What if everyone jumped at once?

xkcd's What If?

16 Apr 202403:52

Summary

TLDRIn a hypothetical scenario where everyone on Earth gathers in Rhode Island and jumps in unison, the physical impact on the planet is negligible. Despite the collective force, the Earth's immense mass renders the jump insignificant, causing less than an atom's width of displacement. However, the social and infrastructural consequences are severe. Cell networks collapse under the strain, transportation systems are overwhelmed, and essential services like food and water become scarce, leading to a rapid societal breakdown. The aftermath would see a dramatic population decline and survivors struggling to rebuild civilization. The Earth's rotation and orbit remain unaffected, serving as a cautionary tale for future generations.

Takeaways

🌍 The collective jump of all humans would not significantly affect the Earth due to its immense mass compared to human weight.
🚀 Even if everyone jumped high enough, the Earth would only be displaced by less than the width of an atom.
🏙️ The energy from everyone landing would be substantial but spread over a large area, causing minimal environmental impact.
📡 The simultaneous landing would create a loud noise but would not have a lasting effect on the planet's structure.
📵 The concentration of people would cause cell networks to collapse due to the unprecedented load.
🛫 Transportation infrastructure would be overwhelmed, with airports and seaports unable to handle the volume of people needing to travel.
🚗 Road networks would fail due to massive traffic jams, leaving cars abandoned and people to find alternative means of travel.
🏪 Essential resources like food and water would be quickly depleted, and there would be no efficient system for distribution.
🏥 Sanitation and healthcare would become dire issues, leading to a rapid decline in living conditions and a potential humanitarian crisis.
⏳ Within weeks, the scenario could lead to the death of billions, turning the area into a graveyard and drastically reducing the global population.
🌿 Survivors would face the challenge of rebuilding civilization and spreading out across the world.
🪐 The Earth's rotation and orbit would remain unaffected by the event, continuing as they did prior to the jump.

Q & A

What is the scenario presented in the transcript where everyone on Earth stands close together and jumps?
-The scenario involves magically transporting the entire Earth's population to one location, assumed to be Rhode Island, where they all jump and land simultaneously, and then face the challenges of returning to their homes and surviving.
How does the collective jump of the Earth's population affect the planet?
-The collective jump does not significantly affect the Earth due to the planet's massive size compared to the force exerted by humans. The Earth would only be pushed down by less than an atom's width.
What is the immediate physical impact of everyone landing back on the ground?
-The landing creates a loud, drawn-out roar from the impact of twelve billion feet hitting the ground, and a slight pulse of pressure that registers on a few local seismometers.
Why do cell phones display 'NO SIGNAL' after everyone lands?
-The cell networks collapse under the unprecedented load of seven billion people trying to use them simultaneously, resulting in a 'NO SIGNAL' message on all phones.
What happens to the rest of the world outside of Rhode Island after everyone jumps?
-Outside Rhode Island, abandoned machinery stops, airplanes continue on auto-pilot, food burns on unattended stoves, and there is a general sense of chaos and abandonment.
How does the situation in Rhode Island affect transportation and infrastructure?
-Transportation is severely impacted, with massive traffic jams and insufficient public transportation. The infrastructure struggles to provide food, water, and sanitation for the concentrated population.
What are the long-term consequences for the people in Rhode Island?
-The lack of food, water, and sanitation, along with the absence of healthcare, leads to a rapid decline in the population, with Rhode Island becoming a graveyard for billions.
How does this event affect the Earth's rotation and orbit?
-The Earth's rotation and orbit remain completely unaffected by the event, as the mass and force of the human population are insufficient to alter these astronomical properties.
What is the final outcome for the survivors of this scenario?
-The survivors spread out across the world and attempt to build a new civilization on the ruins of the old, with the human population greatly reduced.
What is the area that the crowd occupies at the start of the scenario?
-The crowd occupies an area the size of Rhode Island, which is where they are assumed to be located.
What is the average height humans can jump vertically?
-On average, humans can vertically jump about half a meter, especially when not constrained by being in a crowd.
What is the note to future civilizations at the end of the transcript?
-The note advises against attempting such a global jump again, highlighting the disastrous consequences of the event.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 The Hypothetical Earthwide Jump

This paragraph introduces a popular question pondering the consequences if every person on Earth gathered in one place, jumped, and landed simultaneously. It humorously starts by acknowledging the question's popularity and previous examinations, including a ScienceBlogs post and a Straight Dope article. The scenario begins with Earth's population magically transported to Rhode Island, where they collectively jump at noon. Despite the collective action, the Earth's immense mass means the jump has negligible physical impact, with the Earth only being pushed down by less than an atom's width. The energy from the fall is spread over a large area, causing minimal disturbance. However, the simultaneous landing creates a loud noise, and the crowd's cellphones all display 'NO SIGNAL' due to network overload. The paragraph concludes with the aftermath, including abandoned machinery, autopilot airplanes, and a traffic jam of epic proportions, leading to a grim outlook for the crowd's survival and the potential collapse of civilization.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Earth's population

The term 'Earth's population' refers to the total number of human beings living on the planet. In the context of the video, it is used to illustrate the hypothetical scenario where all people on Earth are gathered in one place, specifically Rhode Island, to jump and land simultaneously. This concept is central to the video's theme, as it sets the stage for the ensuing discussion on the physical and societal impacts of such an event.

💡Vertical jump

A 'vertical jump' is a physical action where a person propels themselves upward off the ground, typically measured in height. In the video, it is mentioned that humans can jump about half a meter on average, which becomes a point of comparison when considering the collective force exerted by the entire Earth's population jumping together.

💡Rhode Island

Rhode Island is a state in the northeastern United States, used in the video as the hypothetical location where all of Earth's population gathers. It serves as a geographical reference point for the scenario, allowing for the discussion of the spatial implications of concentrating billions of people in one area.

💡Energy delivery

The term 'energy delivery' refers to the transfer of energy from one system to another. In the video, it is used to describe the impact of everyone jumping and landing on the ground, which technically delivers a significant amount of energy into the Earth. However, the video explains that the energy is spread over a large area and has minimal effect beyond local seismometers.

💡Seismometers

Seismometers are scientific instruments that measure and record seismic waves caused by earthquakes or other ground movements. In the context of the video, it is mentioned that the collective landing of all people on Earth would cause a slight pulse of pressure that could be detected by seismometers, indicating the scale of the energy involved in the hypothetical scenario.

💡Cell networks

Cell networks are the infrastructure that enables mobile communication devices to connect and communicate with each other. The video discusses the collapse of cell networks under the unprecedented load if everyone on Earth were to use their phones simultaneously in one location, highlighting the strain on communication systems in such a scenario.

💡Traffic jam

A 'traffic jam' is a situation where a large number of vehicles are bumper-to-bumper, unable to move at a normal pace due to congestion. The video uses the concept of a traffic jam to illustrate the logistical nightmare of trying to transport the entire Earth's population away from Rhode Island after the hypothetical event, emphasizing the scale of the problem.

💡Sanitation

Sanitation refers to the hygienic disposal of human waste and the maintenance of clean and healthy environments. In the video, the lack of sanitation is highlighted as a major issue if all people were to gather in one place, as it would lead to unsanitary conditions and potential health crises.

💡Healthcare infrastructure

Healthcare infrastructure encompasses the systems, facilities, and professionals required to provide medical care to a population. The video points out that in the hypothetical scenario, the healthcare infrastructure would be nonexistent, leading to significant health risks for the concentrated population.

💡Earth's rotation and orbit

The 'Earth's rotation' is the spinning of the Earth on its axis, while the 'Earth's orbit' is its path around the Sun. The video emphasizes that despite the hypothetical scenario involving all humans jumping and landing simultaneously, these natural phenomena would remain unaffected, maintaining the regular course of the planet's movements.

💡Survivors

The term 'survivors' refers to individuals who have lived through a catastrophic event. In the video, 'survivors' are mentioned in the context of the dire consequences of the hypothetical event, where the aftermath would leave only a fraction of the population alive to rebuild a new civilization.

💡Civilization

A 'civilization' is a complex society characterized by urban development, social stratification, and a diverse cultural and technological framework. The video discusses the potential collapse of current civilization and the struggle of survivors to build a new one, highlighting the fragility and resilience of human societies.

Highlights

The entire Earth's population is hypothetically gathered in one place, specifically Rhode Island.

The collective jump of all humans would not significantly affect the Earth due to its immense mass compared to humans.

An average human can jump about half a meter, and this would not move the Earth by more than an atom's width even if everyone jumped simultaneously.

The energy delivered to the Earth upon everyone landing would be substantial but spread out, causing minimal impact beyond local seismometers.

The sound of twelve billion feet hitting the ground would create a loud, drawn-out roar lasting several seconds.

Cell networks would collapse under the unprecedented load, leading to a 'NO SIGNAL' across all phones.

Abandoned machinery, airplanes, and kitchen appliances would lead to widespread disruption outside of Rhode Island.

The logistical challenge of returning seven billion people to their homes would be immense.

Transportation infrastructure, such as airports and light rail systems, would be insufficient to handle the crowd.

The largest traffic jam in history would occur as people attempt to use cars to disperse.

Electricity and fuel shortages would exacerbate the situation, leaving many people stranded.

Language barriers and lack of local knowledge would make cooperation and navigation difficult for the dispersed crowd.

Food and water scarcity, along with inadequate sanitation and healthcare, would lead to a rapid decline in population.

Within weeks, the scenario could result in Rhode Island becoming a graveyard for billions.

Survivors would face the daunting task of rebuilding civilization on the ruins of the old.

Despite the human catastrophe, the Earth's rotation and orbit would remain unaffected.

A cautionary note is given to future civilizations against attempting such an experiment again.