As an extra one, what would happen if one in every 10 atoms was to vanish from existence.

85 points

The main question is unanswerable as it couldn’t happen without fundamentally changing physics in some way. However, the other one is a lot more interesting.

On a large scale, one in ten atoms vanishing would decrease both the density and mass of most objects by 10%. This would also decrease their gravity by 10%, resulting in all orbits becoming significantly more (or less) eccentric. I imagine the changes would be enough to destabilize some solar systems, potentially causing planets to perturb each other’s orbits until they collide or end up being ejected from the system.

The change in density also means that gravitationally bound objects that are held up by internal pressure (like planets and stars) would collapse slightly as their internals are re-compressed to their original density. The collapse would release a lot of energy, heating up planets significantly and (just guessing here) maybe causing a burst of fusion in stars as they’re temporarily compressed past their equilibrium point.

All of that is pretty bad news for life on Earth, but the worst is what happens chemically. Some molecules are just going to become different molecules when one or more of their atoms disappears. Take water, for example; a water molecule has an 8.1% chance to become a hydrogen molecule, an 8.1% chance to become a (highly reactive) hydroxide ion, and a 0.9% chance to become a (highly reactive) single oxygen atom. 18% of nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere would also become single atoms and promptly react violently. These molecular changes would instantly kill all life on Earth (and anywhere else). There’s simply no possible way for an organism to survive so many reactive molecules being introduced throughout itself. Not to mention that all DNA would be irreparably damaged from the random deletions too.

I’m sure there are some other effects that I haven’t thought of, but those are definitely the most noticeable ones.

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11 points

That was a cool read, thank you

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2 points

Also literally everything would smell, taste, look, feel and sound different

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1 point

Would be a bit hard to notice if you’re dead, but yeah (assuming you’re magically spared or something).

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2 points

Planets and stars should become less dense, since they have less gravity pulling inward. Either way though it would cause major effects.

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42 points
*

That would result in an enormous outward pressure that would squash everything while heating it to extreme temperatures, resulting in near light speed expansion, and hurl almost all of the earth into space at extreme velocity. Instantly killing all life.

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21 points

From experience, when that happens it really ruins your day.

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6 points

This is correct. I checked.

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5 points

It depends if the atoms also doubled in charge though - it’s very possible that doubling in volume alone wouldn’t have any perceptible impact.

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-2 points

I think my body might notice if it’s volume of blood suddenly doubled.

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7 points

What they mean is that the size of an atom isn’t really defined. It’s got protons and neutrons in the middle, with electrons swirling around. Other atoms are kept at a distance, because the electrons repulse each other with their electric fields.

If you double the size of the protons, neutrons and electrons, that alone would not double the strength of the electric field, so other atoms would generally stay at the same distance as before…

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1 point

Do it! let’s check

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37 points

I like to pretend OP is God who is both very bored and still too lazy to do his own research before flipping a catastrophic switch, so he is outsourcing this research to humans.

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5 points

So humanity would just be god’s LLM RAG?

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1 point

If OP is god, then I guess he/she isn’t as omniscient as we thought.

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4 points

Hey they just because your all seeing, all knowing and all wise, doesn’t mean it doesn’t take time and effort to do all that!

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17 points

Oh jeez, like a bunch of stuff, I bet.

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15 points

Please do not adjust the scale in the devcommands. I’m not saying I’m having a great time here, but this is where I’m having a time.

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7 points

FUCK YOU

sv_gravity -1
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3 points

Can you take me higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher?

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3 points

to a place with golden streets?

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