, there's no way you can do that in the Minecraft world.

01:06:58Here, you only sleep at night or if there's bad weather outside.

01:07:03Sleep is essential not to be caught by monsters that appear as soon as the night falls.

01:07:08And you gotta be sure there are no monsters nearby before you go to bed anyway.

01:07:13You can only sleep in your bed, though.

01:07:15Even if you want to spread on a nice meadow in the shadow, you won't just fall asleep.

01:07:20Same with school classes.

01:07:21No matter how boring they are, it's just impossible to doze off.

01:07:26If you're used to watching pop science TV shows, well, that's something that would probably

01:07:31be almost unchanged.

01:07:32Discovery Channel would show not only various biomes and square animals, but other worlds

01:07:37too, like the Nether and the Overworld.

01:07:40Anyway, you wouldn't spend that much time indoors.

01:07:43Most activities in Minecraft are performed outdoors, so you'd have to go outside really

01:07:48often.

01:07:50Everything is fun in Minecraft World.

01:07:52Want to visit the Nether?

01:07:53No, not the Netherlands.

01:07:55It's a trip to the Underworld.

01:07:57No need to buy tickets, go through customs, spend hours in a tiny airplane seat.

01:08:02You only want some lava and a bit of water.

01:08:05Pour one over the other, and you get obsidian.

01:08:08As soon as you create at least 8 blocks of the stuff, build a portal with them, set it

01:08:13on fire, and voila, welcome to the Nether!

01:08:17If you travel a lot, you can casually grab your bed with you and assemble it wherever

01:08:22you want.

01:08:23Nice move to avoid pricey hotels, which are missing in the Nether anyway.

01:08:27It's not just a fun trip, though.

01:08:29There are a bunch of ingredients you may need for potions.

01:08:32No fancy souvenirs either, rather some useful stuff you mine from exotic Nether blocks.

01:08:38Despite their moniker, locals called Zombie Pigmen are quite friendly and never attack

01:08:44unless it's you who started a fight.

01:08:47Lava can help you to travel, be a kind of trash bin, and keep intruders away.

01:08:52In Minecraft world, you can be sure unexpected guests won't bother you.

01:08:56They'll just fall into boiling lava, end of story.

01:08:59You can also install a tripwire hook just behind your front door to activate piston-based

01:09:04traps for unwanted visitors.

01:09:07Once your guest triggers the tripwire, the pistons will remove the flooring and send

01:09:11the visitor into the void.

01:09:14If you're going to the seaside, take your front door with you – it'll help you

01:09:17explore the ocean deep.

01:09:19If you fall into water, all you need to breathe freely is place a door above you.

01:09:24Nobody could ever hold their breath for more than 24 minutes in our real life, but in Minecraft,

01:09:29you can stay underwater almost forever.

01:09:32Or just as long as you want.

01:09:35Transportation system is much cooler now.

01:09:37You can still use all the means of transport you're used to, but having a ride in a

01:09:41cart can be both fun and fast.

01:09:44Just build the rails wherever you want, and forget about traffic jams.

01:09:48Physics are another big change.

01:09:50They give you lots of superpowers not accessible in the real world.

01:09:54You can jump higher, climb any mountain easier, and run faster as if the whole gravity stuff

01:09:59was a joke to you.

01:10:01You can make a vertical row of blocks, and even if you smash the lowest block, the one

01:10:05above it will hang in the air.

01:10:07It doesn't mean you can't fall down from a height – you can, but it's safe if you

01:10:12just spill some water from a bucket right before the impact.

01:10:15Not only can you perform all that, but you can also easily chop a massive trunk in just

01:10:20a few moves.

01:10:21No tools necessary, by the way – just your bare hands.

01:10:25And not even a scratch left on them afterwards.

01:10:28You don't feel pain in this world.

01:10:30Don't worry, the top branches of the tree you just fell won't hurt you either, since

01:10:35they'll be hung in the air.

01:10:37Deforestation in Minecraft looks insane.

01:10:40Can you imagine a forest made up of floating trees?

01:10:43No squirrel could ever climb any trunk in such a forest.

01:10:47Walking around here, you're likely to come across wild animals, such as bears and wolves.

01:10:52You can domesticate wolves and almost convert them into dogs, and bears are not that dangerous

01:10:57for you – just trap them inside a fence.

01:11:00It looks flimsy, but it's Minecraft world, so it's absolutely safe.

01:11:08Well, hello there, my dear.

01:11:23Who's ever listening to this?

01:11:25My name is Xanergizer.

01:11:27Uh, no, Aggravator.

01:11:29No, wait, Dagnabbit, I'll get myself together and remember my name correctly.

01:11:36Oh, Ebenezer, yeah, that's how my ma and pa called me.

01:11:40I ain't nothing special, but it's only yet.

01:11:43I've just been born a year after all.

01:11:47My ma's a beautiful lady, she's in her mid-40s now, just the age to have seniors

01:11:53like me.

01:11:55My pa is a big and kindly fella, listening to my blabbering with a smile on his bearded

01:12:01face.

01:12:02I saw their pictures of yore before my time, and pa was a boldy back then.

01:12:08But now his hair is so thick, ma's hands get lost in it.

01:12:14They keep telling me I'll be a good lad when I grow young, I love him so much.

01:12:20Well, I'm tired now, need some beauty sleep here.

01:12:24Evergazer out!

01:12:25Hey there, it's been a while since I recorded something here.

01:12:31I'm 10 now, and it's an awful good time to be alive, you know.

01:12:35I go to school and have lots of friends there.

01:12:40It's a lot of fun to study, and during breaks we play bridge.

01:12:44I love math and literature, you have to make your gears turn to understand those numbers

01:12:50and analyze books.

01:12:52I read a lot too, so I'm the best in my class.

01:12:56It's Stan P.E. though, my joints aren't saying no thank you exactly for making them

01:13:01run and pump iron.

01:13:04Billy's good at that, he says he's gonna be an athlete when he's young.

01:13:08Looking at his physique, I kinda believe him.

01:13:11Ok, the break's over, time to get back to my studies.

01:13:15Ebenezer out!

01:13:18I'm 20 now, and life's becoming a virtue.

01:13:21I just graduated from college, been here for close to 5 years, a big deal.

01:13:27I'm officially a master of science now and thinking of becoming a doctor, but I'm not

01:13:32sure my ma and pa will be alright without me.

01:13:35They're already growing too young now, and I'm afraid they'll get in trouble if I'm

01:13:40not there.

01:13:42Once pa went to a party and didn't come back for 3 days.

01:13:47She gave him a huge slap when he finally turned up.

01:13:51They made up real soon though, youth is passionate you know.

01:13:55I used to hate P.E. at school, but I love it now.

01:13:59Every chance I get, I go running in the nearby park, and even ask my parents to get me a

01:14:04gym membership for my birthday.

01:14:07It's so good to feel those old bones creak less and less with each passing day.

01:14:12Oh, incidentally, gotta go for another run now.

01:14:15See you in 10 years, I guess.

01:14:17Ebeneezer out!

01:14:18Hey, you know what a pain it is to care for two 70-somethings?

01:14:24All they want to do is throw loud parties at home, have sleepovers every weekend, and

01:14:28fight with each other over some petty stuff.

01:14:32Every time I leave for work, I'm terrified of what I'll see when I get back in the evening.

01:14:38Once I came home and couldn't even open the front door because one of their friends decided

01:14:42to take a nap right on the porch.

01:14:45And whenever I try to bring this topic up with mom or dad, they chide me for being insensitive.

01:14:52They say they brought me up as a good man, but they deserve to have the time of their

01:14:57lives after so many years of hard work.

01:15:00Okay, I surrender.

01:15:04The only person who understands me is Felicity.

01:15:07I'm a civil engineer, and we met at a construction site.

01:15:11She's a bit younger than me, but that's fine.

01:15:13She also has to put up with her parents who are moody all the time.

01:15:17She thinks they've joined some sort of goth subculture or something.

01:15:21And they keep telling her that she's wrong for taking up such a mundane job as a construction

01:15:26supervisor.

01:15:28When we started dating, we decided we'd give our parents some space, so we often leave

01:15:33for long vacations together while they demolish our houses.

01:15:37Oh, there she comes!

01:15:38Well, time for me to go then.

01:15:40Ebeneezer out!

01:15:43Hey, remember me?

01:15:45These past 10 years have been grand!

01:15:47Felicity and I got married, and now we take care of our parents together, and it's awesome!

01:15:53They're all in their 80s now and having fun at kindergarten while we're at work,

01:15:58and we take them for barbecues, bubble parties, and theme parks afterwards.

01:16:02They get their retirement benefits alright and leave them for us to take care of.

01:16:07They say we're the best kids they could wish for, and I've never been so proud in

01:16:11my life after hearing this.

01:16:13It's actually Mom's birthday today, and she and Dad invited all their friends from

01:16:17the kindergarten and from her previous job.

01:16:20My personal favorite's Jenny.

01:16:22She's a little mischief alright.

01:16:24She spooked both me and Felicity, hiding under the table when we were cooking dinner and

01:16:29then jumping out at us from there!

01:16:31And Felicity adores Donnie.

01:16:33That old boy seems really serious at first glance, but that little grin of his speaks

01:16:38volumes about him.

01:16:40And I've got the best news ever for dessert!

01:16:43Last year, we got our very own senior.

01:16:45Can you believe that?

01:16:47We named her Cecilia after her grandma.

01:16:49Hey Cece, say hi to this thing here!

01:16:52She's shy, sitting all day in that rocking chair of hers and trying to knit.

01:16:57Can't walk by herself yet, so we move her around the house in that thing.

01:17:01She loves it, always cackles with that toothless laugh of hers.

01:17:06Felicity's now running after Donnie around the backyard with a broom.

01:17:10I think he stole a piece of the birthday cake from the kitchen.

01:17:13Gotta go help her, I guess!

01:17:14Cheers!

01:17:15Ebeneezer out!

01:17:16Hey, we, uh, we've been living without our parents for 3 years now.

01:17:23The last year was the toughest, I guess.

01:17:26I never thought babies needed so many diapers.

01:17:29It was hard to prevent them from falling wherever they crawled too.

01:17:32But Cece helped us a lot, by the way.

01:17:34She was only 7 and just started going to school.

01:17:37But she loved cooing over them and rocking their cradles.

01:17:41We showed Cece their pictures when they were seniors just like her.

01:17:44She didn't recognize them, of course.

01:17:46They were so old and gray.

01:17:48Meanwhile, Felicity and I are on our way to retirement, and we're so looking forward

01:17:53to it.

01:17:54I'm 51, and she's 54, which means we're entering our prime now.

01:17:59We decide to let Cece live on her own when she's young enough and have been looking

01:18:03at various holiday homes in the country.

01:18:05I'm rooting for the one in the mountains.

01:18:07We've been doing a lot of mountain climbing lately, and I feel Felicity is with me in

01:18:11that.

01:18:12Well, I'll keep you updated in a decade.

01:18:14Ebeneezer out!

01:18:15Hey, it's Ben again!

01:18:18Yeah, I discarded that awfully boring name, so I go with Ben now.

01:18:23What can I say, being over 60 is no piece of cake.

01:18:27Lizzy is always pounding about something, and I think she's jealous of me for hanging

01:18:31out with Lana.

01:18:33But she also keeps saying Dan this, Dan that, as if Dan is everything she can think of.

01:18:39We had lots of fights about that, and once I even spent most of my retirement benefits

01:18:43on a rented apartment and stayed there for 2 weeks.

01:18:46When I got back, we promised each other never to speak with Lana or Dan ever again.

01:18:53Cece seems frustrated with us way too often.

01:18:56Come on, give me a break!

01:18:58Can't a married couple get some life after retirement?

01:19:01She calls us every evening and threatens to come to our place if we don't behave.

01:19:06Since when has that old girl become so adult, I wonder?

01:19:09Huh?

01:19:10Okay!

01:19:11Anyway, Will says the zipline from the top of the mountain is ready.

01:19:15We're going for a flight of our lifetime!

01:19:18Ben out!

01:19:19How do you use this?

01:19:21Oh, yeah, hey.

01:19:23Hey, it's Ben!

01:19:26Ebeneezer!

01:19:27I'm 72 today!

01:19:30Did you know that?

01:19:31Cece says I have to record something to come commemorate this date.

01:19:39I don't know what to say, but I want my cake already.

01:19:42Cece, where's my cake?

01:19:45Well, hello there.

01:19:48It's Franklin speaking.

01:19:50My grandpops, Ebeneezer, left this device for posterity, which I guess I am.

01:19:57He's 84 now and mostly lying around in his little bed, but mom tells me lots of stories

01:20:03about him and grandma.

01:20:05I think I'll take up his tradition and let his legacy live on.

01:20:10Oops, little Benny soiled his nappy.

01:20:13Gotta go now.

01:20:14Franklin out.

01:20:17Ah, such a beautiful day, isn't it?

01:20:21It is, until it all goes boom!

01:20:24It's gravity disappearing for just a second!

01:20:27Let's recap the events from the smallest to the largest scale.

01:20:30We'll start with you.

01:20:31Yes, you.

01:20:33If gravity is lost for a single second, unfortunately, you'll most probably be no more.

01:20:38Thing is, gravity doesn't only keep you anchored to the Earth, it also holds all the atoms

01:20:43inside your body together.

01:20:45If this force completely disappears, even for such a short period of time, chances are

01:20:50you'll simply fly apart.

01:20:53If you don't, then you'll start floating above the ground.

01:20:57Not high, though, because one second isn't enough to fly too far away.

01:21:01If the gravity stops working only for you, then you'll levitate a little over an inch

01:21:05upwards and then fall back without consequences.

01:21:09Your thoughts will be occupied by the lack of oxygen in your lungs, though, because with

01:21:13no gravity, your blood will stop pumping.

01:21:16Now, if it affects the surrounding objects as well, you'll be lucky to be away from

01:21:21home because everything around you will float too.

01:21:25But after a second, all your cutlery, your bed, your wardrobes, etc. will smash down

01:21:31on the floor.

01:21:32Luckily, buildings and trees will probably stay put because they're strongly rooted

01:21:36in the ground by their own means.

01:21:38Still, the picture won't be pretty, and it'll be up to you to clean that mess.

01:21:43Aw, shucks.

01:21:44By the way, you surely know our planet is spinning and hurtling through space at mind-blowing

01:21:50speeds, so there's a chance that if gravity does turn off for a second, everything on

01:21:55the Earth's surface will succumb to inertia and fly horizontally at several hundred miles

01:22:00per hour.

01:22:01That will be an even bigger mess.

01:22:03But only if everything retains its mass.

01:22:06If it doesn't, then it should be no problem.

01:22:09Maybe.

01:22:10Yet, the real trouble starts if the gravity disappears for the entire planet.

01:22:15The force of gravity is equal to the pressure from inside the Earth, and if the outside

01:22:20pressure is gone, nothing will stop the molten innards of our planet from bursting onto the

01:22:25surface.

01:22:26An immense earthquake will begin all over the Earth as the tectonic plates move upwards.

01:22:32Also, all the world's volcanoes will probably erupt too, since the lava will be pumped up

01:22:37with the pressure.

01:22:38If such a mega-eruption occurs, no life will survive except the sturdiest of creatures,

01:22:44such as tardigrades.

01:22:46The clouds of volcanic ash will spread across the whole planet, blocking the Sun.

01:22:51At first, the temperatures will rise due to the greenhouse effect, but then the planet

01:22:56will cool down, and a new ice age will begin.

01:23:00Optimistic!

01:23:01This will all happen even if the gravity returns after a second, because the motion will already

01:23:06start and it'll take a more powerful force to calm it down.

01:23:11Up above, the atmosphere of the Earth will simply evaporate.

01:23:14The air we breathe is also kept around the planet by the force of gravity.

01:23:18So if it pops, we'll have nothing to fill our lungs with.

01:23:23When the gravity comes back in a second, the atmosphere will eventually gather itself back,

01:23:28but the damage will have been done already.

01:23:30It will take a lot of time for the air to return to its original composition.

01:23:35Meanwhile, in space, things are even worse.

01:23:39As far as we know, everything in the Universe is held together by gravity, including other

01:23:44planets, stars, galaxies, and even galactic clusters.

01:23:48On a cosmic scale, our planet is but a fleck of dust having a really tiny mass.

01:23:54The Sun is incredibly huge by comparison.

01:23:57It's 109 times bigger in diameter and over 300,000 times more massive, which is why its

01:24:04gravity is able to keep so many planets in its orbit.

01:24:07And now that enormous force is just poof!

01:24:11Even though it's only a second, the immense pressure of gas from inside our star makes

01:24:16it explode, sending a heat wave far greater than anything we've ever experienced in

01:24:21history.

01:24:22Now, the Sun will most likely survive because a second is too short a period of time for

01:24:26the star to inflate too much.

01:24:28But the same can't be said about Mercury, Venus, Earth, and probably Mars too.

01:24:34Mercury, being the closest, will probably be simply incinerated.

01:24:38The temperature on Venus is already extremely high, but it will spike even more, scorching

01:24:43its surface.

01:24:44Good thing it's not inhabited.

01:24:46And bad thing that Earth is.

01:24:49The heat wave from the Sun will probably obliterate our atmosphere first and then do the same

01:24:54with the surface.

01:24:55So from the looks of it, nothing will be able to survive.

01:24:59Again.

01:25:00Oh well.

01:25:02But that's not even close to the end.

01:25:04Our Sun is one of the smallest stars in the Universe, the biggest known one being about

01:25:081,500 times larger and more massive.

01:25:12If such a giant loses its gravity for a second, everything around it for millions upon millions

01:25:17of miles will simply disintegrate, including other smaller stars.

01:25:23But the objects with the most mass and, as a result, the most gravity are neutron stars

01:25:28and black holes.

01:25:30Both of them are extremely small for their mass, like me.

01:25:34But the pressure inside them is so immense that the loss of gravity for even a fraction

01:25:38of a second might mean a tremendous space explosion.

01:25:43And with a whole second, it's basically warranted.

01:25:46Nobody knows for sure, though, how black holes operate, so there's a chance that something

01:25:50else will happen with them, or nothing at all.

01:25:55Finally, on the largest scale, if gravity decides to take a second-long break, surprisingly,

01:26:02nothing much will happen.

01:26:03Planets will mostly retain their orbits, although they might change a little bit, and if we

01:26:08talk about galaxies or galactic clusters, those won't even notice anything.

01:26:13The biggest changes will be local because, as I said earlier, stars will explode, and

01:26:18the larger the blast, the more it will affect the neighboring celestial bodies.

01:26:23For example, if a star large enough sends a wave of energy in the direction of our Solar

01:26:28System, it might send asteroids flying toward us from the Oort Cloud.

01:26:33Those space rocks fall onto the Moon and even Earth quite regularly, but they're mostly

01:26:38rather small.

01:26:39The ones sent to us by a star explosion, however, might be a lot bigger and more dangerous.

01:26:45We will be protected by other planets, but still, the chances of collision will be a

01:26:49lot higher than normal.

01:26:51But who cares, really?

01:26:52We'll be toast by then!

01:26:55Obviously, this is all just speculation.

01:26:58Nobody knows for sure what will happen if gravity suddenly decides to stop working even

01:27:03for a second.

01:27:04What we know, though, is that it can't happen without numerous laws of physics being broken

01:27:09all at once.

01:27:11Scientists are pretty certain such a turning off is impossible altogether.

01:27:15For this to happen, everything in the Universe will have to lose its mass first.

01:27:20Mass is the main reason things have gravity.

01:27:22So the heavier the object, the more gravity it has.

01:27:25Even you have it.

01:27:26It's just so small that you can't feel it.

01:27:29But if you were several million times more massive, you'd probably be the center of

01:27:34everyone's attention.

01:27:35Hey, I'd use that opportunity!

01:27:38The ocean is turning red hot!

01:27:41You try to get closer for a better look, but you start feeling the air getting hotter and

01:27:45hotter, like reaching into an oven!

01:27:48And the sand is so hot that your rubber slippers start melting!

01:27:52The oceans somehow turned into steamy hot, gooey lava!

01:27:56You start running inland and see a frenzy of people running wild!

01:28:01See, in reality, lava is made of molten rocks from below the Earth's surface.

01:28:07Deep inside our planet, like the distance between New York and Philadelphia deep, the

01:28:12underground heat from the core melts rocks the same way the sun melts ice cream.

01:28:18When these rocks melt, their temperatures can reach around 2200 degrees Fahrenheit!

01:28:24But don't worry, that only happens really deep under the ground and only in some specific

01:28:29areas, mostly around the Atlantic Ocean.

01:28:32And it only pops out of the ground when there's so much pressure that it flows up to the surface

01:28:38as a gooey, orange, super hot liquid called lava that usually erupts through a volcano's

01:28:43neck.

01:28:45But somehow, the entire ocean is made of lava now!

01:28:49And although from a really far away distance, it looks pretty cool to look at, it's really

01:28:54dangerous.

01:28:56First of all, say goodbye to the beautiful blue waves and the ocean currents.

01:29:01Unlike water, lava is thicker, closer to creamy peanut butter in texture, so the wind can't

01:29:07move it around like it used to.

01:29:09But that also means that nothing can sink or swim in it.

01:29:14So even if some ocean creatures could withstand the super high temperatures of lava, they

01:29:19won't be able to live inside of it.

01:29:21They'll either be submerged or float on the surface instead, depending on their density.

01:29:27So all our marine friends and other creatures that used to call the ocean home will need

01:29:32to find another body of water to live in if they want to survive.

01:29:36Actually, the only animals on this planet that could possibly survive the heat of lava

01:29:41would be the tardigrades.

01:29:43These cute microscopic creatures can survive in any extreme environment on this planet,

01:29:48from frozen icy glaciers to hot and fiery volcanoes.

01:29:53They can even survive in outer space under the cosmic rays.

01:29:57You run away from the beach along with everyone else nearby.

01:30:01The atmosphere is getting thicker and it's not easy to see around you.

01:30:05You think to yourself, I should have stayed home.

01:30:09But home isn't exactly safe either.

01:30:12The heat radiating from all the lava alone would be intolerable for miles.

01:30:17So no more houses by the sea and beach resorts.

01:30:21You're going to want to make sure you live as far away from the ocean as possible.

01:30:26Most of the coastal cities would become instantly uninhabitable, especially areas touching the

01:30:31ocean with more than one side.

01:30:34Cities like Florida, California, and Central America would become mostly unbearable to

01:30:40live in.

01:30:41And that's not to mention island life.

01:30:44Most islands would be so hot that no animal or plant could survive.

01:30:4997% of the planet was made up of ocean water, and it now all turned to lava.

01:30:55No place on Earth can hold snow anymore as the planet would look like a glowing orange

01:31:00lava ball.

01:31:02Temperatures would rise so much that the furthest place from the shores and even the highest

01:31:06peaks will still feel like the hottest day in a desert.

01:31:10As you keep running away from the ocean, you realize that maybe you're dreaming.

01:31:15But you look at your skin and see so much redness.

01:31:18Even if you run for miles, the heat will still catch up to you.

01:31:22All the offshore oil rigs and ships in the middle of the oceans will face plenty of problems

01:31:28too.

01:31:29Their metallic composition would simply glow red and melt instantly when in contact with

01:31:34hot lava.

01:31:36And even if it doesn't melt, you better hope nobody happens to be on it.

01:31:40But in any event like that, they would have evacuated everyone.

01:31:45Meanwhile, at the North and South Poles, where the planet is at its coldest, all the ice

01:31:51that was covering the ocean is instantly melting in contact with the lava.

01:31:56It would then cool down and solidify into rocky black landmasses called igneous rocks

01:32:02that are often glassy in texture.

01:32:04The moment the hot lava cools down, huge clouds of acidic steam and gases get released into

01:32:10the air, covering the sky.

01:32:13Scientists call those lays, which is a combination of the words lava and haze.

01:32:20Kind of like when you exit the shower and all the heat comes in contact with the cold

01:32:24outside air, creating a haze, except this one would cover the whole North and South

01:32:29Poles and it would be super toxic.

01:32:32It sometimes even contains tiny glass particles that are extremely hazardous.

01:32:37And this lays can travel around the world with strong enough wind and cover almost the

01:32:42entire Northern Hemisphere.

01:32:45It could also cover the southern part of New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia.

01:32:52Flying an airplane through this gas wouldn't be the best idea.

01:32:56The heat alone emitted from the lava would be enough to cause major damage to the exterior

01:33:01and affect the airplane's hardware.

01:33:05It's a good thing you found your trusty oxygen container.

01:33:08The air is barely breathable at this point.

01:33:11You make your way to your car and drive away as fast as you can.

01:33:15But even your car's taken some damage.

01:33:17You drive out to the countryside, where the atmosphere hasn't been affected by the lava yet.

01:33:22But even all the way out here, the temperature is changing.

01:33:27The river you used to see on your weekly hikes is drying up.

01:33:31The plants around you are losing their green lush.

01:33:34The animals around have migrated to a different place.

01:33:39Rivers flowing into the ocean would simply create mounds of glassy igneous rocks upon

01:33:43contact, permanently creating natural dams.

01:33:47The rest of the water inland, like in ponds and lakes, would eventually evaporate over time.

01:33:54With the rise in temperatures and no rainfall, it would be the end of water on the planet

01:33:58as we know it.

01:34:00The huge mass of ocean water plays a major role in creating clouds and rainfall.

01:34:06Without water in the atmosphere, the sun's heat would add to the lavas.

01:34:11The world would be a huge barren wasteland.

01:34:14The nights would be hot, and the days even hotter.

01:34:20Hop on the Bright Side of life together with our brand new tees, hoodies, and more.

01:34:24Click the link to pick your choice.

01:34:26Still, lava cools down eventually in contact with the cool air.

01:34:31So soon enough, the surface would start forming a thin layer of black crust that would gradually

01:34:36thicken over the years.

01:34:38The thicker the lava, the longer it takes to completely cool down on the inside.

01:34:44It would still be super hot though, but at least if you touch it, you won't be directly

01:34:48touching the burning lava.

01:34:51That's actually how many islands were formed.

01:34:54Like the Hawaiian Islands, for example.

01:34:56They're fully formed by lava erupting from below the ocean that dried over hundreds of

01:35:01thousands of years.

01:35:03It accumulated layers over layers of solidified lava from below the ocean until it rose above

01:35:09the surface forming islands and even mountains.

01:35:13As we speak, a new landmass in Hawaii is being formed by an active volcano.

01:35:19Scientists expect it to be a new fully formed island in about 10,000 years.

01:35:25So now, the view that used to be the blue ocean turned into steamy glowing orange slime

01:35:31that will in turn quickly transform into a solid black wasteland.

01:35:36But don't think you can easily walk over that ocean.

01:35:40It could take hundreds of years for it to fully cool down and turn into solid rock.

01:35:45Until then, walking on that dried lava crust would be similar to walking on a frozen lake.

01:35:51Except that in this case, one misstep would cause you to fall into boiling hot lava instead

01:35:57of ice cold water.

01:35:59Some regions would even take thousands of years to fully solidify.

01:36:03The Mariana Trench, the deepest region of the ocean, is about a whopping 43,000 feet

01:36:08deep.

01:36:09It would actually take at least 5,000 years for that much lava to completely cool down.

01:36:15There are many planets out there that are so-called lava planets.

01:36:19A recently discovered planet, K2-141b, has magma oceans, supersonic winds up to 3,000

01:36:27miles per hour, and even rocky rains.

01:36:31That's right.

01:36:32The planet is so hot that it vaporizes rocks and rains them back down.

01:36:37Keep in mind that this planet is much closer to the sun than our planet is.

01:36:43Maybe their oceans once turned into lava overnight.

01:36:47Ah, it's a lovely day for a boat ride in the swamp.

01:36:52If not for these mosquitoes, then today would be perfect.

01:36:55But for some reason, the mosquitoes keep getting bigger the further you go into the swamp.

01:37:01They started out as tiny, almost invisible insects, and can now be the size of your thumb.

01:37:06You can hear their buzzing as they whiz past you.

01:37:09You go deeper to investigate why they're so big.

01:37:12Eventually, you see a large cluster of mosquitoes the size of your hand buzzing around.

01:37:18They notice you and start flying toward you.

01:37:21You grab a branch and start swatting them away.

01:37:24You run back to your boat and try to escape, but they follow you, and some manage to land on you.

01:37:30You swat them away, but more mosquitoes pop out of nowhere the size of a basketball.

01:37:36You start your boat and speed your way back to the mainland.

01:37:39As you arrive, you see everyone running away in a frenzy, panicking because of the giant mosquitoes.

01:37:46Some of them are as big as a large dog.

01:37:49People are ducking under picnic tables, while some are running back to their cars and driving away.

01:37:54You get off the boat and run toward the closest grocery store, along with dozens of people.

01:37:59The employees lock up the gates, but the large glass panels show the mosquitoes multiplying.

01:38:05They're getting bigger and bigger until you can see one as big as a car zipping by.

01:38:10It's so strong that it landed on an empty car and crushed it.

01:38:15Everyone inside is ducking away out of fear.

01:38:17You try to calm everyone down and not make any noise.

01:38:20The mosquitoes are landing on the glass panel, blocking out the natural light.

01:38:25It's getting dark inside.

01:38:27Someone turns up the volume on the TV to the breaking news.

01:38:31Mosquitoes are flying rampant all across the continent, destroying natural resources and

01:38:36infiltrating cities.

01:38:38People are advised to stay indoors until further notice.

01:38:41The mosquitoes notice that there are people in the store, so they try to get in by force.

01:38:46A car-sized mosquito flies around in the sky, unaware of what's happening below.

01:38:52Everyone hears some noise coming from the back room.

01:38:54The employees realize they didn't lock the doors.

01:38:58A large mosquito enters and knocks down everything.

01:39:02Everyone runs around in a panic while throwing random stuff at it.

01:39:06Some people grab a fire extinguisher and spray it until it flies to the back room.

01:39:11Some employees lock the door and barricade it so that nothing can enter.

01:39:16Everyone waits nervously.

01:39:17The TV broadcasts some live coverage of how giant mosquitoes are flying everywhere.

01:39:22A helicopter is forced to land because the mosquitoes are flying around wildly in the

01:39:26skies.

01:39:28Everyone shudders when they hear the sound of more mosquitoes buzzing around near the

01:39:32back door.

01:39:33Hours pass, and more mosquitoes keep coming endlessly.

01:39:38There are no people outside, and much of the urban and landscape design in the park is

01:39:42destroyed or overrun by giant insects.

01:39:46Some people eat whatever is available, while some are sleeping.

01:39:49A piece of breaking news interrupts the live coverage and shows that there will be armored

01:39:54buses ready to pick up people near the picnic site.

01:39:57However, the buses won't drive to hot spots since it'll be too dangerous.

01:40:02The only way to get on them is by being on the highway in two hours.

01:40:06Everyone tries to call their loved ones, but the cell towers have been knocked down, and

01:40:10no one can call anyone.

01:40:12The mosquito that broke in a while ago destroyed the only landline that was present.

01:40:17People are arguing about whether they should stay or go.

01:40:21More insects cover the only clear patches of the sky until the sun disappears.

01:40:26The people split into two parties, those who are leaving to catch the bus and those who

01:40:30want to stay.

01:40:32The employees know a back way that can quickly lead to the highway.

01:40:36The only problem is that it'll take around 20 minutes on foot, and there are no cars

01:40:40to use.

01:40:41The way is tricky.

01:40:43First, they would need to escape through the main entrance and head through the bushy forest

01:40:47behind the dumpsters.

01:40:49Over there, they can enter a building, possibly through the sewers, which will lead to the

01:40:53lake next to the highway.

01:40:56The first party decides to leave.

01:40:57They prepare supplies for the breakout.

01:41:00Every second, more mosquitoes arrive, covering the sky.

01:41:04They gear up with anything they can find to protect themselves.

01:41:08Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide that people breathe out, and they know that

01:41:12there's a source coming from the grocery store.

01:41:15Once everyone is ready, they get some makeshift torches and light them up.

01:41:19They add some barbecue fuel to keep the fire going.

01:41:22You're part of the party that is planning to escape.

01:41:25The doors open, and everyone makes a break for it behind the dumpster.

01:41:29Many mosquitoes try to attack you, but the smoke from the fire repels them.

01:41:34Every second, more mosquitoes are filling the sky and the environment.

01:41:38Many people end up running back into the store, since they couldn't make it past the dumpster

01:41:42to the other building.

01:41:43Eventually, the rest of the people, including yourself, run toward the building.

01:41:48But it's locked, and no one can break down the door.

01:41:51Plan B is to break the glass from a window and crawl inside.

01:41:55You grab a rock and smash the closest window.

01:41:58The only problem is that the mosquitoes can follow you inside.

01:42:02So without any options left, you pull through and run to the basement of the building to

01:42:07find the entrance to the sewer.

01:42:09Success!

01:42:10You've found it, and everyone descends to the bottom.

01:42:13No mosquitoes in sight, just rats.

01:42:16You're walking knee-high in sewer water, with it flowing past you, but it's only a few minutes

01:42:21until you reach the river.

01:42:23Another problem is that the sewer isn't going to the lake, but somewhere deep into the sewer

01:42:28channels.

01:42:29You follow it until you see what looks like an outlet.

01:42:32You make it out, and are near a water hole, where all the discarded sewage leads next

01:42:37to the swamp.

01:42:38The only problem is that you're not next to the highway anymore, and time is running out.

01:42:43More mosquitoes are swarming the air, but they don't bother buzzing next to you.

01:42:48You notice some cat-sized creatures floating on the water.

01:42:51These are baby mosquitoes, or the larvae, and they're coming your way!

01:42:57You and everyone else swim for your lives to the shore.

01:43:00A giant alpha mosquito soars into the air, and swoops down to try and grab someone, but

01:43:06it misses.

01:43:08Everyone makes it to the thick, swampy area, where no giant mosquitoes can enter.

01:43:12Everyone covers themselves with branches to protect themselves.

01:43:15Fifteen minutes until the armored bus arrives.

01:43:18Since the mosquitoes can't enter, this will be the best place to hide until then.

01:43:22Darkness falls, and still, no bus!

01:43:25It's been three hours, and nothing!

01:43:28The mosquitoes are still buzzing around, and everyone is getting uncomfortable under the

01:43:32thick bushes.

01:43:33After a while, everyone hears a roaring engine, and sees lights flashing on the highway!

01:43:39Everyone gets up and runs to the bus, but you stop them to not draw the mosquitoes'

01:43:44attention.

01:43:45You volunteer to sneak out and stop the bus, and then everyone else can follow without

01:43:49drawing too much attention.

01:43:50You move a couple of branches, step over some tree bark, and crawl to the highway.

01:43:56You try to hold your breath, so that you won't make any heavy breathing sounds.

01:44:00You reach the side of the road, and wave your arms to stop the bus.

01:44:04It pulls over, and the door opens.

01:44:06You signal the rest of the people to follow, and they follow your lead.

01:44:10Everyone is inside and safe.

01:44:12Some mosquitoes notice, and start pecking on the bus, but the armor is sturdy.

01:44:17The bus drives off, looking for other people along the road, and suddenly, a Goliath lands

01:44:23in front of you!

01:44:24The bus stops, and sees a mosquito the size of a Boeing 747!

01:44:29It looks straight at you.

01:44:31It gets ready to attack, but the bus speeds under its legs and drives off.

01:44:36The mosquito takes off and tries to catch the bus, but you enter a tunnel to the other

01:44:40side of the mountain.

01:44:42After a few minutes, you reach an open area with no trees or buildings.

01:44:46The bus is speeding while dodging obstacles along the way.

01:44:49Finally, you notice you are near the grocery store where you were held up.

01:44:54The bus opens the door for everyone inside to be taken to a safe zone.

01:44:58You hear from the aid workers that the whole world is being overrun by these giant creatures.

01:45:04As you drive along, you see a hybrid mosquito that has two heads and a scorpion's tail!

01:45:10It's as tall as the Statue of Liberty, and it's ready to attack!

01:45:14Whatever is causing these mosquitoes to grow abnormally is also making them into hybrids

01:45:19and mutants!

01:45:21And you thought it was going to be a good Monday!

01:45:28Alright, you get up after a long party with your friends.

01:45:31The sun's already high up in the sky.

01:45:34You take a look at the clock.

01:45:35Oh well, it's noon, the store's already closed.

01:45:39Or at least, that's a little story you like to tell yourself when you don't feel like

01:45:43going out for groceries.

01:45:45Well, time for a late, late breakfast.

01:45:49You open the fridge.

01:45:50Oh no, what's that weird smell?

01:45:53Is that cheese in a plastic bag?

01:45:55It's just about the only thing left in your fridge, and the store is almost 4 blocks away,

01:46:01so nothing else to do but take a chance!

01:46:05Mold is often a sign your food is spoiled, except for when it comes to cheese.

01:46:10If possible, just remove the moldy parts so you can eat the rest.

01:46:14If by accident you ended up eating some of that mold, don't worry.

01:46:19Most cheese types already contain some kind of mold.

01:46:22It's an important part of the cheese-making process.

01:46:26There are a few exceptions, such as dark black-gray mold.

01:46:31If you see that stuff on soft cheeses, you're gonna have to chuck it out and hit the store.

01:46:36Or maybe, just maybe, you have a Sardinian roommate whose grandma just sent him his island

01:46:43specialty, rotten cheese, aka maggot cheese.

01:46:49The Sardinian cheesemakers leave their cheese to go really, really bad, and voila, you've

01:46:55got yourself a famous delicacy with a tongue-burning taste.

01:46:59It's actually illegal in some countries.

01:47:02So before going for that suspicious cheese chunk in your fridge, check if anything's

01:47:07moving around inside.

01:47:10If you're preparing an omelette and don't have enough ingredients to spice it up with,

01:47:15take eggshells, if they're organic, boil them, and then bake them at 400°F. When they

01:47:21get crispy, grind them into a powder and toss some on your omelette.

01:47:27Eggshells are a pretty good and cheap source of calcium, so it's worth a shot.

01:47:33If things get hairy, grab your tent, blanket, and lamp, and run to the woods.

01:47:39At least there you'll have an endless supply of tree bark, so you won't have to worry

01:47:43about going hungry.

01:47:44Yup, our ancestors were eating bark ever since the beginning of time.

01:47:50Cinnamon bark's among the most popular.

01:47:54Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to do the dishes after every meal?

01:47:57Yes, I'm talking about plates and cutlery you could eat right after using them.

01:48:03It's not a new concept.

01:48:05There are edible plates like tortilla shells, ice cream cones, and one Indian company has

01:48:10been making edible cutlery from rice, wheat flour, and millet for over 10 years.

01:48:16Now if they could just invent an edible cake tin…

01:48:22Remember those good old days when you were younger and no one gave you strange looks

01:48:27for eating chalk?

01:48:28It happened to my friend, yeah.

01:48:31Well, in its purest form, chalk is just calcium carbonate.

01:48:35You won't get any special health benefits from eating it, but it's a non-toxic and

01:48:39natural substance that won't do any harm to your body.

01:48:44People who eat it usually have pica, a condition that makes people eat non-nutritional items.

01:48:52Paper is also one of the things people with this condition crave.

01:48:56One of the reasons for that could be that paper is fibrous, and they are possibly experiencing

01:49:01a lack of fiber.

01:49:03Paper is not nutritious at all, plus it's chemically treated, so better stay away!

01:49:10It's even not that unusual to eat clay.

01:49:13In some parts of the world, people use it to deal with a zinc deficiency.

01:49:18Of course, it has to be a special clay that's purified and suitable for consumption.

01:49:24Dirt, ooooh, back to those good old days, spending time in the garden making pretend

01:49:31cakes out of mud.

01:49:33Not that dirt should be on your everyday menu, but if you can find yourself a nutrition expert,

01:49:38you might just find that eating a little bit of the right dirt isn't all that bad.

01:49:44Some clays and muds have tons of minerals in them, if they're made specially with no

01:49:49chemicals or anything.

01:49:52Dandelions are one of the healthiest edible things you can find.

01:49:56You got vitamins, iron, antioxidants, yep, highly nutritious, and better yet, you can

01:50:02find them literally everywhere.

01:50:06Cactus definitely looks like a plant you should avoid, but if you clean it and prepare it

01:50:12properly, you can add it to desserts, salads, soups, breads, drinks, you name it!

01:50:18It tastes like, well, kind of gooey to be honest.

01:50:22Remember to double-check you got all the spiky bits off!

01:50:27Have you ever taken a walk, looked up at the sky, noticed some bird's nests, and thought,

01:50:32ooh, that could be my dinner for tonight?

01:50:35Not quite?

01:50:36Yeah.

01:50:37But edible nests are a hit in several countries.

01:50:40They're nutritious, have a unique taste, and yes, are made out of the saliva of a very

01:50:46specific kind of bird.

01:50:49They're extremely dangerous to harvest and hard to prepare, so if you're into that

01:50:53sort of thing, don't forget to hit up the ATM beforehand.

01:50:57It can sell up to $4,000 a pound!

01:51:02One more expensive item, get ready for consumption – gold!

01:51:07Not that you can eat your mom's necklace if you're in the mood for a shiny afternoon

01:51:11snack, but gold flakes or leaves are often used to decorate food, especially when it

01:51:17comes to desserts.

01:51:19Gold is actually inert, so it doesn't cause any chemical reaction in your body and can

01:51:24pass straight through your digestive system without being absorbed.

01:51:29I was gonna make a crack here about having a gold rush, but I won't.

01:51:36Some cultures used to boil, tenderize, and chew leather when they were out of food.

01:51:40Well, even if you wanted to try it, you can't.

01:51:44Today's leather is chemically treated, so it's pretty much a no-go.

01:51:50What would you do if you came across a tarantula?

01:51:52If it's in Cambodia, at a tarantula stall, you eat it!

01:51:58It's a classic Cambodian deep-fried snack.

01:52:01They say the taste of tarantula is similar to crab, so, um, yeah, let me know if it's

01:52:08true.

01:52:09Tarantulas certainly have more meat than grasshoppers, who also ended up on the menu in Asia.

01:52:15and parts of the Americas.

01:52:16Both them and crickets are rich in protein and extremely edible.

01:52:21All these little guys need to be expertly raised and prepared.

01:52:25You just can't walk around picking up random insects and eating them.

01:52:29By the way, they say grasshoppers taste like sardines.

01:52:33Curious?

01:52:35Just a regular afternoon, you're sitting on the couch in front of the TV, wondering

01:52:40which snack perfectly fits into your bin session.

01:52:44Okay, some chocolate chip cookies could do the trick, but how about wasp crackers?

01:52:50Yup, biscuits filled with wasps!

01:52:52Next big thing?

01:52:54These rice cracker cookie things with added wasp come from Japan.

01:52:59The wasps are bred specially just for these cookies.

01:53:03They don't just go around town with a net!

01:53:07Another unusual thing from Japan is Fugu Blowfish.

01:53:12You need a lot of professional training to prepare this thing properly since it's full

01:53:17of toxic poison.

01:53:19A good serving could cost you up to $120.

01:53:22Once the licensed chef separates the poisonous parts, they get dumped into a metal container

01:53:28that gets locked with a padlock.

01:53:30It then gets taken to a certified fish market to be burned.

01:53:34It's too poisonous to throw in the regular trash.

01:53:39Imagine your job is collecting ant eggs, and you get paid per pound.

01:53:44How long would it take to gather up enough?

01:53:48If you move to Laos, you might find out.

01:53:51They have one of the most unusual soups around – white ant egg soup.

01:53:56The taste kinda reminds people of shrimp, so it could be worth trying.

01:54:01Or you could just have shrimp soup.

01:54:06Century eggs are something you can find in China.

01:54:09And no, sorry people, they're not thousands, hundreds, or even tens of years old.

01:54:14It usually takes just a couple of months to prepare them, but how they do it is pretty

01:54:20interesting.

01:54:21They're immersed in clay or mud.

01:54:23This technique is something that people in China have been doing for centuries.

01:54:27It preserves all the great benefits of eggs.

01:54:31So what happens inside the egg?

01:54:34Well basically, ammonia and sulfur build up in the yolk, as well as some strange snowflake-like

01:54:39patterns and amber color on the outside of the egg.

01:54:43Apparently, it has a pretty strong ammonia smell.

01:54:46Oh, the beauty of rotten-smelling foods, yeah?

01:54:52So you're running through the jungle with tree branches and thick vines blocking your

01:54:56way.

01:54:57You don't know where you're going, but you feel like you're not in control of your

01:55:01movements.

01:55:02You see a huge rock in front of you.

01:55:04You can't stop running.

01:55:05You're about to crash into it.

01:55:07Suddenly, whoop!

01:55:08You're up in the air, soaring at an incredible speed.

01:55:12Below you is a steep valley with sharp rocks and a raging river.

01:55:16You hold your breath, hoping this is all a dream.

01:55:19But then you land back on the ground and continue running without breaking a sweat.

01:55:24Risking a glance behind you, you see a group of high-tech drones chasing right after you.

01:55:30In front of you, there's a bright light, and as soon as you run past it, everything

01:55:34turns black.

01:55:36You catch yourself sitting in a dark room with nothing around you, trying to guess a

01:55:40tough riddle that's almost impossible to understand.

01:55:44You only have seconds to guess, or something bad will happen to you.

01:55:48Only 5 seconds left to make that guess.

01:55:51You blurt out the first thing that comes to your mind, but your tongue slips and you say

01:55:55something completely wrong.

01:55:57The look on your face is that of fear.

01:55:59Everything turns black.

01:56:01You're climbing up a large ladder, but you're not in control.

01:56:05Below you are rows and rows of flat tiles.

01:56:08You finally scale to the top and wait for yourself to move, but you can't.

01:56:13No matter how hard you try, it's like you're cemented to your spot.

01:56:17But in a few moments, you're able to move through some of the tiles and progress.

01:56:22The only thing that you can't control is how far you walk.

01:56:25You land facing a giant snake longer than two buses head to tail.

01:56:30Its hissing is terrifying, and its fangs are dripping with venom.

01:56:34Luckily, you move past it without any conflict.

01:56:38But what's this?

01:56:39You land facing another snake, and this one is even bigger than the previous one.

01:56:44It opens its large, gaping mouth and unleashes a thunderous roar.

01:56:49Its red scales reflect your terrified face back at you.

01:56:53The snake gulps you down, and you slide down the belly of the beast.

01:56:58And through the dark tunnel, you suddenly end up back to where you started.

01:57:02It's impossible to move, and you have to go through the snakes and ladders.

01:57:07You're cruising in one of those fancy old sports cars.

01:57:10It's a lovely day in London.

01:57:12You pass by Trafalgar Square before taking the train at King's Cross station.

01:57:17But suddenly, you're not so hot anymore.

01:57:20As soon as you land on Mayfair, you look at your bank account, and it doesn't make

01:57:24any sense.

01:57:25All your finances are now down the drain.

01:57:28You have so much money to pay that it's impossible to cough up the rent.

01:57:33You're panicking.

01:57:34You have no choice but to mortgage your lands, and if that's not enough, you have to sell

01:57:38some of your houses and hotels to finance the rent.

01:57:42All that hard work gone in a matter of seconds.

01:57:46What about a game of patience and years of experience?

01:57:49You're standing in the middle of an open green field.

01:57:52You're glued to your spot, and you can't move.

01:57:55The people around you are also glued to their spots.

01:57:58Suddenly, somebody moves two spots in front of them, and then you realize that everyone

01:58:03around you has a specific move.

01:58:07Some move diagonally, others forward or sideways.

01:58:10Some can move in an L shape.

01:58:12As everyone moves, you realize you're the only one who can move sideways, front, and

01:58:17even backwards.

01:58:18And what's cool is that you have unlimited moves.

01:58:22But there's threats all over, hidden, disguised as innocent placements.

01:58:27And before you know it, you're one of the few still standing.

01:58:31Everyone else is gone.

01:58:33The sun is set and the field is more open than before.

01:58:36You're now one of the main components to victory.

01:58:39As you continue, there are fewer and fewer people around.

01:58:43Out of nowhere, you're placed in a position poised for victory.

01:58:47And it's checkmate.

01:58:49You're anxious and breathing heavily.

01:58:52There was a crime committed in the library.

01:58:54Or maybe not, who knows?

01:58:57But you're one of the detectives at the scene trying to figure out what happened.

01:59:01All you know is that it happened inside the mansion, and you need to uncover who committed

01:59:06the crime, with what tool, and where the perpetrator did it.

01:59:10The night is young, but the clues are scattered all over, and there's no time to waste.

01:59:16There are other detectives trying to solve the case, but you need to be quicker.

01:59:20You investigate every corner and alley to try to come up with a conclusion.

01:59:25Looking under every lamp, between the curtains, every crack on the wall.

01:59:29But nothing.

01:59:30Zilch.

01:59:31You make your way around every room, but something is quite intriguing in the dining room.

01:59:37You already looked there, but didn't pay attention to the details.

01:59:41And you may have found the first clue to solving the mystery.

01:59:45After extra searching, you can determine that you've found the tool used in the crime.

01:59:50And in no time, you've found out where the culprit did it.

01:59:54You lay down a press conference as soon as you're confident of your conclusion.

01:59:58Everyone is waiting to see what you have.

02:00:00And you blow them away with your analysis.

02:00:03The offender was in the room the whole time.

02:00:06You close the case and get that promotion you've always wanted.

02:00:10But there are more cases to be solved which are equally challenging.

02:00:15Imagine waking up and not knowing how to speak.

02:00:18You begin your day by brushing your teeth and getting dressed.

02:00:21But as soon as you want to exit your apartment, you can't seem to move.

02:00:25Like an invisible barrier is blocking your way.

02:00:28You look at your hand and see 7 random numbers jumbled up.

02:00:32A message appears that you need to make a word in order to get out.

02:00:37So you try to come up with the cleverest word you can think of.

02:00:40But of course, no cheating!

02:00:42You can forget about the dictionary.

02:00:44After punching in the word, you're able to gain access outside and continue your day.

02:00:49But you're not able to enter your car.

02:00:52Another invisible barrier is blocking you.

02:00:55This time, you look at your hand and see another random set of 7 letters.

02:00:59And you need to come up with another word.

02:01:01It's getting more difficult to figure it out.

02:01:04Eventually, you end up laying a mediocre word, but it gets the job done.

02:01:09By the time your day is over, you'd be a super wordsmith!

02:01:13You wake up in a dark, damp room.

02:01:16It's chilly with moss scattered across the cobbled floor.

02:01:20As you get up, you realize you're wearing medieval armor.

02:01:23You're a magical wizard with an awesome wizard hat!

02:01:27You find a torch in the distance to illuminate the room.

02:01:30And then you realize you're in a dungeon.

02:01:33There's fog in which you can't see beyond a couple of feet.

02:01:37You venture on until you hear a voice from above speaking to you.

02:01:41The game has begun.

02:01:43You will need to get out of this dungeon, avoiding all obstacles in your path.

02:01:48You are gifted with many spells to help you.

02:01:51But be warned, your magic is limited and your foes are many.

02:01:56Well, that was creepy.

02:01:58You look around and there's no one else around you.

02:02:01You have your wizard staff, and you go deep into the dungeon.

02:02:04Suddenly, you cross a one-eyed creature with slime oozing down its head, eight tentacles,

02:02:10and a mean growl.

02:02:12You need to figure out how you're going to get past the creature.

02:02:15Out of nowhere, you see your spells in front of you.

02:02:18And through a decent selection, you know what the creature's weakness is.

02:02:22You cast a lightning spell that irritates the creature.

02:02:26It ducks into the shadows and disappears.

02:02:29You continue your journey deep into the dark dungeon and cross a path of lava floor and

02:02:34spikes.

02:02:35But it's all good, because you have a magical shield to protect you from all the dangers

02:02:40in your surroundings.

02:02:42After defeating countless creatures, you see the light at the end of the tunnel and make

02:02:46it out of the dungeon.

02:02:48You find yourself in an enchanted forest with lush green trees and a mystical river.

02:02:54Fluttering around you are little fairies.

02:02:56They're pretty friendly too.

02:02:58But when you make your way deep into the forest, everything begins to change.

02:03:03The trees are barren, and the ground seems scorched.

02:03:06That could only mean one thing – the dragon is nearby.

02:03:11But that's okay.

02:03:12You've leveled up pretty good to face it.

02:03:14You reach the mouth of a large cave where the dragon sleeps.

02:03:19But before you know it, the dragon wakes up and sets off into the air, breathing fire

02:03:24on the trees and land.

02:03:26You conjure some allies to help you.

02:03:28And with so many magic spells, you finally defeat the dragon!

02:03:33That's it for today!

02:03:37So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your

02:03:41friends!

02:03:42And if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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