Draining the Oceans, One Map at a Time
A hand-drawn science explainer turns an absurd portal question into a sequence of escalating sea-level maps.
By @xkcd_whatif for xkcd What If?Runs 01:49
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Why it works
The 0:00 question pairs a precise impossible setup with a readable cutaway, then 0:27–0:41 corrects the expected giant whirlpool with a small measured rate. Fixed-view maps from 0:41 onward reveal new geographic consequences at each depth; the first −50 m change at 0:42.9–0:44.0 is the strongest replay peak. A recurring geographic joke carries the middle, while 1:35 shifts to the ecological cost.
Films like this
Tagged verticalscience explainerhand drawnmap animationnarratedhypotheticalinfographicdeadpan humor
