Disturbing simulation shows what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning and the result is horrifying
A terrifying simulation shows what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning.
Simulations have certainly given us some deeply unsettling glimpses into hypothetical scenarios, from euthanasia roller coasters to experiencing dementia first-hand.
YouTube channel Zack D Films has carved out a niche by creating graphic animations of disturbing (yet educational) 'what if' scenarios, covering everything from bizarre historical events to medical phenomena.
While some of his shorts teach practical skills like cracking a safe, others deliver uncomfortable truths about why you should never pop a blister.
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His latest YouTube Short delves into a chilling science-fiction scenario: What would happen if Earth suddenly stopped spinning?
To be clear, there's no build-up in this video, it just jumps straight into the horror.
"If the Earth suddenly stopped spinning, you'd instantly be thrown east at over 1,000 miles an hour," Zack described in the animation.
"This is because the force of the movement would keep moving on the Earth's surface, making everything keep going at the same speed it was before."
Zack adds that anything and everything that isn't attached 'would go flying' due to the momentum, including humans.
"Even oceans would shift with devastating force. And since the atmosphere would keep going to, powerful winds would blast across the planet," Zack warned.
Perhaps most terrifying of all is what would happen to Earth's protective systems.
"Without the spin, the Earth's magnetic field could collapse and the planet would quickly fry, causing total extinction," Zack added.
Scientists have also confirmed the physics behind this nightmare scenario.
"The momentum of all the material that's normally rotating — the water, the air, all the buildings and things like that — would cause them to keep going," said Andrew Layden, a professor of physics and astronomy at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
"So they [would] split off the surface and just keep going around and around, basically, in a low orbit around the Earth."
Even areas near the poles, which currently rotate slowly or not at all, wouldn't escape the chaos. The extreme forces would likely trigger massive earthquakes and tsunamis, making the entire planet uninhabitable.
Comments on the viral video reveal a mix of terror and dark humour from viewers processing the newly learned information.
"Glad the Earth didn't over react," the first user joked.
"New fear unlocked: some giant space hand suddenly stopping the earth from spinning," another commented.
Others developed a newfound appreciation for our planet's efforts to keep us alive.
"Never stop, Earth, never stop," a third YouTube user pleaded while someone else claimed they 'got nothing but real energy from this whole thing.'
Between concerns about AI extinction events and a potential World War 3, let's hope our planet continues to spin as reliably as it has for billions of years.