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What If We Nuked Mars?

What If | January 24, 2026



Elon Musk wants to nuke Mars. What are the consequences? Without nukes, life on Mars might be like this: You’d live in giant glass domes, and grow small portions of food inside. And if you happen to go outside, it would be in your big clunky spacesuit, and you wouldn’t be able to stay out for long. But it doesn’t have to be like this. But Mars could end up looking and feeling a lot more like your planet, Earth. But how? Well…

Transcript and sources: https://insh.world/science/what-if-we-nuked-mars/

Watch more what-if scenarios:
Planet Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-HhCwYD7rc&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJCzxwmCq0NNpYq9N9wyb2l
The Cosmos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfuJyVkMH_g&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJno6oFF9nLGuwXNGYHmE8U
Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS3bBO05fpU&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIeRY3JtgXgoGqSEB7kDdKO
Your Body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmXR46TrbA8&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJNsV9FFeNAKl2ySsHj8GZO
Humanity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCDQIyXGnw&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIFnvmOeWbv-Mt8zFxSCSvZ

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Produced by Underknown in Toronto, What If is a mini-documentary web series that takes you on an epic journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities. Join us on an imaginary adventure — grounded in scientific theory — through time, space and chance, as we ask what if some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence were different.

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Comments

This post currently has 27 comments.

  1. @H0m0_5apiens

    January 24, 2026 at 4:39 am

    A lack of a magnetic field lets the solar wind directly bombard a planet's atmosphere, stripping it away through processes like sputtering (particles knocking atoms loose) and ion pickup (charged particles getting swept away), leading to significant, long-term atmospheric loss, as seen on Mars, because the magnetic field normally deflects these harmful charged particles. Earth's magnetic shield (magnetosphere) prevents this constant erosion, protecting our atmosphere and oceans. 

    How it works: 

    Solar Wind Interaction: A star, like our Sun, constantly emits a stream of charged particles (solar wind). Earth's magnetosphere acts like a shield, diverting most of this wind.

    Direct Collision: Without this shield (like on Mars), the solar wind slams directly into the upper atmosphere. Sputtering: The high-energy solar wind particles collide with atmospheric gases (like CO2, nitrogen, oxygen), knocking them away into space, a process called sputtering.

    Ionization & Pickup: Solar wind particles can also ionize atmospheric gases, turning them into charged ions. These ions are then caught by the solar wind's magnetic field and dragged away from the planet.

    Atmospheric Erosion: Over billions of years, this continuous stripping process removes significant amounts of atmospheric mass, making it difficult for water to remain liquid on the surface, as seen on Mars. 

    Key Example: Mars Mars lost its global magnetic field as its core cooled.This allowed the solar wind to strip away most of its atmosphere, transforming it from a potentially wet world into the cold, thin-atmosphered planet it is today. 

    My point: mars will not be able to hold on to a significant atmosphere due to a lack of magnetic field.

  2. @gandalfZamoiski

    January 24, 2026 at 4:39 am

    idiota robił ten materiał… same eksplozje zapaliły by wszystko co jest w okolicy.. rozgranie atmosfery i uwolnienie wody to tylko pierwsze etapy deformacji roślinność i mikroby które by wtedy się tam wytworzyły zaczęły by dopiero tworzyć nową atmosferę z biologii, geografii i fizyki to miało pałe

  3. @stefanthorpenberg887

    January 24, 2026 at 4:39 am

    If we check the size of Mars, and then the mass of it, it becomes clear that it’s not so dense. If you blow up a less stable unit, there’s a risk it breaks into pieces. Some of those can rain down on earth. It will be the end of humanity.

  4. @pulauTiomanIsland

    January 24, 2026 at 4:39 am

    Do you guys notice how terrifying is the nuclear bomb explode sounds .. when I listening to this blast sounds in real life, my soul will already left my body just only listening to this very intimidating sounds .

  5. @RememberingWW2

    January 24, 2026 at 4:39 am

    You would need to create a magnetosphere first or you would strip away the entire atmosphere that you wanted to create in the first place from the radiation of the Sun.

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