Although he may not be well known today, Wilhelm Reich and his ideas are some of the most intriguing that you are likely to encounter. They are also controversial and border on the outlandish.

Today, these concepts enjoy cultlike status. More than half a century after his death, many people are continuing Reich’s work to tap into the natural energy of not just the Earth but the universe itself.

10 Weird Examples Of Pseudoscientific Technology

10 The Connection To Sexual Energy And Ancient Wisdom

Born in 1897 in what is now Ukraine, Austrian doctor Wilhelm Reich was an ardent subscriber to the ideas of Sigmund Freud. So, it might not be surprising that the roots of orgone energy can be found in sex and sexuality. This was something that Reich was prone to speak about openly in the 1930s while formulating his ideas. And we should remember that this was not how most people of that era conducted themselves.

In fact, it was from his initial research into sexual energies that he began studying ancient spiritual ideas and apparent esoteric wisdom. In turn, he started to believe deeply in ancient “universal energies.” Ultimately, this would morph into what he would eventually call orgone energy.^[1]

In 1939, before he developed such ideas, Reich, like many other European scientists of the era, left for the United States. He did so to escape the merciless grip of the Nazi regime. However, his work just prior to leaving Europe put him under scrutiny. We will turn our attention to that subject in a moment.

Around a decade after Reich’s death, his work enjoyed renewed interest among liberal movements of the 1960s. This was particularly so with the student populations of the time. Although this interest largely faded as the 1960s ended, Reich has retained a cultlike status among many groups in the decades since.

9 He Was Labeled ‘Dangerous’ By Other Scientists

Before arriving in America, Reich had spent the second half of the 1930s working on what he would label “bion experiments.” These experiments involved Reich examining the cells of a variety of items ranging from vegetation to animal tissues. He even conducted the same tests with metals and other solids.

He discovered a blue aura—particularly when heating such cells. He described this as the natural energy between life and nonlife. Reich labeled these strange blue auras “bions.” In addition, he claimed to have witnessed similar red energies, which he connected to the cause of some cancers.^[2]

After this research, many of Reich’s fellow scientists distanced themselves from him. Some even went as far as to call him “dangerous.” Needless to say—rightly or wrongly—this stayed with him for the rest of his life.

8 The Link Between Bions, Megalithic C, And The Color Blue

Perhaps one of the most speculative aspects of orgone energy, especially when we consider Reich’s intense interest in the wisdom of the ancients, is an apparent link of the blue energy of bions and the “natural harmony” of the Earth. In their book Civilization One, Christopher Knight and Alan Butler say that this is “megalithic C.” On the modern scale, this is C-sharp (specifically, ever so slightly above).

Looking at the frequency range and the electromagnetic spectrum, Knight and Butler claimed that similarities existed between the color blue and the frequency for C-sharp. Taking it further, they highlighted how certain life-giving aspects of our world, such as water and the atmosphere in the sky, are also blue.^[3]

Given that Reich’s bions were also blue, does this somehow lend credibility to his work? And what should we make of Knight and Butler’s research and suggestions?

7 The Initial Development Of Orgone Energy

The results of his bion research ultimately led Reich to what he called “orgone energy.” He claimed that this natural life energy was known to the ancients.

Perhaps the best way for us in the modern world to understand orgone energy is to imagine how the Force is described in the Star Wars films. However, unlike Star Wars, Reich stated that the driving force of this natural energy was of a sexual nature.^[4]

Incidentally, it was partly due to these claims of sexual energy that many began to attack Reich’s ideas even more. Some even declared that his research was a front for a sex cult. Perhaps of more concern to Reich back then were the accusations that he was a communist looking to attack the American way.

6 The Damaging Shunning By Albert Einstein

Perhaps the most damaging criticism received by Reich was the shunning by Albert Einstein. Reich believed that Einstein’s acceptance would pave the way for widespread exposure for Reich’s own work. However, it was not to be.

The strange connection between the two scientists revolved around several meetings to discuss Reich’s work. One time, Reich gave Einstein an accumulator with which he could conduct further experiments based on his own research. This research centered on the use of electromagnetic energy (orgone) and how it might be used in a variety of ways ranging from medical to military.

Einstein determined that Reich’s theories and accumulator devices were not scientifically sound. What’s more, Einstein wrote back to inform Reich of this. Although Reich continued to write to Einstein with updates on tests, Einstein no longer responded. Perhaps through frustration, Reich wrote one last time that he was about to publish their initial letters.^[5]

Finally, Einstein responded to this threat. He stated in no uncertain terms that his name should not be used to promote Reich’s research as Einstein believed that Reich’s work was far from proven fact.

10 Pseudoscientists And Their Bizarre Theories

5 The Orgone Accumulator

Developing his research further as well as tapping into this natural energy, Reich looked to collect it. To do so, he built a device called an orgone accumulator.^[6]

The accumulator was a box that a person would sit inside. As the individual did so, orgone energy would concentrate on the box and into the person. In part, this occurred due to the organic/nonorganic layering of the walls and roof of the box.

As a result, the person would experience an increase in “blue bions.” According to Reich, this halted and even cured disease—including cancer. We will return to these claims shortly as they ultimately proved to be the undoing of Reich.

Whether his claims were true or not, many people have since continued research into orgone energy. Indeed, many people fully subscribe to the apparent reality and benefit of orgone energy, whatever that might be.

4 Cloudbusters

Another device by Reich to tap into orgone energy was a cloudbuster. Like the accumulators, the cloudbusters were made of materials that conducted orgone energy.

In theory, a cloudbuster would manipulate the orgone energy overhead to form clouds and bring rain. For the device to work, the cloudbuster was usually set up in water. Theoretically, this would bring the water out of the atmosphere.^[7]

Perhaps of most interest, the records of Reich’s experiments suggest that the cloudbuster devices did work. However, these claims remain subject to fierce debate.

We should remember that many governments research how to change the weather—and they do so with varying degrees of success. Although Reich’s claims should be taken with a grain of salt, the general notion of weather control is not as outlandish as it might first appear.

3 The Destruction Of Reich’s Research

Officially, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) went after Reich due to his claims regarding the accumulator and the curing of disease. They forced Reich to stop declaring that illnesses could be cured by using the device.

In addition, the authorities got an injunction to prevent him from moving any of his equipment over state borders. Essentially, he was grounded where he was.^[8]

When one of Reich’s associates defied the injunction, Reich was arrested. A decision was made by the authorities to have all his orgone devices and paperwork destroyed. Anything that mentioned orgone energy was taken. Even more bizarrely, the burning of this material was done in full view of the public.

Reich died in prison in 1957 at age 60. Whether the reaction to his work was justified remains debated by many people today.

2 The Mistaken Communist Connection

In the final weeks of 1941, the FBI suspected that a mysterious man named William Reich was handing out communist leaflets in the New Jersey area. However, when federal agents moved in to make the arrest in December of that year, they mistakenly arrested Wilhelm Reich.

As part of the FBI’s search of Reich’s home, all his notes and books were examined. However, he refused to answer any questions and remained in FBI custody for three weeks. The agency soon realized their error, and Reich was released without charge. As far as the record says, he was free to go about his business.

Despite the error, Reich likely remained in the FBI’s files. When he began to make waves with the FDA, it didn’t do the FBI any harm that he should end up in such a situation. Perhaps also of interest, Reich suggested to many people that Einstein had withdrawn his interest in working with Reich due to outside influences. Quite likely, at least to Reich’s mind, the FBI was the prime suspect.^[9]

1 The UFO Connection

Mainly during his tests with the cloudbuster devices, Reich claimed that he had witnessed UFOs overhead. This happened on numerous occasions. He documented each of these sightings and informed the local air force base. They eventually responded by asking Reich to complete a survey on such matters, which he did.

In addition to aliens looking at the recent world wars and the use of nuclear weapons, Reich suggested that his own orgone devices could get the attention of such cosmic navigators. In addition, he believed that these space visitors would choose to vanish if he pointed his device in their direction.

Perhaps of interest to UFO researchers in the modern era are Reich’s claims that these strange crafts manipulated the energy of the universe itself. Furthermore, he said that they would ride “waves” that they had created. Decades later, whistleblower Bob Lazar made similar claims as to how such vehicles travel after claiming that he worked with recovered alien crafts.^[10]

10 Truly Bizarre Pseudoscientific Fields

About The Author: Marcus Lowth is a writer at Me Time For The Mind—https://www.metimeforthemind.com/ and Me Time For The Mind on Facebook.

Since the 1800s, fossil fuels have powered our homes, schools, workplaces, government buildings, jails, and manufacturing enterprises. Fossil fuels provide a dependable and cost-effective way to power our world, but they also emit harmful emissions into the atmosphere. We hope that renewable energy will one day completely replace fossil fuels, allowing us to slow and even reverse the planet’s devastation.

The cost of renewable energy is falling, and we may phase fossil fuels out of energy generation entirely over the next decade or two. Yes, it’s an optimistic estimation, but it aligns with the interests of most people, which is to have a reliable and affordable energy source while simultaneously conserving our environment.

Here are 10 energy resources that could eventually replace fossil fuels in the not-too-distant future.

Related: 10 ‘Green’ Products That Are Bad For The Environment

10 Solar Energy

Solar energy is the most environmentally friendly and prolific renewable energy source today, and the United States possesses some of the world’s most abundant solar resources. We can use solar technology to provide light, warm indoors, and heat water for household, commercial, or industrial purposes.

Today, a wide range of devices convert sunshine into useable energy. Passive solar design for space heating and cooling, solar photovoltaics for electricity, and solar water heating are among the most widely utilized solar technologies for homes and businesses. Solar solutions help businesses and industries diversify their energy sources, increase efficiency, and save money.

Solar energy has numerous advantages over fossil fuels, including significantly lower carbon emissions and long-term sustainability. It does, however, have flaws. For one, it’s impossible to collect solar energy at night. In areas or countries with minimal sunlight, solar panels will hardly have an effect. Also, a solar power system’s initial installation is rather expensive. The space constraint is also a concern; the more solar panels you require, the more space you’ll need.

9 Wind Energy

Wind energy, also known as wind power, is created using a wind turbine, a device that harnesses the wind’s energy to generate electricity. Kinetic energy exists in every moving object, and scientists and engineers harness the wind to generate clean electricity.

The potential of wind turbines isn’t to be trifled with. Small wind turbines can generate 100 kilowatts of electricity to run a house. Wind turbines with rotor blades that extend 40 meters (130 feet) in length may generate 1.8 megawatts of electricity. The power generated by giant turbines can range from 4.8 to 9.5 megawatts.

According to carbontracker.org, the potential of wind energy, together with solar energy, is significantly greater than that of fossil fuels, and combined, they can more than meet world energy demand. Currently, we can capture at least 6,700 petawatt-hours from sun and wind with existing technology across the world, which is more than 100 times the world’s energy consumption.

8 Geothermal Energy

Geothermal power, also known as geothermal energy, is a self-contained and reliable power generation system that utilizes the thermal energy contained in the earth’s magma. Geothermal energy is harvested via steam from reservoirs beneath the earth’s surface. The steam turns a turbine, which turns a generator, which generates energy.

Geothermal power plants come in three forms: dry steam, binary cycle, and flash steam. Hydrothermal fluids, primarily steam, are used in dry steam plants. They were the first geothermal power plants to be constructed. However, flash steam plants are the most frequent type of geothermal power plant in use today. These plants use vaporized water of more than 182°C (360°F). Finally, binary cycle power plants run on water at temperatures between 107° and 182°C (225°–360°F).

The United States continues to create the world’s most geothermal electricity, with over 3.5 gigawatts generated primarily in the western part of the country. This amount is enough to power around 3.5 million homes.

7 Hydropower

Hydropower is a form of energy generated by the flow of water. The practice of taking advantage of water dates back over 2,000 years when the ancient Greeks employed water to drive grain grinding machines.

We typically utilize a dam or diversion construction to change the flow of a body of water to collect hydropower or hydroelectric electricity. The dam system uses turbines and generators to convert kinetic energy into electricity, subsequently distributed to properties throughout the electrical grid.

Hydropower was one of the earliest resources used to generate electricity, and it accounted for the majority of total annual renewable electricity generation in the United States until 2019. Hydropower now accounts for 37% of total renewable electricity generation in the United States and 7% of total electricity output in the United States.

6 Biomass

Biomass is a renewable organic resource and comes from animals and plants. Biomass energy, or energy derived from living things, has been used by humans since the earliest cave dwellers used wood fires for cooking and heating. Today, we utilize biomass for power generators and other machinery.

Currently, wood is still the most common source of biomass energy. Other potential sources are food crops, grassy and woody plants, oil-rich algae, agricultural or forestry residues, and the organic component of industrial and municipal waste. Even landfill fumes–which contain methane, the primary component of natural gas–can be used to generate biomass energy.

Biomass was the predominant source of total annual energy consumption in the United States until the mid-nineteenth century. Biomass is a common cooking and heating fuel in many nations, particularly in developing countries. To minimize carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel usage, several industrialized nations are increasing their use of biomass fuels for transportation and energy generation.

5 Hydrogen Energy

Water, plants, animals, and people contain large amounts of hydrogen atoms. However, while it is found in almost all living organisms’ molecules, it is scarce as a gas. It can, however, be utilized as a fuel for energy generation once it has been separated from the molecules. Natural gas, nuclear power, biogas, and renewable energy sources like the sun and wind can all be used to generate hydrogen.

Hydrogen is an environmentally friendly fuel that creates water when burned in a fuel cell. Because of this, it’s a popular fuel for transportation and power generation. We can utilize it in automobiles, homes, portable power sources, and other applications. Hydrogen has become a popular technique for storing renewable energy for use at a later time.

Today, several ways exist for producing hydrogen fuel. Natural gas reformation (a thermal process) and electrolysis are the most commonly used technologies. Solar-powered and biological processes are also viable.

4 Tidal Energy

Tidal energy is derived from the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents as a result of gravitational interactions between the earth, the sun, and the moon. When water travels through a constriction, which causes the water to move faster, tidal currents create enough energy for harvesting.

Locations with significant tidal ranges (the difference between low and high tides) and where tidal channels and waterways get smaller and tidal currents become stronger are good candidates for harvesting tidal energy. Although numerous demonstration projects are in various stages of construction, there are no commercially operating tidal energy generating plants in the United States.

3 Wave Energy

Wave energy is a renewable energy source generated by ocean waves. Unlike tidal energy, which is derived from the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pulls, wave energy stems from waves traveling across the ocean’s surface caused by wind.

Wave energy technology can be divided into three categories. The first uses floats or buoys to generate electricity from sea swells, which are then used to power hydraulic pumps. The second form generates electricity by rising and falling water inside a cylindrical shaft using an oscillating water column. A tapering channel, either on or offshore, is used in the third kind. All of these methods can be either onshore or offshore.

Wave and tidal energy are more reliable than many other renewable energy sources because they have longer lifespans and are more efficient. Other renewable resources, e.g., solar and wind power, have always been unpredictable, and wave and tidal energy, like them, are changeable in nature. However, unlike many other renewable energy sources, wave and tidal patterns are more predictable.

2 Nuclear Energy

Fission, or the breaking of uranium atoms inside a nuclear reactor, is how nuclear energy is produced. An atom’s nucleus (or core) is made up of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons. The bonds that keep the nucleus together contain a tremendous amount of energy. When those bonds are broken by nuclear fission, this nuclear energy is released, which may be utilized to generate electricity.

Nuclear power is an efficient method of boiling water to produce steam–powering turbines to generate electricity—utilizing uranium fuel bundles. A single uranium pellet, around 1 cm in diameter and length, has the equivalent energy of three barrels of oil, 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of coal, or 5,181 cubic meters (17,000 cubic feet) of natural gas. Each uranium fuel pellet may provide enough heat for five years of electricity generation.

Uranium is one of the most plentiful metals on the planet, so it can provide fuel for commercial nuclear power plants for years to come. Nonetheless, nuclear energy is generally regarded as a nonrenewable energy source. Nuclear energy is a renewable energy resource in and of itself. However, the materials utilized in nuclear power plants are not.

1 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) generates electrical energy utilizing the temperature difference between the deep sea and the waters near the surface to run a heat engine.

The working system of OTEC is similar to the working system of the cycle of rain. The cycle of rain (hydrological cycle) happens when, during the day, the sun lifts water molecules to evaporate into the clouds. Then, the wind blows them toward the land. When condensation occurs in the clouds, the water previously in the form of gas turns back into a liquid and then descends to the land.

OTEC imitates this system, namely pumping high-temperature (warm) surface seawater and evaporating it into a turbine to generate electricity and then condensing it again with cold seawater taken from the deep sea, then repeating the cycle.

Higher electricity costs, more significant worries about global warming, and a governmental commitment to energy security have recently made the first OTEC commercialization economically appealing in tropical island communities where oil is used to create a large amount of electricity. This island market is enormous, even inside the United States; internationally, it is many times greater. As OTEC technology improves, it should become more cost-effective in the Southeast United States.

It could be argued that the scale of the universe is such that our minds will never be able to comprehend it. In fact, it seems very likely that even things here on earth are far beyond what our minds could imagine at the best of times. That’s one of the reasons people will refer to flooding by saying it was like 100 Olympic sized pools, or a distance something travelled was six football fields. They’re all just ways to make something hard to comprehend a little more understandable. And when it comes to the incredible power and energy nature can wield, it’s pretty mind blowing.

10. Mount St. Helens Released 24 Megatons of Thermal Energy

North America is subject to frequent hurricanes and tornadoes as well as more than its fair share of earthquakes. And though they are rare, there are a number of volcanoes present as well that also erupt from time to time, such as Washington state’s Mount St. Helens. When it erupted back in 1980, it proved its remarkable power in terrifying ways. 

Starting in March of that year, a series of earthquakes were recorded in the area and the actual volcano itself began to bulge outward by 450 feet. When it finally erupted on May 18, it released 24 megatons of thermal energy, which means 24 million tons of TNT. It released 520 million tons of ash and destroyed enough trees to have built 300,000 houses just with the initial lateral blast.

9. Turning 1 kg of Hydrogen to Helium Releases as Much Energy as Burning 20,000 Tons of Coal 

The sun is forever engaged in a fusion reaction that turns hydrogen into helium, producing light and heat and keeping us all alive. Fusion is a hell of a way to produce power and we’re all hoping one day someone masters it down here on Earth because it would make life a lot easier. But until that time we have to make do with things like nuclear fission, solar power and good ol’ fossil fuel burning. 

The difference between how fusion and burning coal works is so preposterous that it seems made up when you try to match it up on the same scale. By that we mean the difference in power generated when the sun turns one kilogram of hydrogen into helium versus how much coal we need to burn down here on earth to get the same amount of energy produced.

The reaction of one kilogram of hydrogen becoming helium releases 630 trillion joules, or what you’d get from burning 20,000 tons of coal. 

Over the course of its life, the sun will use 1.95 x 1029 kg of hydrogen. In a single second, the sun generates 3.9 x 1026 watts of power. To put that in perspective, in one second, the sun produces more power than the entire world would use in a few hundred thousand years. 

8. A Hurricane’s Energy is 200 times the Electricity Generating Capacity of the Whole World

Hurricanes are arguably the most terrifying force of nature any of us will ever see. The destructive potential of a hurricane is hard to believe and we’ve all seen the evidence of the destruction they can produce. But how much power is behind that terrifying force? The scale is massive and really puts things in perspective for you.

From the moment a hurricane is born through its cycle of destruction until its ultimate demise, it will release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear weapons. Put another way, all of that energy, and we’re including cloud and rain formation, is about 200 times the amount of electricity generated across the entire planet. That’s just one hurricane. We average about six per year, with several other storms not quite reaching hurricane status. 

7. Krakatoa Exploded with the Force of 10,000 Atomic Bombs 

In 1883, the volcano on the island of Krakatoa exploded and produced the loudest sound in the history of the world. It’s estimated to have hit 310 decibels, so loud that it managed to circle the planet 4 times. It was 172 decibels, 100 miles away. A jet engine will hit you with 150 decibels if you’re standing next to it. 

When it erupted, it went off with the force of 200 megatons of TNT. That’s 10,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It’s believed upwards of 36,000 people were killed.

6. 1 kg of Uranium 235 Produces 3 Million Times the Heat of 1 kg of Coal

For a long time now, people have debated the merits of nuclear power versus something like traditional coal burning. Nuclear comes with dangers such as the potential for meltdowns and the problem of nuclear waste. Coal burning causes pollution and, as we’re about to see, is terribly inefficient by comparison.

If you had one kilogram of uranium-235, you could generate 24,000,000 kWh of heat. By comparison, you’ll make 8 kWh from the same weight of coal. So uranium has around three million times the energy-producing capability of an equal amount of coal. One single uranium fuel pellet is equal to one ton of coal. 

5. Tsunamis Can Produce Enough Power to Run Major Cities or Even Countries for Days

In the past few decades, there have been a couple of massively destructive tsunamis. In 2011, a tsunami hit Japan wielding three petajoules of energy. That was enough to power New York City for an entire week. But even that pales in comparison to one just seven years earlier.

 In 2004, an undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean the day after Christmas. The power of the tsunami has been estimated to be equal to 0.8 gigatons of TNT. In more practical terms, that’s as much energy as the entire United States of America will use in 11 days and works out to 3.35 exajoules. What the heck is an exajoule? That’s one quintillion joules.

One calorie of food produces 4,184 joules of energy. A Big Mac has 550 calories. That means a Big Mac is equivalent to 2,301,200 joules. Divided by the exajoules in the tsunami and it produced the energy equivalent of just under 1.46 trillion of them. That’s a lot of Big Macs. 

4. Climate Change is Adding Energy Equivalent to Exploding Thousands of Nuclear Weapons Per Day 

These days everyone is aware of climate change and most people who still want to argue about it choose the man vs nature approach. Which is to say even the critics have agreed that earth is getting warmer, they just don’t agree on why. But if we all accept the earth is warming up, just how much energy is the earth absorbing to do such a thing?

Heat is energy, so the energy required to warm the entire planet is no small scale achievement. Scientists studying global temperature trends tried to put it in perspective in a fairly dramatic way. 

Between 2005 and 2019, scientists compared the earth’s energy imbalance. This compares the amount of energy we absorb versus how much we can radiate. The imbalance doubled in that time period and the amount of extra energy the earth is absorbing works out to four Hiroshima explosions occurring every single second. This is actually slightly better than the 2012 estimate by NASA climate scientists that said it was equivalent to 400,000 Hiroshima’s per day, but not by much. 

3. A 9.0 Earthquake Releases 90 Times the Power Produced by the US

Like any natural disaster, an earthquake packs a serious punch. The seismic power of an earthquake is typically related to use by use of the Richter scale, but saying an earthquake measures a four on that scale doesn’t really put much into perspective. Luckily, there are some equivalences we can make.

If an earthquake did register a 4.0 on the Richter scale, you’d consider it fairly mild, more or less. That said, it releases energy equivalent to 1 kiloton of TNT. Sounds like a lot, right? It works out to about 1162 mWh or the energy. If the average US household uses 10.715 kWh in a year, then a 4.0 earthquake could power 108 American homes for a year. But that’s just a moderate quake. Let’s go up the scale to a serious quake.

It’s rare that an earthquake measures 9.0 on the scale. That’s a serious quake and they only happen every few years, if not decades. Based on data from the US Geological Survey, they’ll release energy on par with exploding 32,000 megatons of TNT. That works out to 1,338,880,000,000 gigajoules. Convert that to MwH and you get 371,911,111,111.11. The US generates 4,095,487,406 MwH of electricity. So that 9.0 earthquake generated 90 times the power of the entire US annual power production capacity. 

2. The Meteor That Killed the Dinosaurs Was More Powerful Than The World’s Nuclear Arsenal 

Everyday we go about our business with the knowledge, somewhere in the back of our heads, that a meteor could hit the Earth and wipe us all out in a matter of moments. It’s not likely or anything, but it happened before, so it could certainly happen again one day. And that means a meteor must be a pretty powerful thing when it touches down. We can look at a recent one to figure out just how powerful they can be.

In 2013, a meteor lit up the Russian skies over the city of Chelyabinsk. The 11,000 ton rock flew through the air at 42,000 miles per hour, creating a shockwave that laid waste to 4,000 buildings. It released energy equivalent to 30 times the bomb that exploded at Hiroshima. Powerful stuff. But, as you may have noticed, the world didn’t end.

If we go back in time, the most famous meteor in history would be the one commonly attributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs. That one was clearly more powerful than Chelyabinsk, and the scale of that power was remarkable.

Research has estimated the power of that particular blast was equal to 10 billion of the bombs dropped during the Second World War. Enough to scorch life thousands of miles away and cover the earth in a cloud that wiped out 75% of all life. 

1. A Supernova Produces More Energy Than Anything You Could Imagine

Let’s leave the earth for a minute because, as powerful as nature is here, the universe at large shames our tiny blue dot. Let’s go into the vastness of the great beyond towards a star as it lashes out in its death throes. A supernova. 

As far as we know, this is the biggest explosion that can exist. And they can get big. So big that our efforts to try to make it sound understandable are still, frankly, ridiculous. But at least it will offer some kind of perspective.

The energy released during a supernova can be around 1044 joules. That one event will therefore release as much energy as the exploding star released during the previous 10 billion years of its existence. Imagine our sun burning as hot and bright as it does for 10 billion years. We already covered that every second it produces all the energy the earth could use in hundreds of thousands of years. All of that, for 10 billion years of time, released all over again during the supernova. 

That’s still very insane and very hard to grasp, so we can break it down further. One specific supernova was observed by scientists in 2015. Called ASSASN-15lh, the dying star was 580 billion times brighter than our own sun. It produced a blast that was a billion trillion times more powerful than the explosion of the tsar bomba, the largest nuclear weapon ever tested. It was 30 times brighter than the entire Milky Way galaxy, itself home to 100 thousand million stars.