The video is a discussion about the rotation of the Earth and its effects on our lives. The host, Vsauce Michael, explains how the Earth's rotation affects our perception of time and space, and the consequences if the Earth's rotation were to suddenly stop.
He starts by explaining how we, as inhabitants of the Earth, are constantly spinning along with the planet. He mentions how the rotation of the Earth gives us a sense of time, with the length of a day being determined by the rotation. If the Earth were to stop spinning, everything on the surface that wasn't at the poles would be flung east at over 1,000 mph, resulting in catastrophic consequences.
Michael then delves into the effects of a stopped Earth, including the creation of a planet-sized graveyard and the resulting storms. He also discusses the changes in the planet's magnetic field, the surge of oceans onto land, and the impact on astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).
The host also explains how the Earth's rotation slows down over time due to factors like earthquakes, melting ice, and the gravitational pull of the moon. This slowing down of Earth's rotation leads to a change in the length of a day, which scientists keep track of using atomic clocks and other methods. Every few months, scientists adjust the pace of seconds to keep up with the changing rotation speed of the Earth.
In conclusion, the video highlights the importance of the Earth's rotation in determining our perception of time and space, and the potential catastrophic consequences if the Earth's rotation were to stop. It also discusses the methods used by scientists to keep track of the Earth's changing rotation speed.
1. The Earth is spinning, and we are spinning along with it.
2. If the Earth suddenly stopped spinning, we would gain weight.
3. The spin of our planet is important and gives us the time of our life.
4. The surface of Earth and everything on it is spinning around at 465 m/s.
5. As we move closer to the poles, we don't have to move as quickly to complete Earth's daily rotation.
6. In San Francisco, the Earth is driving the speaker East at 368 m/s.
7. If the speaker could float above the surface independent of the Earth's rotation, the Earth would spin underneath them.
8. The Earth's rotation is important because it keeps us spinning with it.
9. If everything classically called Earth were to stop spinning, it would be catastrophic.
10. Everything that wasn't Earth and wasn't safely at the poles would continue moving as it had been and be flung due east at more than 1,000 m/h.
11. The atmosphere would gradually slow down people in airplanes, assuming they could navigate the resulting storms.
12. The Earth's protective magnetic field would cease to exist.
13. The Sun would seem to freeze in the sky as days became not 24 hours long but 365 days long without spinning innards.
14. The oceans would surge onto land in tsunami kilometers high and wash over nearly all dry land before migrating to the poles.
15. The Earth is too huge and its rotation is slowing down, so we can't feel it.
16. The Earth is exerting a force on us, a center-seeking centripetal force delivered by gravity.
17. If the Earth didn't spin, and no centripetal force was required to keep us with the Earth, we would weigh 3% more than we currently do.
18. If the Earth spun around 17 times faster than it currently does, all of its gravitational force would go toward centripetal force, fighting against our inertia, and we would be weightless.
19. There are 9,192,631,770 oscillations of the outermost electron of an atom of cesium-133 in one second.
20. Atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement device ever built by humans.
21. The Earth's spin is too irregular due to little changes in the distribution of Mass on Earth caused by earthquakes or melting ice or man-made dams.
22. Every few months, scientists find out just how behind or ahead Earth is running.
23. If Earth's rotation is getting too close to being a second off, they decide to add or subtract a second from the current year.
24. Clock time is a manufactured product with upgrades and tuneups administered periodically after def effects are noticed.
25. The future time given to now and the future is only ever approximate.