An absurd earthquake scale, from shattered planets to dust
A three-minute hand-drawn science explainer turns one extreme question into an ascending and then descending visual scale.
By @xkcd_whatif for xkcd's What If?Runs 03:05
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Why it works
The extreme question appears by 0:03, while the answer first jumps beyond it at 0:09. A persistent ruler carries 39 detected graphic changes through the 147-second main shot, making each greater consequence easy to compare; the most-replayed 0:42.8–0:44.6 section adds precise historical proof. At 1:43 the ladder reverses into familiar household actions, giving the explanation a second engine and a gentle 2:50 close.
Films like this
Tagged science explainerwhiteboard animationhand drawnscale comparisonnarratedinfographichorizontalvisual analogy
