On July 07 2009 16:23 DownMaxX wrote: I don't know about the world itself, but I think the next time humanity will be on the brink of extinction will be from a viral pandemic.
We have far too great numbers for this to ever be the cause of our extinction. Even if just 1% of the population were immune, that is still at this time: 75 Million people, immune, let alone those that survived that weren't immune.
There has never, ever, been in the history of mankind a virus that was 99% lethal. Even the bubonic plague in the best of conditions was on the order of 50% lethal.
This.
Our extinction will be man-made. We are too smart to be wiped out by virtually anything else. The only natural disaster I can see that would cause human extinction is a giant meteor. But honestly I think we'd have the brainpower around the world to find ways of stopping it. If nothing else we'd throw every single space-capable rocket at it and see what happens.
On July 07 2009 16:23 DownMaxX wrote: I don't know about the world itself, but I think the next time humanity will be on the brink of extinction will be from a viral pandemic.
We have far too great numbers for this to ever be the cause of our extinction. Even if just 1% of the population were immune, that is still at this time: 75 Million people, immune, let alone those that survived that weren't immune.
There has never, ever, been in the history of mankind a virus that was 99% lethal. Even the bubonic plague in the best of conditions was on the order of 50% lethal.
This.
Our extinction will be man-made. We are too smart to be wiped out by virtually anything else. The only natural disaster I can see that would cause human extinction is a giant meteor. But honestly I think we'd have the brainpower around the world to find ways of stopping it. If nothing else we'd throw every single space-capable rocket at it and see what happens.
Your ideas of disasters are so small-scaled
Well I guess this is a thread having to do with 2012 so that's when all unreasonable hell breaks loose. In that case we're probably all going to get ran over by some superior race and turned into slaves D:
On July 07 2009 16:23 DownMaxX wrote: I don't know about the world itself, but I think the next time humanity will be on the brink of extinction will be from a viral pandemic.
We have far too great numbers for this to ever be the cause of our extinction. Even if just 1% of the population were immune, that is still at this time: 75 Million people, immune, let alone those that survived that weren't immune.
There has never, ever, been in the history of mankind a virus that was 99% lethal. Even the bubonic plague in the best of conditions was on the order of 50% lethal.
This.
Our extinction will be man-made. We are too smart to be wiped out by virtually anything else. The only natural disaster I can see that would cause human extinction is a giant meteor. But honestly I think we'd have the brainpower around the world to find ways of stopping it. If nothing else we'd throw every single space-capable rocket at it and see what happens.
Your ideas of disasters are so small-scaled
Well I guess this is a thread having to do with 2012 so that's when all unreasonable hell breaks loose. In that case we're probably all going to get ran over by some superior race and turned into slaves D:
On July 07 2009 16:23 DownMaxX wrote: I don't know about the world itself, but I think the next time humanity will be on the brink of extinction will be from a viral pandemic.
We have far too great numbers for this to ever be the cause of our extinction. Even if just 1% of the population were immune, that is still at this time: 75 Million people, immune, let alone those that survived that weren't immune.
There has never, ever, been in the history of mankind a virus that was 99% lethal. Even the bubonic plague in the best of conditions was on the order of 50% lethal.
This.
Our extinction will be man-made. We are too smart to be wiped out by virtually anything else. The only natural disaster I can see that would cause human extinction is a giant meteor. But honestly I think we'd have the brainpower around the world to find ways of stopping it. If nothing else we'd throw every single space-capable rocket at it and see what happens.
Your ideas of disasters are so small-scaled
Well I guess this is a thread having to do with 2012 so that's when all unreasonable hell breaks loose. In that case we're probably all going to get ran over by some superior race and turned into slaves D:
Lol, I seem to recall the UED kicking ass. Anyways, we're more likely to be wiped out by a super volcano (Ala, Yellowstone), than a comet or asteroid. No stopping the volcano, and we can arguably, stop an asteroid right now. A comet? Doubtful, but not out of the realm of possibility.
If we can manage to get past that, the only thing that could wipe us out is either another sentient species bent on our destruction, or the enivatable death of the universe. (Though this is all within the realm of our limited knowledge, who knows what magnificent discoveries can be made in billions of years).
On July 07 2009 17:04 benjammin wrote: some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.
Damn, that is what i consider to be his best poem ever. I was so hyped when i found out my english class would be studying frost, but we ended up analyzing every single other one of his poems cept this one =p
On July 07 2009 16:23 DownMaxX wrote: I don't know about the world itself, but I think the next time humanity will be on the brink of extinction will be from a viral pandemic.
We have far too great numbers for this to ever be the cause of our extinction. Even if just 1% of the population were immune, that is still at this time: 75 Million people, immune, let alone those that survived that weren't immune.
There has never, ever, been in the history of mankind a virus that was 99% lethal. Even the bubonic plague in the best of conditions was on the order of 50% lethal.
This.
Our extinction will be man-made. We are too smart to be wiped out by virtually anything else. The only natural disaster I can see that would cause human extinction is a giant meteor. But honestly I think we'd have the brainpower around the world to find ways of stopping it. If nothing else we'd throw every single space-capable rocket at it and see what happens.
Your ideas of disasters are so small-scaled
Well I guess this is a thread having to do with 2012 so that's when all unreasonable hell breaks loose. In that case we're probably all going to get ran over by some superior race and turned into slaves D:
Lol, I seem to recall the UED kicking ass. Anyways, we're more likely to be wiped out by a super volcano (Ala, Yellowstone), than a comet or asteroid. No stopping the volcano, and we can arguably, stop an asteroid right now. A comet? Doubtful, but not out of the realm of possibility.
If we can manage to get past that, the only thing that could wipe us out is either another sentient species bent on our destruction, or the enivatable death of the universe. (Though this is all within the realm of our limited knowledge, who knows what magnificent discoveries can be made in billions of years).
what about extremely close supernovae, black holes/almost-any-massive-bodies passing through our solar system, or any other large-scale cosmic events that occur nearby?
also, asteroids and other minor bodies don't have to collide directly with the earth to screw us over. The asteroids could modify the orbits of other planets, which in turn destabilize our own orbit, thus possibly throwing our planet out of the extremely narrow habitable zone that we are currently residing in. The planets with modified orbits could potentially collide with Earth as well; a planetary collision between us and any planet or dwarf planet within the solar system would instantaneously wipe out all life on earth.
Even without interference, the orbits in our solar system aint that stable to begin with. The sun's gonna expand, but a billion or two years before that it's gonna become too hot anyways for life as we know it to exist on Earth. Gamma ray bursts aimed toward the earth happen once every billion years or so.
Somethings going to give and all life is gonna get removed from the Earth sooner or later.
All of these scenarios are enough to wipe out life on earth, don't even talk about wiping out a measly species thats only been in existence for a blink of an eye in the context of the cosmic timescale.
Also, this is why we gotta get our asses movin into space. Time is ticking for life on this fragile little world. =p
On July 07 2009 16:23 DownMaxX wrote: I don't know about the world itself, but I think the next time humanity will be on the brink of extinction will be from a viral pandemic.
We have far too great numbers for this to ever be the cause of our extinction. Even if just 1% of the population were immune, that is still at this time: 75 Million people, immune, let alone those that survived that weren't immune.
There has never, ever, been in the history of mankind a virus that was 99% lethal. Even the bubonic plague in the best of conditions was on the order of 50% lethal.
This.
Our extinction will be man-made. We are too smart to be wiped out by virtually anything else. The only natural disaster I can see that would cause human extinction is a giant meteor. But honestly I think we'd have the brainpower around the world to find ways of stopping it. If nothing else we'd throw every single space-capable rocket at it and see what happens.
Your ideas of disasters are so small-scaled
Well I guess this is a thread having to do with 2012 so that's when all unreasonable hell breaks loose. In that case we're probably all going to get ran over by some superior race and turned into slaves D:
Lol, I seem to recall the UED kicking ass. Anyways, we're more likely to be wiped out by a super volcano (Ala, Yellowstone), than a comet or asteroid. No stopping the volcano, and we can arguably, stop an asteroid right now. A comet? Doubtful, but not out of the realm of possibility.
If we can manage to get past that, the only thing that could wipe us out is either another sentient species bent on our destruction, or the enivatable death of the universe. (Though this is all within the realm of our limited knowledge, who knows what magnificent discoveries can be made in billions of years).
what about extremely close supernovae, black holes/almost-any-massive-bodies passing through our solar system, or any other large-scale cosmic events that occur nearby?
also, asteroids and other minor bodies don't have to collide directly with the earth to screw us over. The asteroids could modify the orbits of other planets, which in turn destabilize our own orbit, thus possibly throwing our planet out of the extremely narrow habitable zone that we are currently residing in. The planets with modified orbits could potentially collide with Earth as well; a planetary collision between us and any planet or dwarf planet within the solar system would instantaneously wipe out all life on earth.
Even without interference, the orbits in our solar system aint that stable to begin with. The sun's gonna expand, but a billion or two years before that it's gonna become too hot anyways for life as we know it to exist on Earth. Gamma ray bursts aimed toward the earth happen once every billion years or so.
Somethings going to give and all life is gonna get removed from the Earth sooner or later.
All of these scenarios are enough to wipe out life on earth, don't even talk about wiping out a measly species thats only been in existence for a blink of an eye in the context of the cosmic timescale.
Also, this is why we gotta get our asses movin into space. Time is ticking for life on this fragile little world. =p
The Earth is far from being fragile. We've been through all of those scenarios you presented (Save for the sun becoming a red giant) and the earth and life, is still here.
In due time. Hell, in 10,000 years we'll be living throughout the universe, if we happen to survive to that time. Once we reach the colonization of the universe milestone we are all but guaranteed survival as a species until the universe itself dies, or becomes incapable of supporting life.
EPT
