Did you know
that there are black holes
in the ocean?
Yeah, also known as eddies,
these black holes are similar
to the ones we see in space.
They're essentially whirlpools
that are so powerful
nothing can escape their pull.
What makes them even
scarier is their size.
They are massive.
Some measure up to
150 km (93 mi) in diameter.
They're created
through a mix of water
at different temperatures,
wind and the Earth's rotation.
And once they're created,
they can last for months or years.
Yeah,
though it may not seem like it,
the ocean is a much
more terrifying place
than the cosmos.
From hideous alien-like creatures
to the mysteries
that lie below the sea,
these are just some of the reasons
why the ocean
is scarier than space.
We've yet to discover alien life.
But looking at some
of these creatures,
you might think otherwise.
Unlike our Solar System,
the ocean is full of
terrifying wildlife.
From creatures as simple
as sharks and killer whales
to the more disturbing-looking
red octopuses and proboscis worms.
Regardless of their appearance,
many of them are dangerous
and won't be afraid to pick a fight.
Earth's ocean
might be more mysterious
than parts of space.
For one, we don't really know
what the bottom
of our oceans are like,
and we might just know more
about the surface of Mars
and the Moon.
But NASA
is looking to change that.
They're slowly
mapping out the ocean floor.
This might give us clues about what
oceans are like on other planets.
It also helps NASA
test gear that will be
used in space missions.
Outer space and our ocean are
more similar than we think.
Both have high pressures,
a lack of breathable air
and extreme temperatures.
But what makes the ocean scarier?
It's teeming with life
that can attack and kill you.
Yeah, space is passively
trying to kill you
while the ocean is actively
trying to kill you.
Huge, destructive asteroids
or meteors heading toward
Earth are incredibly rare.
But you know what isn’t?
The ocean coming for us.
Climate change is causing
sea levels to rise
at an alarming rate.
And if the trend continues,
our sea levels could rise over
2 m (6.5 ft) by the year 2100.
Coastal communities
like Venice, Bangkok
and New York City
would face severe floods,
causing parts of these cities
to be displaced.
OK, before we keep
exploring the ocean,
let's talk about a way
that you can explore your mind
that's both free and accessible.
Well, this comes from our sponsor,
Brilliant.
Brilliant is for all the
WHAT IF fans who want the best way
to explore topics
like math, data science
and computer science.
There's thousands of lessons
that are fun,
interactive, and accessible,
just like our videos.
I've been learning
about solar energy
and I love how
the course is sort of tailored
to my level and pace.
It's using bite-sized
chunks of information
and has interactive elements
to help me learn quickly and effectively.
So give Brilliant a shot.
You can start your learning journey
for the first 30 days
completely free.
And you can get 20% off
by going to Brilliant.org/WhatIf.
Or click on the link
the description.
Light works differently
in both space and the ocean.
In space,
without an atmosphere,
the light is harsh and unfiltered.
This leads to problems
like radiation exposure.
Luckily, with our advanced
space technology,
we found a lot of ways
to overcome this.
In the deep ocean,
there's a lack of light.
Depending on how deep you go,
it can be so dark
that you're unable to see anything.
The only thing you can see
are the terrifying creatures
that have evolved to adapt
to this unique environment.
Their evolutions have made them
frightening-looking
and potentially dangerous.
Space has some scary things
that can come for us,
like solar flares,
giant explosions
from the Sun
that shoot light energy
and high-speed particles
out into space.
One massive solar
flare hitting Earth
could disable all our electronics,
sending us back to the Stone Age.
Yeah, the chances of one hitting us
are incredibly rare, though.
Most of the time
they just bounce
off our ozone layer.
But you know what isn't so rare?
Hurricanes.
These powerful weather events
form over the ocean.
If they end up reaching land,
they can bring extremely high winds
and heavy rainfalls,
which can leave
entire towns flooded,
even decimated.
And they're not the only
devastating events
that come from the ocean.
Tsunamis are
much more terrifying.
These massive waves
can reach over 30 m (100 ft) high.
And once they reach land,
they're incredibly dangerous.
They can cause severe floods
and destroy anything on the coast.
The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004
killed 225,000 people.
No one's ever got lost in space.
With an entire support team
watching over you,
using billions of dollars
worth of technology and GPS systems,
you can rest easy
knowing you're in good hands.
But in the ocean,
people get lost all the time.
Just swimming out
a little bit farther than you
usually would while at
the beach can leave you stranded,
unable to find land.
The ocean has over
three million shipwrecks in it,
making it one of the most
dangerous places on Earth.
You don't have to worry
about random
weather attacks in space.
In the ocean,
it's a different story.
Lightning can strike the ocean
at any time.
It happens often
due to its sheer size
and it being a magnet
for lightning.
When lightning strikes,
it could spread
for up to 100 m (330 ft).
And this poses a threat to boats,
swimmers and sea life.
The ocean is full
of dangerous bacteria.
One of the worst is
the flesh-eating bacteria
that's found in the warm
parts of the Gulf of Mexico.
The bacteria can get into swimmers
open wounds
and cause ulcers on the skin.
Antibiotics should be able
to solve this issue,
but it can sometimes get so bad
you need to amputate a limb.
Yeah,
space doesn't have anything
as scary as that.
Up in space,
there's a ton of debris
known as space junk.
And while there's some concern
about the debris
making space travel dangerous,
it’s not nearly as concerning
as all the garbage
we have swimming around
in the ocean.
In the North Pacific Ocean,
there's a massive island of waste
known as the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch.
It’s made up of mostly plastics,
making it almost impossible
to break down.
As a result,
is harming ocean
wildlife and could destroy
entire ecosystems.
Up in space,
the debris is monitored
closely by space agencies.
They're constantly looking at ways
to mitigate the issue.
But down in the ocean,
the problem keeps getting worse,
and it'll take a long time
before it gets any better.
So although the vast unknowns
of space are pretty terrifying,
they don't come anywhere near
to how scary our oceans can be.
You know what else is terrifying?
Spending five seconds on Venus.
What mysteries
does this planet hold?
Well, that's a story
for another WHAT IF.