General Knowledge
Hot or Cold Extremes Quiz
From Death Valley infernos to Antarctic deep freezes — how extreme can Earth get?
From Death Valley infernos to Antarctic deep freezes — how extreme can Earth get?
On July 21, 1983, Antarctica's Vostok Station recorded -89.2°C (-128.6°F), the coldest air temperature ever measured on Earth. At the other end of the scale, Death Valley hit 56.7°C (134°F) in 1913. This quiz spans the full range of planetary temperature extremes — from lab-made temperatures billionths of a degree above absolute zero to the 15-million-degree core of the Sun.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll explore record-breaking heat and cold on every continent, the science of human thermoregulation, extreme survival stories, how temperatures behave on other planets, and the wildest temperature swings in nature — from lightning bolts to deep-sea thermal vents.
The highest reliably recorded air temperature is 56.7°C (134°F), measured at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913. Some meteorologists dispute this reading, with the next contender being 54°C recorded in Kuwait and Iraq.
Oymyakon in Siberia, Russia, is the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth. It recorded -67.7°C (-89.9°F) in 1933 and has a population of around 500 people who endure average winter temperatures well below -40°C.
A wet-bulb temperature of 35°C (95°F) is considered the upper limit of human survivability, because the body can no longer cool itself through sweating. A core body temperature above 40°C (104°F) triggers heatstroke, which can be fatal without treatment.
Last updated: April 2026