Imagine you had the power
to take any shape you wanted.
And we mean any shape,
from changing the way you look,
all the way to changing
into a different species!
The idea of shapeshifting
has fascinated us for centuries,
ranging from Greek mythology
to the X-Men.
Science fiction, right?
But what if we could pull it off?
Let’s be honest,
every single one of us
has thought about shapeshifting.
What if you could look like
your favorite celebrity?
What would it be like to
soar through the skies like a bird?
What if you could transform
into your deepest desires
and greatest fears?
Daydreaming aside,
how could you reprogram your body
into taking on another form entirely?
Well, it’s going to be a little tricky.
If we look at Einstein's famous equation,
we see that mass and energy are related.
So if you want to decrease
or increase in mass,
you either have to release energy
or absorb it.
So far so good, right?
For example,
let’s say you want to unleash
the beast that rages within you …
a puppy.
What, you thought you were
going to be able to go
full-werewolf on your first try?
Please!
So, let’s say you weigh 60 kg (132 lbs),
and want to transform into
an adorable 6-month-old Golden Retriever,
What a good boy!
Oh, you're a good boy!
A good boy who weighs in at 20 kg (44 lbs).
Well, you'd need to reduce your body mass
by 40 kg (88 lbs)!
And that’s no easy feat.
If we use Einstein's equation,
we see that this mass loss will generate
860 megatons of energy.
For perspective,
that’s approximately 17 times
the amount of energy released
from the largest nuclear bomb ever detonated,
the Tsar Bomba!
So let’s see if we can do this
without killing everyone around you.
Let’s borrow a trick
from another member of the animal kingdom:
the lizard.
Some lizards are known to
drop their tails when trying to escape,
so maybe this could be one way
to reduce your mass,
one limb at a time.
Not exactly ideal, right?
"I did not see that coming!"
And that’s just a one-way trip.
As a puppy,
you would have to store all that energy
somewhere to transform back.
Our advice is,
pick carefully before you shapeshift.
But I'm still a good boy!
But let’s say you managed to pull it off
and mastered the skill.
Now the real fun can start.
Think of all the possibilities.
You could turn into anyone
or anything.
Well, if you want to take the hero route,
you could teach the world
your newfound power.
You could realistically end
the entire planet’s self-esteem issues.
Body image and low self-confidence
would be a thing of the past.
People could finally be the person
they feel they are inside,
and all because of you.
You know, after you rob a bank.
Let’s be real.
Have you noticed most characters
with shapeshifting abilities are the bad guys?
You could become the ultimate con-artist.
You could steal the world’s fortunes
and never be recognized!
You could take the form of a world leader
and declare a World War.
Or, you could literally turn into a monster
and terrorize humanity.
It’s a lot of power
with even more responsibility.
The good news is,
we won’t have to deal with this predicament
for quite some time,
as the ability to shapeshift
hasn’t been conquered by science yet.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t be fooled.
Deepfakes are getting more and more
realistic every day,
giving humans the ability to make
to make "celebrities" do anything they want.
"Woah, this is heavy."
It won’t be long until anyone’s face
can be plastered onto someone else's body.
In the meantime,
let’s focus on a smaller scale
of "shapeshifting."
You can always change your hair,
work out,
or get a new outfit.
Those aren't super powers,
but they're a start.
Hey, you do you!
But with all this shapeshifting talk,
we can’t help but wonder
what it would be like
if we had other superpowers.
Like, what if you had super strength?
Well, that’s a story for another WHAT IF.