A chilling prediction has swept across the internet: gravity will cease to function for seven seconds on August 12th. The claim, fueled by a supposed leaked NASA document called “Project Anchor” – with a staggering $89 billion budget – warns of catastrophic consequences, including tens of millions of deaths and a decade-long economic collapse. It’s a scenario painted in terrifying detail, promising chaos and widespread destruction.
But is there any truth to this alarming forecast? The idea suggests a terrifying sequence: initial weightlessness, a slow ascent, then panic as people collide with ceilings, culminating in a devastating fall when gravity returns. The projected death toll is immense, dwarfing any disaster in recorded history. It’s a narrative designed to instill fear, and it’s spreading rapidly.
To unravel the science – or lack thereof – behind this claim, we turned to Joel Meyers, a theoretical cosmologist. His assessment? Remarkably reassuring. Forget soaring 20 meters into the air. In New York City, you’d likely drift upward a mere two feet during those seven seconds. The internet’s dramatic vision of airborne pandemonium is, thankfully, wildly inaccurate.
Even the fear of dissolving into dust, a concern that plagued one observer, is unfounded. Our bodies aren’t held together by gravity, but by electromagnetic forces. And while the atmosphere wouldn’t instantly vanish, a sudden return of gravity *would* create a disruptive pressure wave, potentially wreaking havoc on weather patterns. However, the most significant threat lies within the Earth itself.
Without gravity’s constant pull, the immense pressure within the Earth’s core, mantle, and crust would find release. The planet wouldn’t explode instantly, but a period of intense tectonic activity would inevitably follow. The re-establishment of gravity would then send a shockwave through the globe, triggering earthquakes on a scale difficult to comprehend.
The implications for transportation are equally stark. Cars would become uncontrollable projectiles, continuing in a straight line at their current speed. Airplanes and submarines, however, would remain relatively safe, shielded from the immediate effects. This led one individual to devise a rather elaborate survival plan: a deep-sea submersible, a metal cocoon impervious to the chaos above.
The submersible, a closed system designed to withstand pressure changes, would offer refuge from atmospheric disruption and the ensuing tidal waves. While the surface world grapples with earthquakes and magma flows, this intrepid planner intends to calmly play games, awaiting a triumphant return to a ruined planet. A plan Meyers deemed “very solid,” covering a surprising number of bases.
But let’s address the core question: will gravity actually switch off on August 12th? Meyers delivers a definitive answer: absolutely not. The claim is “very far outside the realm of possibility.” There is no “Project Anchor,” and gravity is a fundamental property of spacetime itself – not something that can simply be turned on and off.
The internet’s prediction, despite its alarming details and widespread circulation, is nothing more than a baseless conspiracy theory. It’s a reminder that in the age of instant information, critical thinking and scientific expertise are more vital than ever. August 12th will come and go, and gravity will remain firmly in place.
