Have you ever imagined what would happen if a turkey came crashing down from space to Earth at the speed of light? Would Earth suffer severe damage from a 5-6 kg turkey moving at such incredible speeds, or would it remain unscathed as if nothing had happened?
To answer this fascinating question, we first need to delve deeper into the speed of light. Light travels at a speed of nearly 300,000 km/s (about 1 billion km/h). This means that if a turkey could move at the speed of light, it could circle the Earth 7.5 times in just one second. Additionally, it would take just over a second to reach the Moon and about 8 minutes to get to the Sun.
What would happen if a roasted turkey – a traditional dish during Thanksgiving in Western culture – crashed into Earth?
Interestingly, the turkey itself would possess a tremendous “destructive” capability if it were to move at the highest speed possible in the universe. According to Einstein’s famous equation E = mc² (where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light), mass and energy are proportional to the constant c. Energy can convert into mass and vice versa. In other words, the faster an object moves, the greater its mass becomes.
For instance, if the turkey were to move at 10% the speed of light, its mass would only increase by 0.5%. But if it were to reach 90% of the speed of light, its mass would double. Notably, when the turkey’s speed reaches the speed of light, its mass (and energy) would become infinite. However, this is regarded as impossible, as no ordinary object can move at or faster than the speed of light.
Nonetheless, even moving at 99.99% the speed of light, the damage the turkey would inflict on Earth would still be immense due to the tremendous energy it would generate. Specifically, upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, it would create a series of continuous explosions with a force 40,000 times greater than the meteor explosion that occurred over Chelyabinsk in 2013, which injured 1,000 people.
The colossal energy released by the turkey would generate shockwaves strong enough to destroy all structures within thousands of kilometers. The atmosphere would experience localized combustion, resulting in widespread wildfires and an immediate shift in global climate.
Furthermore, the energy released upon impact could vaporize a substantial portion of the Earth’s surface, creating a massive impact crater. This scene would be similar to the meteor impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago – but with far greater force.
While this may seem like a bizarre hypothesis, the story of a turkey crashing into Earth at the speed of light serves as an intriguing illustration of how physics operates in the universe. It also highlights that even the smallest things – like a turkey – can have a massive impact under extraordinary conditions. Once again, science demonstrates just how surprising and astonishing the natural world can be.
Additionally, the destructive power of a small object like a turkey at the speed of light helps us understand phenomena such as cosmic rays, black holes, and other cosmic events. It also serves as a reminder of the terrifying power of nature and the fragility of our planet.
This is just one of the many potential damages a turkey could cause by crashing into Earth at the speed of light. To learn more about the tremendous power that a turkey could unleash upon our planet, check out the video created by the popular science YouTube channel WHAT IF below.
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