Would Half the Asteroid Still Kill the Dinosaurs?

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]What if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was half the size?

[00:00:04]Would that have saved them?

[00:00:05]Turns out the impact wasn't the real killer. The chemistry was.

[00:00:10]>> [music] >> It struck gypsum, calcium sulfate. The blast launched sulfur into the sky where it became sulfuric acid haze.

[00:00:18]>> [music] >> The sun dimmed, plants failed, the food chain collapsed.

[00:00:22]Half the diameter means 1/8 the rock.

[00:00:24][music] Still enough sulfur to darken the planet.

[00:00:28]To save them, >> [music] >> the asteroid needed to be 1/5 the size, not half.