TLDR;
Alright, so this video is all about what would happen if Earth suddenly stopped spinning. It covers the immediate chaos, like GPS failures and aviation disasters, then goes into the long-term effects like oceans shifting, atmosphere changes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and extreme weather. Basically, it's a disaster movie scenario showing how interconnected everything on Earth is and how one big change can mess everything up.
- GPS and aviation systems fail due to altered rotation.
- Oceans shift towards the poles, flooding some areas and drying others.
- Atmosphere thins at the equator, making it hard to breathe.
- Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions increase due to internal friction.
- Extreme temperature swings and weather patterns emerge.
- New mega-continent forms, but habitable zones are limited.
- After five years, the Earth stops spinning completely, leading to six months of daylight and six months of darkness.
- Few survivors adapt to new conditions, mostly near the new oceans.
The World Without Spin [0:02]
The video starts with a hypothetical scenario: what if the Earth stopped spinning? It paints a picture of extreme changes, like Miami getting snow, six-month-long days and nights, cities underwater, and unbreathable air. It sets the stage for a story about survival in a drastically altered world.
The Spinning Planet [1:20]
The Earth's spin is a fundamental thing. Our solar system formed from a spinning cloud of gas and dust, and the planets inherited that spin. At the Equator, Earth is spinning at over 1,600 km/hr. While the Earth is gradually slowing down naturally, this video imagines that slowdown speeding up drastically over five years until the planet stops spinning entirely.
Day One: GPS Failure [2:49]
On the first day of the slowdown, the change is barely noticeable, but the effects are dramatic. GPS, which relies on satellites and ground bases, starts failing because it doesn't account for the Earth's changing spin. This leads to catastrophic navigation errors for airplanes, causing potential disasters worldwide as planes are directed to land in the wrong places.
The First Week: Time Trouble [4:26]
In the first week, the days get longer, and the $36 trillion world stock market crashes due to uncertainty. The disruption of the 24-hour day messes with everything. Scientists confirm the erratic reduction in Earth's rotation, predicting disastrous results if it stops spinning in as little as five years.
Two Weeks Later: Oceans on the Move [5:08]
After two weeks, the Earth's spin has slowed by nearly 15 km/hr. Commercial aviation is reduced to essential services due to numerous accidents. The oceans start to move away from the equator towards the poles because the centrifugal force keeping them in place weakens. Over a billion cubic kilometers of ocean water are on the move.
Three Months Later: Rising Sea Levels and Thinning Air [6:32]
Three months into the slowdown, water creeps over Arctic shores, and the Canadian government orders a full-scale evacuation of the Arctic. The atmosphere also starts shifting towards the poles along with the oceans, making it harder to breathe in the tropics. Cities like Rio, Mumbai, and Singapore are among the first hit. Higher elevation cities also struggle.
Four Months Later: Earthquakes and Geological Disasters [8:52]
Four months in, each day is almost 28 hours long. Russia's oil fields are underwater, causing a fuel emergency. Earthquakes occur in places where they've never happened before. The Earth's layers slow at different speeds, causing massive friction and geological disasters. Volcanic activity increases, and deep cracks appear in the ocean floor.
Four Months Later: New Geography [11:52]
The moving oceans continue to advance towards the poles. The Arctic Ocean becomes extremely deep, while shallow areas like the English Channel dry out, connecting Britain to mainland Europe. Miami's beaches are now inland, and Cuba and Florida are connected by land. The atmosphere thins in the tropics, making it unbreathable.
Four Months Later: The Habitable Zone [13:30]
New York, London, and Toronto are still safe, but Mexico City is doomed due to thin air. Denver feels like it's almost 5 km high. Experts believe that lower elevation states like Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma will remain breathable. People are advised to evacuate to the habitable zone in the middle of North America.
Four Months Later: Deadly Journeys [16:20]
People making the journey to the livable middle of the United States witness geological upheaval. Earthquakes devastate the Midwest, while retreating oceans leave major coastal cities high and dry. Australia forms a new continent with Indonesia, and Hong Kong becomes landlocked.
Four Months Later: Solar Radiation [17:31]
The slowing Earth weakens the magnetosphere, which protects the Earth from solar radiation. Tropical places like Miami are landlocked but face deadly solar radiation. People are advised to cover up completely and limit exposure to the sun.
One Year Later: A New Ocean [18:59]
A year after the slowdown began, the face of the planet continues to change. The shallow areas around mainland Europe are flooded as the North Atlantic Ocean converges on the pole. London, Berlin, and Moscow are at the bottom of a new sea.
One Year Later: Refugees in Kansas [20:26]
Survivors arrive in Kansas, where scientists are trying to create a refuge. They face enormous struggles with food and resources. Roads are impossible to travel, and they must grow their own food.
Two and a Half Years Later: Sleep Deprivation and Animal Extinction [21:38]
After two and a half years, entire countries are underwater, and others have unbreathable air. People struggle with sleep deprivation due to the long days and nights, leading to breakdowns. Animals also suffer, with migrations disrupted and many species facing extinction.
Two and a Half Years Later: A New Mega-Continent [24:30]
As the oceans move to the poles, a new mega-continent forms at the Earth's middle latitudes. A group of oceanographers in San Francisco tries to make their way there to start fresh on what used to be the sea floor.
Four Years Later: Extreme Climate [25:25]
Four years into the slowdown, the sun stays in the sky for 13 days, followed by 13 days of night. The climate is defined by cycles of hot and cold. Temperatures plummet to minus 55°C during the long nights. Most animal species cannot adapt.
Four Years Later: Underwater Cities [27:17]
North American cities are swallowed as the Atlantic and Pacific converge. Toronto, Halifax, and Boston are underwater. New York is partially submerged, with its skyscrapers still visible. Chicago is finally swallowed by the sea.
Four Years Later: The Equatorial Continent [29:01]
Lethally thin air makes nearly all of Africa, Australia, and South America uninhabitable. An equatorial continent rises from where the ocean once was. A ship carrying young explorers makes its way west to start a new human colony on the ocean floor.
Four Years Later: Unpredictable Weather [30:10]
The weather becomes increasingly unpredictable. The rotation of the Earth creates constant patterns of winds, but as the spin slows, these patterns become unstable. New high-pressure systems form, and ocean storms are rampant.
Four and a Half Years Later: The New Oceans [32:21]
After four and a half years, the Earth is barely turning. The oceans have flowed towards the poles, creating two new oceans. Kansas is now on the coast of the new Northern Sea. Settlers have created a habitat for growing food and staying sheltered from the extreme climate.
Four and a Half Years Later: Fishing for Survival [34:17]
The new oceans offer the best chance of food. Warm water species died, but cold water species survive. Refugees work in teams catching fish from the freezing ocean.
Four and a Half Years Later: Desperate Measures [35:15]
Storms become less frequent, but there are still wild temperature swings. Rain mostly falls far out on the oceans. The oceanographers shipwrecked on the mega-continent scour the ocean floor for resources.
Four and a Half Years Later: The Last Resorts [37:16]
Those who stayed in non-sunken cities like Miami face the greatest hardship. There's very little to eat, electricity is unreliable, and clean water is hard to find. Some survivors decide to leave and find a place close to water.
Four and a Half Years Later: New Colonies [38:20]
A new colony takes root in the mid-Pacific. They set up a small base camp for food and shelter and harness wind power to generate electricity.
Five Years Later: The End of Spin [39:49]
Five years after it started slowing down, the Earth stops spinning completely. The oceans, atmosphere, and climate settle into place. A mega-continent encircles the planet's center, and two vast oceans run from the poles to the middle latitudes.
Five Years Later: A New World Order [40:28]
The Earth still orbits the sun, so there are six months of daylight and six months of darkness. Temperatures soar to 55°C under the sun's glare.
Five Years Later: The Last Survivors [41:59]
Those living in Kansas are doomed because it will never rain there again. The Ocean Colony in the mid-Pacific is just 1700 km from the edge of the sun's path. More than 6.5 billion people are dead. A few wandering survivors find their way to one of the last places on Earth where people can breathe the air and survive the climate.
The New Earth [44:22]
Suddenly slowing our rotation creates a brand new planet. It reveals the delicate balance that keeps our planet alive.