What if everyone jumped at once?

Summary

The script explores a hypothetical scenario where the entire human population gathers in Rhode Island, jumps simultaneously, and lands at the same time. While the collective jump barely impacts Earth's movement, the aftermath reveals global chaos. Cell networks crash, transportation systems fail, and survival becomes difficult as resources dwindle. Rhode Island becomes overcrowded, leading to food shortages, sanitation issues, and mass casualties. Though Earth's rotation remains unaffected, the scenario results in a massive loss of life, warning future civilizations against repeating such an experiment.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Everyone on Earth magically gathers in Rhode Island for a simultaneous jump.
• 👣 The jump itself barely affects Earth, only pushing it down by less than an atom’s width.
• 📉 The impact of landing creates minor seismic activity, only detectable by sensitive instruments.
• 🔊 The sound of billions of feet landing creates a loud roar, but no significant damage.
• 📱 The sudden presence of everyone in one place collapses global cell networks due to overload.
• 🚗 Rhode Island's infrastructure, including airports and highways, cannot accommodate the crowd, leading to chaos and traffic jams.
• 🍽 Resources like food and water quickly run out, making survival difficult for the crowd.
• 🚧 The lack of sanitation and healthcare systems worsens the crisis, leading to widespread death within weeks.
• 🛤 Survivors spread out to rebuild civilization, but most of humanity perishes.
• 🌀 Despite the mass event, Earth's rotation and orbit remain completely unaffected.

Q & A

What is the initial scenario described in the script?

The entire population of Earth is magically transported into one place, taking up an area the size of Rhode Island, where they are instructed to jump and land simultaneously.

How does the jump affect the planet Earth?

The jump has little effect on Earth. Humans can only jump about half a meter, and even though the entire population jumps, the force applied to Earth is negligible. The Earth moves less than an atom's width.

What happens when everyone lands back on the ground?

When everyone lands, the energy released is spread across a large area, resulting in minimal effects. A pressure pulse spreads through the Earth's crust, which moves the needles of some local seismometers, but nothing significant occurs.

What is the most noticeable immediate result of the landing?

The most noticeable result is a loud, drawn-out roar caused by the sound of 12 billion feet hitting the ground. This sound lasts for several seconds, followed by silence.

What happens to communication systems after the jump?

The cell phone networks collapse under the load of everyone trying to connect. Even phones compatible with local towers display 'NO SIGNAL,' rendering communication systems unusable.

What is the state of the rest of the world after everyone is transported to Rhode Island?

The rest of the world becomes abandoned. Machinery grinds to a halt, airplanes drift on autopilot, food burns on stoves, and everything comes to a standstill due to the absence of people.

What are the challenges of getting everyone home after the jump?

Transportation becomes a major challenge. The T.F. Green airport and other nearby transportation hubs are completely overwhelmed, and even running at 500% capacity, they wouldn’t be able to transport the crowd efficiently. Roads become congested with the largest traffic jams in history.

What are the survival challenges faced by the people in Rhode Island?

People struggle with hunger, thirst, and sanitation. Grocery stores are quickly emptied, and there’s no efficient way to distribute food and fresh water. Healthcare is non-existent, and the overcrowding leads to disastrous conditions.

How does the crowd spread out from Rhode Island, and what problems arise?

The crowd begins spreading out into southern Massachusetts and Connecticut. However, communication becomes difficult as most people don’t share a common language, and very few know the area, making survival and organization challenging.

What is the long-term consequence of this scenario for humanity?

Within weeks, most of the population has died due to the harsh conditions, making Rhode Island a graveyard. The survivors spread out, but the human population is greatly reduced, and they must work to rebuild civilization from the ruins.

Does the jump affect Earth’s rotation or orbit?

No, the jump does not affect Earth's rotation or orbit in any way. The planet continues spinning exactly as it did before.