# Did you die when the earth lost gravity on 8-12-2026? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315 "2026-08-12T18:27:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/21 "2026-08-12T20:09:11Z")
That’s like virtual insanity. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/22 "2026-08-12T20:09:31Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The intersection of two gravitational waves from black holes, predicted in 2019 with a probability of 94.7%. Thank God we hit those 5.3% odds of surviving! ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/23 "2026-08-12T20:10:11Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Hehe, I’m trying to think through this, too. It seems like with gravity being released, the rotation of the earth would fling us off in a straight line, but it would be released from the sun’s gravity at that point, too. So I guess it would head off in a straight line and we’d all pop off of it in straight lines (along with the atmosphere and the dirt and the water, since there’d be nothing holding that together) for about seven seconds. I guess we’d see the sun blink out for a moment, too. It could have _ruined_ today’s eclipse. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/24 "2026-08-12T20:16:46Z")
I tossed one of my smokes in the air; the Earth was now a cigarette lighter. I’m goin. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/25 "2026-08-12T20:20:37Z")
Since there isn’t any actual physical process that corresponds to “losing gravity”, it depends on what kind of magic is being proposed. If the earth suddenly became massless, things would indeed fly off in a straight line due to their velocity. It wouldn’t be anything like “rising to the ceiling” though. At 45 degrees latitude, objects would fly off at about 700 miles per hour. It’s best to be at one of the poles when this event happens. Also, it wouldn’t be just loose objects that would fly off. The Earth’s crust itself would fly apart and the whole planet would start to dissociate into a ring system. After 7.3 seconds the upper crust and everything on it would be more than a mile above the original surface (depending on latitude), and when gravity returned, everything would fall from that height. It’s hard to see how any material object on the surface could survive that event. Also, if the Earth became massless, it would no longer interact with the Sun’s gravity. It would head off in a straight line tangent to its old orbit. I’m not sure exactly what its trajectory would be after 7.3 seconds of this and then returning to normal mass, but I doubt it would return to its original orbit. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/26 "2026-08-12T20:31:40Z")
Yeah, almost assuredly a superlatively bad day. “Floating” wouldn’t describe it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/27 "2026-08-12T20:35:51Z")
I survived! That’s $89 billion well-spent! Thanks, NASA! ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/28 "2026-08-12T23:25:25Z")
In the UK, our uninterruptible gravity supply (UGS) kicked in smoothly and we weren’t affected. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/29 "2026-08-12T23:56:59Z")
If two equally massive bodies exist in close proximity, one of them losing gravity will be OK because the other body will compensate. The Earth did lose gravity today but nobody noticed thanks to your mom. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/30 "2026-08-13T00:08:21Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I know this whole thing is bullshit but this part puzzles me. If the inhabitants of earth suddenly lost gravity, wouldn’t everything just sit where it was until acted upon? The First Law is really more of a suggestion ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/31 "2026-08-13T00:17:32Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The First Law is really more of a suggestion This is completely, absolutely, terribly wrong, A robot _may not_ injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/32 "2026-08-13T00:23:37Z")
I got up to feed the cats at 1300 UCT, then went back to bed for a couple hours. Slept through the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/33 "2026-08-13T00:35:50Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > If two equally massive bodies exist in close proximity, one of them losing gravity will be OK because the other body will compensate. The Earth did lose gravity today but nobody noticed thanks to your mom. Okay. I snort/laughed. That’s a good geek mom joke. Cheers on a job well done! ---
**Author:** ![RollOutTheBarrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rolloutthebarrel/32/1649_2.png) [@RollOutTheBarrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RollOutTheBarrel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/34 "2026-08-13T00:45:19Z")
I got stuck on the ceiling fan. Send help. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/35 "2026-08-13T00:50:50Z")
I looked it up, and surprisingly XKCD (Randall Munroe ) has not covered this specifically. 🙀 ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/36 "2026-08-13T00:56:32Z")
I threw my kids off a building, but I did the conversation of the time zones wrong. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/37 "2026-08-13T01:07:13Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Also, if the Earth became massless, it would no longer interact with the Sun’s gravity. It would head off in a straight line tangent to its old orbit. I’m not sure exactly what its trajectory would be after 7.3 seconds of this and then returning to normal mass, but I doubt it would return to its original orbit. Factually incorrect! As a non-Catholic, I’ve been massless my whole life, except for, ummm, lemme count - four weddings & one funeral. I returned to my original orbit, & more surprisingly, was not struck by lightning when entering the church. > [@RollOutTheBarrel](#): > > I got stuck on the ceiling fan. Send help. Would you like me to send someone around to help you. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/38 "2026-08-13T01:17:53Z")
The Earth actually did lose gravity at 14:33, but the loss lasted only .07 seconds instead of the expected 7 seconds due to a math mistake. That’s why everyone burped up a little of their breakfast this morning. > [@markn\_1](#): > > Meh, this kind of thing has happened before More than once, actually. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ovo6zwv6DX4/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/ovo6zwv6DX4?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDovo6zwv6DX4&start=91 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/39 "2026-08-13T01:19:41Z")
Yes, I died. I think making fun of those of us that died is in very poor taste. 😠 ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315/40 "2026-08-13T01:40:39Z")
You know, it would be… _appropriate_ that it would be one of OUR posters that managed to provide the first proof of existence beyond death, by haunting this board to provide “Well, actually…” on every single thread on post-biological existence until the heat-death of the universe, getting to live on a pedestal of smugness based on unimpeachable yet otherwise unverifiable information. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-die-when-the-earth-lost-gravity-on-8-12-2026/1032315.md?page=3)