Rural Exceptional Student Talent Opportunities, Resources, & Experiences
WHAT IF?
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(gr. 3-12)
Deep questions, some with answers, and some maybe not. Really great way to gets kids thinking differently. These activities are good for when you need a time filler or as an independent study. These will require some research to solve!
What If . . .?
What If . . .?
Hello friends.
You are about to embark on a journey of crazy hypothetical questions. All of the questions do indeed have answers as far out as they sound. Your mission is to figure out the answers to the questions.
Some questions require you to make some assumptions or set some parameters. You will need to disclose this in your answer in some fashion.
You will most definitely need to do some research to answer these (the answer may not come quickly. Good things rarely do!). You must have some grit and tenacity in order to answer these questions. You will need some creative thinking as well. We don't want you to just answer them. We want you to present your findings like you are a scholar of the strangest information. You might create a scholarly poster (research what that entails), you may present your findings in a PowerPoint or some other technological way, you may even write a research paper about your findings. That is part of the challenge: You must not only find the answers, but you must present them in a creative way!
Good luck, and may the force be with you!
EXAMPLE: What is the farthest one human being has ever been from every other living person?
Answer - it's hard to know for sure. The most likely suspects are the six Apollo command module pilots who stayed in lunar orbit during a Moon landing. Each of these astronauts stayed alone in the command module while two other astronauts landed on the Moon. At the highest point in their orbit, they were about 3585 kilometers from their fellow astronauts.
But is this the only right answer? Probably not. Explore the others as well. Don't just settle!
What about the first Polynesians to spread across the Pacific?
What about the first Antarctic explorers?
Now you see how this works. Have fun, get creative. and most of all THINK HARD!
All a Twitter (well, now X)
All a Twitter (well, now X)
How many unique X postings (formerly Tweets) are possible? How long would it take for the population of the world to read all of them?
Flyover Country
Flyover Country
Which state is actually flown over the most?
Airplane Jumper
Airplane Jumper
What if I jumped out of an airplane with two tanks of helium and one huge balloon? Then while falling, I release the helium and fill the balloon? How long of a fall would I need in order for the balloon to slow me enough that I could land safely?
Facebook
Facebook
When, if ever, will Facebook contain more profiles of dead people than living ones?
Free Fall
Free Fall
What place on earth would allow you to free-fall the longest by jumping off it? What if you used a squirrel suit?
Earthquake
Earthquake
What if a richter magnitude 15 earthquake were to hit America? What would happen? First choose a place!
Jump!
Jump!
What would happen if everyone on earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same time?
Galaxy Travels
Galaxy Travels
What would happen if you tried to fly a normal airplane above different solar system bodies?
Lonely?
Lonely?
If two immortal people were placed on opposite sides of an uninhabited earth-like planet, how long would it take them to find each other?
Lego Let's Go
Lego Let's Go
How many Lego bricks would it take to build a bridge capable of carrying traffic from London to New York City? Have that many bricks been made?
Laser at the Moon
Laser at the Moon
If every person on earth aimed a laser pointer at the moon, would it change color?
* Pick a time when the moon is most visible to the most people. * What kind of moon? * What kind of laser? * Would the color matter?
Lights Out!
Lights Out!
What would happen to the earth if the sun suddenly switched off?
Throw It High!
Throw It High!
How high can a human throw something?
Pandemic Puzzle
Pandemic Puzzle
If everyone on the planet stayed away from each other for a couple of weeks, wouldn’t the common cold be wiped out?
Printing Money
Printing Money
If my printer could literally print out money, would it have an effect on the world?
SAT
SAT
What if everyone who took the SAT guessed on every multiple choice question? How many perfect scores would there be?
Soul Mate
Soul Mate
What if everyone actually had only one soul mate, a random person somewhere in the world? Would you find each other? Assume you are both alive at the same time. Assume they are within 5 years of your age.
Rare, Medium, Well Done?
Rare, Medium, Well Done?
From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?
Speed Bump
Speed Bump
How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?
Sneezer
Sneezer
If you call a random phone and say “bless you,” what are the chances that the person who answered just sneezed?
Rising
Rising
If you suddenly began rising steadily at 1 foot per second, how exactly would you die? Would you freeze or suffocate first? Or something else?
Time Travel
Time Travel
I assume when you travel back in time you end up at the same spot on the earth’s surface. At least, that’s how it worked in the Back to the Future movies. If so, what would it be like if you traveled back in time, starting in a specific place . . . let’s say Times Square in NYC? 1,000 years? 10,000 Years? 100,000 Years? 1,000,000 Years? What about forward 1,000 years?
First part of the problem - choose your location
Second part - do the research for the time period you choose. You can choose more than one!
Present your findings in a creative way!
Does It Have to Rotate?
Does It Have to Rotate?
What if Earth stopped rotating for exactly 60 seconds, then started again?
What would happen to people, buildings, oceans, satellites? Would we even notice? What if it happened while you were standing at the equator?
Royal Flush
Royal Flush
What if everyone on Earth flushed their toilet at the same exact moment?
Could it flood sewer systems? Would it affect ocean levels or pressure? How much water would that be, and could we harnass it?
Gravity Reversal
Gravity Reversal
What if gravity flipped directions for 5 seconds a year...without warning?
What would daily life look like? How would architecture change? How could society prepare?
I Cannot Tell a Lie!
I Cannot Tell a Lie!
What if no one on Earth could lie for 24 hours?
What would happen to politics, business, relationships, or even school? Would some people vanish from social media entirely? How would society change if this became an annual tradition?
Helio-S'mores
Helio-S'mores
What if we launched a marshmallow at the sun at near-light speed?
Would it even reach it? Could we measure what happened? Would it be vaporized instantly?
Lunar Jiggles
Lunar Jiggles
What if the moon were made of jello (but still had the same mass)?
What would happen to tides? Could you land on it? What if you tried to bounce across it?
ACHOO!
ACHOO!
What if you sneezed with the force of a hurricane?
How far could you launch objects? What protective gear would you need? Would you survive it?
Cannonball!
Cannonball!
What if every human being jumped into the ocean at once?
What would happen to sea levels? Would the splash be measurable from space? What would happen to marine life?
Stop the Clock!
Stop the Clock!
What if time was suddenly frozen . . . but only for objects not in motion?
What loopholes would exist? How could you move safely through the world? Could you use this to your advantage, or would it be dangerous?
Sudden Repulsion
Sudden Repulsion
What if Earth's magnetic field reversed overnight?
How would animals react? Would our devices still work? Could it affect our memory, sleep, or behavior?
Shhhhhh!
Shhhhhh!
What if everyone on Earth whispered at the same time?
Could we detect it from space? Would it change atmospheric pressure in any way? Could we synchronize it to create music or seismic waves?
Not So Fluffy Any More
Not So Fluffy Any More
What if clouds were solid?
Would we live in the sky? How would weather systems change? Could birds land on them?
Canine-Sized Arachnids
Canine-Sized Arachnids
What if spiders were the size of dogs, but acted like spiders?
How would ecosystems be affected? Would we have pet tarantulas walking on leashes? What buildings or tech would need to change?
Not So Attractive Any More
Not So Attractive Any More
What if magnets suddenly stopped working?
What happens to compasses? Would electric motors still run? What would happen to our credit cards and hard drives?
WLAN to My Ears
WLAN to My Ears
What if you could hear every Wifi signal as a sound?
What would your house sound like? Could we create music from it? How would this affect your brain and focus?
Non-Precious Midas Touch
Non-Precious Midas Touch
What if every object you touched turned into rubber for one minute?
What would you avoid touching? Could you use this as a superpower, or would it be a curse? What are the implications for eating, driving, or hugging people?
No More Darkness
No More Darkness
What if humans had night vision like cats?
How would cities and homes be built differently? Would we need streetlights or headlights? Would we sleep less?
No Shadow of a Doubt
No Shadow of a Doubt
What if your shadow could talk back, but only told the truth about you?
What would it reveal that you wouldn't? Could it be trusted in court? Would people develop "shadow anxiety?"
Upstream without a Paddle
Upstream without a Paddle
What if water flowed up instead of down?
What would gravity look like in everyday life? Would rain go back into clouds? Could we harness upward rivers for new energy?
Swollen Résumés
Swollen Résumés
What if everyone had to switch jobs once a year . . . completely at random?
How would society prepare for the changeover day? What training would schools focus on? Would this help or hurt global happiness?
Source of Images: Google Gemini (AI)
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