If you cut the planet in half...what would happen?

Richard Dower

Lets apply science fiction to science fact here....lets assume you had a space based laser, massively powered.....it shoots out a straight beam and slices through the Earth.....what would happen?

Would the two halves break apart and float away?...would everyone get killed

DrumSteve

I guess it would depend on what exactly is in the earths core, but we'd all die.

raze_them_all_

we would all die.

uch

You'd have 2 Halves

13spanner

We talking North-South or East-West here?

Napper Hawkins

We would all die.

You would have two halves.

7 7 12

uch wrote: »

You'd have 2 Halves

I can confirm this is correct.

TheLastMohican

If both halves then rejoined - we'd be back where we started. Two halves make a hole

Richard Dower

DrumSteve wrote: »

I guess it would depend on what exactly is in the earths core, but we'd all die.

I guess all the magma would spill out and cover the surface.......

nibtrix

You should ask at http://what-if.xkcd.com/

Lelantos

You die, the core is molten & possibly dense metal at its heart to aid gravitation. You cut the planet in half we explode & float off into space

im invisible

I think i saw this film, must look it up

Jimoslimos

Unlikely the two halves would drift away, you'd need a fair distance apart before that happens. Probably fuse together over time. The disruption to the earth's magnetic field might be the biggest problem for us

Pottler

1, Lasers need a lot of leccy.
2. lasers need a lot of leccy.
3. Space laser singes huge area in funny little line pattern. To a depth of 1mm.
4.Lasers need a lot of leccy.

Carawaystick

Richard Dower wrote: »

Lets apply science fiction to science fact here....lets assume you had a space based laser, massively powered.....it shoots out a straight beam and slices through the Earth.....what would happen?

Would the two halves break apart and float away?...would everyone get killed

You'ld need to calculate the centre of gravity of a hemisphere , and then use 2x that to calculate the gravitational attraction to the 2 halves, then figure out the centrifugal force

Bonus marks for worrying about the core being molten and flowing into the gap
And a gold star for worrying about how how the molten bits would solidify and how that'd change the game

Send it on to what-if.xkcd.com for a Propper after hours response

Richard Dower

Carawaystick wrote: »

You'ld need to calculate the centre of gravity of a hemisphere , and then use 2x that to calculate the gravitational attraction to the 2 halves, then figure out the centrifugal force

Bonus marks for worrying about the core being molten and flowing into the gap
And a gold star for worrying about how how the molten bits would solidify and how that'd change the game

Send it on to what-if.xkcd.com for a Propper after hours response

Just emailed them lets see what they say

senorwipesalot

Chivers jam would spill everywhere.

Molten lava me hole.

rossie1977

earth would lose its magnetic field for one and the solar winds would bake the surface

im invisible

Nothing, although it depends where you cut, i cant imagine a ring of volcano the whole way around the earth, but somewhere along the san andreas fault would probably cause a bit of havoc.

toastedpickles

Richard Dower wrote: »

Lets apply science fiction to science fact here....lets assume you had a space based laser, massively powered.....it shoots out a straight beam and slices through the Earth.....what would happen?

Would the two halves break apart and float away?...would everyone get killed

I instantly thought of rachet and clank when i seen this so, It might be something like this

"Unfortunately, this change in mass will cause your planet to spin out of control and drift towards the sun where it will explode into a flaming ball of gas"

Or something similar

osarusan

The meaning of the expression 'my other half' would need to be reexamined.

Lelantos

Richard Dower wrote: »

Just emailed them lets see what they say

You have to factor in the centre of the earths core is solid iron & is almost the size of the moon. It affects our gravity on the surface, gravitational pull too.

RobbingBandit

How big a laser are we talking here?

Lelantos

RobbingBandit wrote: »

How big a laser are we talking here?

Big enough to correct gods eyesight so he can at last ditch those unsexy glasses he always wears......and let him watch in perfect 20/20 vision as you destroy his creation.

Chuck Stone

All the dinner would spill out.

im invisible

How thick of a cut? I cant see it having any effect below the crust, the mantle and outer core would flow back together, and the inner core would just be pushed together by gravity, cant see it effecting the magnetic field either, but on the surface, its anyones guess.

Thrill

Richard Dower wrote: »

what would happen?

I think it would make a lot of people upset.

I know I'd be a bit miffed.

snaffleschips

Chuck Norris would somehow, someway, save us all.

Lionel Messy

Cold War II

Irish Guitarist

Each half would regenerate, making two planet Earths.

BBDBB

Depending on where the cut was made, you might have to add an extra 10 minutes to your journey to work in the mornings

Nailz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQgCZasm6mU

mackeire

Richard Dower wrote: »

Lets apply science fiction to science fact here....lets assume you had a space based laser, massively powered.....it shoots out a straight beam and slices through the Earth.....what would happen?

Would the two halves break apart and float away?...would everyone get killed

You'd have a lot less people travelling to Australia because it would be far too expensive.

9959

TheLastMohican wrote: »

If both halves then rejoined - we'd be back where we started. Two halves make a hole

Now I'm confused.
Do we have two halves or two halves not?

mattjack

mackeire wrote: »

You'd have a lot less people travelling to Australia because it would be far too expensive.

And our reprobates over there would have to stay there , where.s the button for this laser thingy ?

Panrich

Well for a start all the hobbits would be released from middle earth, and possibly some orcs as well. I think we should think this through a bit more.

Archeron

Scientists would discover that in the middle is a giant yellow plastic egg, within which is a smiley plastic self assembly crocodile on a scooter.

Caution, small parts, not suitable for children under three.

token101

Be much easier to just build a 40,075 km wall

CruelCoin

Richard Dower wrote: »

Lets apply science fiction to science fact here....lets assume you had a space based laser, massively powered.....it shoots out a straight beam and slices through the Earth.....what would happen?

Would the two halves break apart and float away?...would everyone get killed

Does it do it nice and clean, perfect cut?

Or does it smash it in half, as if you swung a knife at an egg?

Either way, gravity wouldn't be enough to hold the atmosphere anymore, and we'd all die from asphyxiation.

Lelantos

CruelCoin wrote: »

Does it do it nice and clean, perfect cut?

Or does it smash it in half, as if you swung a knife at an egg?

Either way, gravity wouldn't be enough to hold the atmosphere anymore, and we'd all die from asphyxiation.

We would all die of ass fixation?! Sweet jebus can I have Jennifer Lopez' to fixate on? Badonkadonk!

Roger_007

I set up an experiment to see what would happen. I got an orange and cut it in half. One half fell on the floor. QED.

holystungun9

You'd just make it even harder for me to find my other half before the Valentine's Day deadline. Why must you mock me AH, why?

juan.kerr

Roger_007 wrote: »

I set up an experiment to see what would happen. I got an orange and cut it in half. One half fell on the floor. QED.

But did you cut it with a laser?

Where To

It wouldn't separate. It wouldbe like using a laser to cut porridge.

rolliepoley

By the time you finished cutting the earth would have already joined back togather.

Monsieur Folie

Well due to gravity I find it highly improbable that the two pieces would just float off. I guess it would largely depend on how thick the cut was. if it was a thick enough cut and then gravity brought the two halves smashing back together, there would probably be some catastrophically large earthquakes. Hopefully xkcd will address it; this is exactly the kind of questions he deals with! :P

Roger_007

juan.kerr wrote: »

But did you cut it with a laser?

Yes, I have a complete of laser knive. Awesome.

juan.kerr

Roger_007 wrote: »

Yes, I have a complete of laser knive. Awesome.

Not sure they count. Other than that though your experiment is entirely legitimate.

mark renton

Internet cable connecting one half of the world to the other would be severed, people in australia would lose connection to boards.ie

Roger_007

mark renton wrote: »

Internet cable connecting one half of the world to the other would be severed, people in australia would lose connection to boards.ie

That would be the biggest benefit. However, if the cut was made between Kerry and the rest of the country, we would be rid of the Healy-Raes.

the keen edge

As soon as the laser would pass through gravitational attraction/accretion would rejoin the separated halves, albeit in a somewhat distorted fashion.

Seeing as this is Sci-Fi, and we assume that we can cut, separate and remove each half from the other to a sufficiently remote distance to negate these forces. I would guess the next observation would be total, or at least extensive planetary collapse, resulting in a very sh!tty day for all of earth inhabitants, with the exception of cockroaches; because as someone we surely say they can survive anything.

All the same in would make a great spectacle.

Source. Geology Undergrad, I've also watched most episodes of mythbusters.