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Feb 21 2013

What Would Happen If the World Stopped Spinning?

20 min 2 movies discussed
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Over the last 400 million years, the day has grown longer by two full hours thanks to a slowing of the rotation of the Earth on its axis. While it will be a very long time before it stops spinning altogether, it never hurts to plan. Listen to Chuck and Josh discuss what a still Earth would look like.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck explore the mind-bending hypothetical scenario of what would happen if Earth suddenly stopped spinning. They dive into the fascinating physics of why our planet rotates in the first place, then walk through the catastrophic chain of events that would unfold if it all came to a screeching halt. From massive earthquakes and ocean redistribution to extreme temperature swings and the loss of our magnetic field, this episode examines how our spinning world is far more crucial to life as we know it than you might think.


Movies Discussed

Superman
Superman
2025 2h 10m
★ 7.3
"So say that we were existing right now as the earth was really starting to slow down, it's making its last turn. Yeah. So it did it gradually like Superman style. — Josh references Superman when describing how the Earth might gradually slow down instead of stopping abruptly." — Josh
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951 1h 32m
★ 7.5
"Everything was generally intact the moment the earth stopped spinning the day the earth stood still. — Josh references the classic sci-fi film when discussing what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning." — Josh

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