Apr 17, 2026 · 15 min · 6 segments
What would happen to the world if the USA disappears? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies explores a planet earth without the land mass of North America. How would opening up the Atlantic…
Alan DaviesHost
Anjana KhatwaGuest
Tori TsuiGuest
It takes two minutes of vivid lava flows and rain so heavy it can fill an entire ocean before the Earth cools enough to grow a crust.
That flourishing required a solid foundation and for billions of years that anchor was Laurentia, the ancient stable core of what we now know as North America.
Welcome to Life Without, where I pull a single thread from our magnificent world.
How far will it run? Can we stitch a patch and survive the wear and tear? For BBC Radio 4, this is Life Without with me, Alan Davis.
And together, we'll find out if a life without North America ends up unpicking reality as we know it.
You know, we will be in a new geological epoch where we begin to witness the birth of our planet through a new lens.
Embarking with me on this journey, earth scientist, presenter and author of The Whispers of Rock, Dr. Anjana Kandwar.
An environmental campaigner and author of It's Not Just You, How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety in the Climate Crisis, Tori Chow.
The first thing that crosses my mind is the chaos that will ensue and how is this going to affect the energy transition and perhaps forge a greener future?
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It takes two minutes of vivid lava flows and rain so heavy it can fill an entire ocean before the Earth cools enough to grow a crust.
That flourishing required a solid foundation and for billions of years that anchor was Laurentia, the ancient stable core of what we now know as North America.
Welcome to Life Without, where I pull a single thread from our magnificent world.
How far will it run? Can we stitch a patch and survive the wear and tear? For BBC Radio 4, this is Life Without with me, Alan Davis.
And together, we'll find out if a life without North America ends up unpicking reality as we know it.
You know, we will be in a new geological epoch where we begin to witness the birth of our planet through a new lens.
Embarking with me on this journey, earth scientist, presenter and author of The Whispers of Rock, Dr. Anjana Kandwar.
An environmental campaigner and author of It's Not Just You, How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety in the Climate Crisis, Tori Chow.
The first thing that crosses my mind is the chaos that will ensue and how is this going to affect the energy transition and perhaps forge a greener future?
