This simulation was created by YouTuber Ridddle, who has amassed a large following by producing videos that educate viewers about real-world phenomena and address unusual and often alarming hypothetical scenarios.
Ridddle’s content ranges from exploring the Earth’s pre-dinosaur era to analyzing the catastrophic potential of humanity’s last war.
In the video under discussion, the question posed is, ‘What If a Needle Hits the Earth at the Speed of Light?’
While it’s not a scenario we need to lose sleep over—considering the improbability of a needle reaching such speeds from the edge of space—it’s an intriguing thought experiment.
The premise involves a tiny sewing needle accelerating to light speed and then colliding with Earth.
In reality, since this is unlikely to ever occur, there is no definitive outcome. Instead, there are several possible scenarios, each with distinct consequences.
Ridddle suggests the most probable scenario could be quite catastrophic.
A sewing needle, even as small as 35mm, could inflict significant damage at extreme speeds, comparable to the devastation caused by the ‘Fat Man’ bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.
The impact could obliterate the area it strikes and cause widespread destruction. Yet, this isn’t even the worst possible outcome.
Another scenario proposes that instead of exploding upon impact, the needle might penetrate the Earth’s crust, creating a hole through which plasma could spill, enveloping the planet in unbearable heat.
This could lead to the extinction of all life before the planet itself is destroyed.
Quite a grim scenario to contemplate!
Fortunately, there’s a less dire possibility—one we could potentially survive.
The final scenario suggests that, given its shape and velocity, the needle might pass cleanly through the Earth, emerging on the opposite side with minimal effects.
Let’s hope that if a needle were ever to achieve light speed, we experience this benign outcome rather than any of the others.