Do you believe in an "End of the World"

[Thundercrack85]

I still say robots.

 

[Piper Maru]

There was an X-Files episode titled F. Emasculata. It freaks me out to this day, death by exploding pustules, which in turn launch the larvae of some kind of nasty parasite from the rain forests of Costa Rica. If something like that went global, oh man...

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

The sun will [most likely] consume the Earth. So yes, there will be an end of our world, and all worlds, so far as is known.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

The sun will [most likely] consume the Earth. So yes, there will be an end of our world, and all worlds, so far as is known.

I think this is what will happen
Imagine what it's like when the sun is only one mile away from Earth

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

I think this is what will happen
Imagine what it's like when the sun is only one mile away from Earth

It's either going to consume it or be close like you described. As it becomes red, and increases in size, it'll actually lose a little of it's gravitation which will all cause the planets to drift further out of orbit. That could spare our planet as far as being consumed goes, but we'd still end up like Mercury, and be well beyond uninhabitable.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

I often wonder if creatures can only be "so intelligent" before even the intelligence outweighs it's usefulness and becomes a problem. I think a patently obvious example of this is our invention of the atomic bomb, something that clearly has destructive power to the magnitude where it could endanger our survival in the future. I think a more casual example is our slow destruction of the environment in pursuit of scientific conquest; again something that endangers our survival. Also coupled with the notion that it seems as though nature is pretty good at wholesale destruction of what it does not agree with. Nature always wins, and I'm sure it's usually a surprise victory for the loser.

The other thing I wonder is if our advanced intelligence will actually cripple us as a species. Sheltering ourselves from the environment, as we do with things like housing and AC, could eventually weaken us to the point where we are unfit to survive, period. Or perhaps our over reliance on things like the internet for information, or television for diversion could eventually make us too stupid and lazy and in fact strip us of the intelligence it took to create those things in the first place. It doesn't seem like there are aliens out there mastering the cosmos that we've encountered yet, and at least from our perspective it seems unlikely that we will do much better. Or at least the chances of us doing better are still a far ways off, riddled with problems and bounded by some pretty strict laws of physics.

Bottom line is humans would either require some cataclysmic event to wipe them out a la the dinosaurs, or they'd do it gradually, either self inflicted or inflicted by nature. Some people think disease or viruses or bacteria could come get us, and I dunno, I feel we're somewhat better equipped to handle those things. At least they don't carry the same weight, in my opinion, as an impact event, or massive nuclear war. Both those latter two, in my opinion, seems more likely.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

I think Christ is supposed to reign over Earth for a thousand years or something like that.

Yeah, as far as I know, the Bible does not call out a specific end to the Earth. The Quran goes into more detail, but basically we enter a new "age" or "epoch" following Revelations. There is the 1,000 year reign of Christ, and then after that the fate is pretty vague. I think though, much like with Noah and the flood, that God sort of restarts the whole thing, maybe.

 

[Siby]

I think before the Sun burns out or goes supernova, the moon will move too far away from the Earth and cause catastrophic damage, which may end all life and the end of the world.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

I think before the Sun burns out or goes supernova, the moon will move too far away from the Earth and cause catastrophic damage, which may end all life and the end of the world.

Well, in all truth, the increased luminosity of the sun should wipe us all out in about 500-800 million years, I think, eventually making it to hot for water or even an atmosphere.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

I think before the Sun burns out or goes supernova, the moon will move too far away from the Earth and cause catastrophic damage, which may end all life and the end of the world.

The Moon only really affects tides (though everything weighs a tiny bit less at midnight). Without the Moon, seawater wouldn't move any closer or further from the shore, the nights would be darker, and the days wouldn't be getting progressively longer. However, the moon does move about 3cm away roughly every year. However, by the time it would have escaped Earth's orbit, there would have been about 5 other star lifetimes (50 billion years).

We'd be gone (at the very least Earth) long before anything like that happens to the Moon.

 

[NickNitro]

http://news.yahoo.com/man-made-chemicals-cited-health-scourges-un-report-141017425.html

I believe mankind will destroy itself long before the Earth does.

 

[Doctor Evo]

I think before the Sun burns out or goes supernova, the moon will move too far away from the Earth and cause catastrophic damage, which may end all life and the end of the world.

Won't happen.

 

[Doctor Evo]

Well, in all truth, the increased luminosity of the sun should wipe us all out in about 500-800 million years, I think, eventually making it to hot for water or even an atmosphere.

500 - 800 million years? I thought it was more?

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

500 - 800 million years? I thought it was more?

I think it is. Could be closer to a billion. I think the 500-800 million may only apply to most animal and plant life, but I could also be pulling the figure out of my butt. It's been a while since I've bothered researching it. It'll be long before it actually expands and envelopes us of course.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

Found this, and actually, I was damn close: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future : according to this multi-cellular life is supposed to be nigh-impossible (assuming some technological advantage doesn't avert this) due to increased luminosity in 800 million years, in 1 billion the Earth just becomes a moist greenhouse and the oceans will nearly be gone.

 

[Doctor Evo]

I think it is. Could be closer to a billion. I think the 500-800 million may only apply to most animal and plant life, but I could also be pulling the figure out of my butt. It's been a while since I've bothered researching it. It'll be long before it actually expands and envelopes us of course.

Most of the estimates I'm reading are on the order of about 5 billion years.

EDIT: No, you're right, 1 billion.

http://www.space.com/7084-life-earth-escape-swelling-sun.html

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

Quite honestly it doesn't seem very likely we'll survive periods of "super volcanic activity" either, unless we get off-world. Those are projected around 100,000 years from now. Or the projected 'Ice Age'. Although some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice.

 

[Doctor Evo]

Quite honestly it doesn't seem very likely we'll survive periods of "super volcanic activity" either, unless we get off-world. Those are projected around 100,000 years from now. Or the projected 'Ice Age'.

I think mankind could survive these events, but the casualties will be enormous. We're talking about a severe bottleneck of the global population.

The largest constraint will be agriculturally based.

Although some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice.

Quiet, you.