Logo

What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning for one minute?

14.06.2025 02:41

What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning for one minute?

Does the rocky planet alone stop spinning?

If only the atmosphere keeps going, Earth’s surface is blasted with winds moving at hundreds of miles per hour. Most people die.

If Earth’s rotation is stopped by a collision, everyone dies. The planet is destroyed.

What would you change in the "Game of Thrones" storyline if you were one of the writers of the TV series?

Bottom line: Depending on the underlying intent of the question, the answer could be anything from the destruction of the planet and every living thing, to a minor inconvenience that requires resetting our clocks.

If the oceans keep going, Earth’s surface is scoured clean by tsunamis moving at hundreds of miles per hour. Nearly everyone dies.

Does the whole planet (from core to atmosphere) stop spinning?

If Delta Force soldiers wanted to form a criminal gang, how dangerous would they be with all their equipment (explosives, rifles, vests, night vision goggles)?

If it stops by magic, does all the energy from Earth’s angular momentum also disappear by magic, or is it released as heat?

Does it stop due to a massive collision, or does it stop by magic?

If the whole Earth stops by magic, with the angular momentum just vanishing and then reappearing, then the result is very minor. Every clock on Earth would need to be recalibrated against our satellites (unless they magically got paused as well). Siderial, solar, and atomic time would all be out of sync. Other than that, everybody would want to know: What the heck just happened? How did Earth magically stop and start again? But everybody is just fine.

Can you give an example of a documentary where the person telling the story believed it to be true, but it turned out to be false?

The answer depends entirely on how you interpret the question, which is why you see so many completely different responses.

Does the solid Earth + the oceans stop spinning?

If Earth’s rotation is stopped and all the angular momentum is released as heat, everyone dies.

Why do so many people seem to hate Nickelback? They're competent and entertaining, and while they certainly aren't the absolute best music, they're still a fun listen.

“What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning for one minute?”