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Everybody Jump

I'm not quite sure where people got the idea that something cool would happen if everybody jumped at the same time. Logistically speaking it is pretty crazy to even think something like this could be possible, but when you allow yourself to imagine a little bit, it can seem pretty cool. The writer(s) of the book What if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, have an interesting take on how the scenario would play out.

First, the entire Earth's population takes up an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, and to provide a clearer visual, the writer(s) suppose that everyone actually is in Rhode Island. Somehow, everyone manages to jump at exactly the same time, despite being crammed together, and there is a brief moment of dramatic suspense. However, nothing happens. There is a rather loud stopping noise from the combined impact of everyone's feet, but the impact is spread out and too insignificant in the context of the weight of the Earth to actually do any damage. 

Now, the people of Earth are faced with the problem that everyone is in one place and nobody except for a small fraction know where they are. People would try to use their cell phones and maybe attempt to locate friends or family, but nobody in the crowd would get any bars because Rhode Island's cell towers would not be able to deliver reception to that many cell phones. Even if T.F. Green airport somehow managed to get people on flights back to their homes, it would take them several years to even make a dent in the crowd. So if people wanted to leave immediately, they would have to steal a car and hop on either I-95, 195, or 295. The number of people leaving simultaneously would cause a massive traffic jam, and eventually people would run out of gas and be forced to abandon their cars and steal new ones. Law enforcement would cease to exist, so this would not be a major issue. Over time, people would spread out throughout the northeast, but most would stay stuck in Rhode Island, and food would become scarce. People would slowly begin to die of starvation, and the population would be reduced significantly. Those who made it out of Rhode Island would have to start a new civilization, however this would be very difficult because any two people who meet would be unlikely to speak the same language. Overall, Earth's population would be significantly reduced if everyone were to jump in one place at the same time, but the Earth it self would be largely unaffected.
Image result for earth
https://what-if.xkcd.com/8/

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