Ok.
Below freezing waters?
Check.
Insulated swimsuit?
Hey, wait.
What are you doing?
Ok, smart guy,
but what if
you jumped into a pool of liquid methane?
Maybe you can handle
diving into icy cold water,
but hold off on jumping into this lake.
It's not as harmless as it looks.
Beneath this sheet of ice lies methane gas.
But it may not stay there long.
Known as thermokarst lakes,
these bodies of water
emit the greenhouse gas
during the summer
and trap it underneath
the frozen water in the winter.
Remnants of the Ice Age,
these pockets of methane
are released by permafrost thawing,
brought on by global warming.
So, these lakes
are freshwater mixed with methane.
But if you dipped your toes
into liquid methane,
As usual, let's set the scene.
You won't stumble across
any methane pools unless
you're on Saturn's moon, Titan.
But if you were to make
a pool for liquid methane,
the temperature would need
to be well below freezing.
First,
you'd need a large indoor pool area,
where you can control the ventilation
and the temperature.
After all,
our planet has never been colder
To turn methane gas into a liquid,
you'd have to cool it,
and everything around it,
And if it gets warmer,
it will turn from non-flammable
liquid methane into a time bomb.
Remember,
methane is one carbon atom
and four hydrogen atoms.
And methane is the main ingredient
in natural gas,
which many people
use to heat their homes.
You'd need to create a way
to safely burn off the methane gas
escaping from your pool.
If you didn't,
you'd release more greenhouse gas
into the atmosphere.
So, assuming you cooled
the methane just enough
to keep it liquid,
If you’re planning to dog paddle
through liquid methane,
you’re going to need
a solid workout plan.
You're going to need Fitbod.
With its ability to create
a customizable fitness program,
Fitbod is the app
that keeps adapting to you
and your changing fitness levels.
Since I'm getting ready to swim
a few laps in liquid methane,
I'm going to work on my core.
And Fitbod gives me options
that keep my workouts fresh
and varied.
It's like having
an in-home personal trainer.
By analyzing algorithmic data,
Fitbox is scientifically proven
to make each workout
better than the last.
And you don't need equipment,
or even more than 3 days a week
o start seeing results.
Starting at only $9.99 a month,
Fitbod is your first step to achieving
your fitness goals,
whether you're at home
or on the run.
Build the momentum you need
to carry your fitness journey
through the rest of the year with Fitbod.
Because if I'm not working
on the muscles responsible
for my legendary breaststroke,
I'm not making it out of this liquid.
When you make that jump
one thing is certain.
You're going to sink,
and probably fast.
With its low viscosity,
or, uh, gooiness,
and low surface tension,
even the smallest bug
would fall right through
the surface of liquid methane.
And liquid methane has low density.
So as you swim,
every stroke will have less force
than if you were treading water.
If you want to practice beforehand,
you could try jumping
into a thermokarst lake.
But even that
won't prepare you for the dark cold
of a methane pool.
If you're determined to do this,
you're going to need
some serious protection.
You'll risk permanent injury
or even dying
from the extreme cold temperature.
Frostbite starts at temperatures
below 0 °C (32 °F).
Depending on wind conditions,
it can occur in about five minutes.
And,
if your eyes aren't carefully protected,
you could get corneal frostbite.
Just imagine two ice cubes
where your eyes used to be.
And you're not going to want
the liquid methane
near your face either,
although methane isn't toxic.
But a high concentration
of methane gas
can displace all the oxygen around.
So just a small mouthful
of liquid methane thawing out
inside your lungs
could suffocate you to death.
This gas isn't something to be taken lightly.
Did I mention that methane gas
is 84 times more potent
than carbon dioxide?
And that a study by
the Environmental Defense Fund
found that
In nature, methane gas has no odor.
To alert us to this dangerous gas,
mercaptan is mixed with methane,
giving it the "fragrant scent"
we all know and love.
So while you might suffocate,
freeze, or sink in liquid methane,
at least what the rescuers find,
whatever's left of you,
won't reek too bad.
But the same wouldn't be true
if you were fall into something else.
Like what if you fell
into a pool full of saliva?
Blech.
Oh geez, really?
Well, that's a story for another WHAT IF.