What do you think will end the human race?

[Nom]

Europa-Possibly contains bacteria,right?

 

 

 

Yup, it's theorized that there may be microorganisms in a planet-wide ocean beneath the ice crust.

 

 

 

And even if we had to search outside the solar system for habitable planets, with technology advancing the way it is I have no doubt it will be possible to reach them, albeit with an incredibly long journey. But if, say, colonists head out and take ten years to get there, establish themselves, and take tens years to send some people back -- we now have humans on a planet other than Earth. If Earth is destroyed, even in the twenty years that round trip took, humanity will survive.

 

 

 

Intriguing, here are some links, I did what I could wth Dial-up:

 

 

 

http://people.msoe.edu/~tritt/sf/europa.life.html - there are more links at the bottom of this page, it's a bit outdated

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon) - Europa Wiki page

 

 

 

Tried to find some of the Mars stuff, but it was taking too long to load the pages.

 

 

 

And it looks like Europa's atmosphere might not be suitable as it's too thin, but the oxygen is there.

[duncdar2]

i am an christian so i believe that the rapture will end us

[jsboutin2]

At the rate technology is going, we'll be colonized on other planets and such before global warming (dumb argument anyway) or pandemic rises up.

 

The problem with that being that we haven't actually found a planet capable of sustaining life (as we know it) yet.

 

And the big problem of the impossible distances of the universe. Everything just seems to be way too far away. Even if we managed to travel at speed of light.

 

 

 

We could always transform Mars' atmosphere to fit life's needs. I remember reading somewhere that it would take+-1000-2000 years.

[hellbellz]

[hide=Two Quotes]

I have no idea. The human race isn't exactly on the downfall at the moment, so it's kind of hard to make a prediction about what's going to kill us. I don't think it will have anything to do with global warming, or us polluting our planet, as we'd probably evolve and adapt if we changed our living environment significantly enough. My best bet would probably be the sun turning into a Red Giant.

 

 

At the rate technology is going, we'll be colonized on other planets and such before global warming (dumb argument anyway) or pandemic rises up.

[/hide]

 

I was thinking about those two exact things. Pollution isn't going to kill us if we find out ways to convert that trash into energy, or convert it into some other form that doesn't pollute the planet. Or it won't be a problem if we have something like our Sun not exist.

 

 

 

Also, think about it, we've gone from walking to being able to walk on the moon in such little time. Think about what we can do in the time from now, to when we will need to find a different hosting planet, which is inevitable if the human race wants to survive.

[Sumpta]

Revelations sums it up pretty nice (Bible)

 

 

 

You're actually trying to tell me the world will end with angels swooping down, destroying everything, followed by a dragon?

 

 

 

Well, it would have a higher entertainment value than a big rock on our heads. Or coughing our way through a world wide outburst of the flu.

 

 

 

I have no idea, I guess an asteroid would be most likely, and/or an ice age. And of course, we will have pandemics on our hands, severely weakening the human population.

 

 

 

As for moving to a different planet, that would really give a new dimension to being homesick, I guess.

[Intriguing]

I'm not bashing, as I'm Christian, merely pointing out that Revelations is more of a symbolic literature. It's being spoken about through a seer, and it's symbols are used to cover up the true meaning, as the Romans would kill them if they mentioned that the Dragon was meant to symbolize them.

 

 

 

I never said that the books should be ignored either. But the Roman Catholic church does suggest some books aren't meant to be taken literally, and some are fiction, like Adam and Eve. Just saying what I learned. By the way, not Catholic. Just part of another Christian Denomination.

 

Fair enough. I apologize for misintepreting what you wrote.

 

 

 

And even if we had to search outside the solar system for habitable planets, with technology advancing the way it is I have no doubt it will be possible to reach them, albeit with an incredibly long journey. But if, say, colonists head out and take ten years to get there, establish themselves, and take tens years to send some people back -- we now have humans on a planet other than Earth. If Earth is destroyed, even in the twenty years that round trip took, humanity will survive.

 

A thing to note is that in terms of astronomical distances, a 10 year trip is a fairly conservative figure. Based on Special Relativity, it's not possible for us to travel at or above the speed of light. Even if we somehow develop the technology to travel at 0.999c, it would still take much more than 10 years to get to a suitable location (as an example, the nearest star to our solar system is 4.37 light years away). Problem with that being the huge amounts of space taken up by supplies needed to keep the crew alive.

 

 

 

Intriguing, here are some links, I did what I could wth Dial-up:

 

 

 

http://people.msoe.edu/~tritt/sf/europa.life.html - there are more links at the bottom of this page, it's a bit outdated

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon) - Europa Wiki page

 

 

 

Tried to find some of the Mars stuff, but it was taking too long to load the pages.

 

 

 

And it looks like Europa's atmosphere might not be suitable as it's too thin, but the oxygen is there.

 

Thank you. :) But from what I gather, it's possible that Europa could sustain life, and even be sustaining life right now, but there's not much potential for human life. You've pretty much said all that already though.

[Lenin64]

My only source is my Astronomy class, so nothing tangible, but plans are supposedly underway for terraforming Mars, using really big mirrors in space to eventually melt the ice caps, will will also relase CO2 and give it a thicker atmosphere. But since Mars doesn't have a magnetic field, the atmosphere will eventually blow away again and the planet will be lost. So that sounds like it could possibly be it. Or giant asteroid.

 

 

 

Edit: Mars Terraforming wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming_of_Mars Different ideas on how to do it, but it's still possible.

[Nadril]

I want to say that, in one form or another, the human race will always be around. Even if it's not on the planet Earth we have enough technology these days to deal with about any crisis.

 

 

 

Will there be huge epidemics? Oh yeah. No doubt that the human race will not always be as large, I'm sure that a disaster (metor, disease, whatever) would kill off a large percentage. However I think we'll be around in one way or another until the universe ends :P [if it does].

[Nom]

A thing to note is that in terms of astronomical distances, a 10 year trip is a fairly conservative figure. Based on Special Relativity, it's not possible for us to travel at or above the speed of light. Even if we somehow develop the technology to travel at 0.999c, it would still take much more than 10 years to get to a suitable location (as an example, the nearest star to our solar system is 4.37 light years away). Problem with that being the huge amounts of space taken up by supplies needed to keep the crew alive.

 

 

 

I knew that ten years is an optimistic, if not impossible, figure :) . But the general idea is still the same. Think of an epic exodus through space to flee the impending doom of the planet Earth.

 

 

 

Now I'm just sounding like a sci-fi writer :lol: .

[ThurinEthir]

Oh wow...When I was like 5, I always wondered, "Why don't they just melt the ice caps on Mars so we can have water?" :?

 

My first thought was the Sun turning into a red giant and a supernova (Uh...Or just plain nova?) occurs. But I strangely remember that if such a thing happens, it will only destroy everything up to Mars. Though there's the problem of a lack of a Sun...Hm...

 

So I suppose if humans manage to live on Europa (And...Titan if I remember correctly), the Sun exploding would be the end.

 

But I guess a meteor or war or something could also cause it. But my faith tells me it'll be the rapture.

[Lenticular_J]

Man, I hope the world doesn't end in 2012. I want to graduate before I die.

 

 

 

Also, to whoever said a black hole from the Large Hadron Collider, scientists have pointed out that far more collisions occur in the atmosphere.

 

 

 

How do I think we'll all die? Well, at this rate, STDs probably. People really need to stop being fools and start wrapping their tools.

[Flodder450]

Im also hoping the world doesnt end in 2012,i think the human race will get iped out be an asteroid or Yellowstone volcano eroption

[The Observer]

To be honest, war and disease. If not that, a major yellowstone eruption that will turn the earth into an ice sphere.

[Sbrideau]

I don't think it well end the world, but when World War 3 does eventually happen most of the world will die since it's quite likely nuclear weapons will be used. Albert Einstein had a great saying for it

 

 

 

I don't know what World War 3 will be fought with, but I know World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones

 

 

 

I think when WW3 does occur most of the world will be obliterated, and what remains will have no economy and very little resources left to work with.

 

 

 

Actually, we're already in WW3, War on terrorism anyone?

 

 

 

I think our technology will kill us.

[PoorLepRecon]

Oh wow...When I was like 5, I always wondered, "Why don't they just melt the ice caps on Mars so we can have water?" :?

 

My first thought was the Sun turning into a red giant and a supernova (Uh...Or just plain nova?) occurs. But I strangely remember that if such a thing happens, it will only destroy everything up to Mars. Though there's the problem of a lack of a Sun...Hm...

 

So I suppose if humans manage to live on Europa (And...Titan if I remember correctly), the Sun exploding would be the end.

 

But I guess a meteor or war or something could also cause it. But my faith tells me it'll be the rapture.

 

 

 

Yes it's a supernova (not a plain nova lol). There's also the problem of the black hole that will form right after the sun go's boom, so even if a few planets in our solar system survived the initial blast they would get sucked into the super nova. Not a very good future for our solar system (given this will take millions of years)

 

 

 

I think it may be global warming that will cause this, due to the fact that it will create another Ice Age and that would be really bad right now. The only reason human beings have been able to develop is because we came in during a period between two ice ages, giving us the right temperature to survive. If another Ice Age comes we might be screwed.

[Lenticular_J]

Actually, we're already in WW3, War on terrorism anyone?

 

No. We aren't.

[henman888]

Global Warming

 

Ice Age

 

Asteroids

 

The sun

 

Something that happens in space that kills us all

 

Nuclear war

 

Disease

 

Very strong Volcanic event

 

Climate Change

 

Maybe aliens to our planet that are more inteligent than us

 

Many more things...

[Tbfgraphx14]

I didn't read the thread word by word, but in my opinion an Ice Age will eventually kill all the humans on earth. I just can't see us standing much of a chance agaisnt another Ice Age.

[Nom]

Actually, we're already in WW3, War on terrorism anyone?

 

No. We aren't.

 

 

 

Yeah, that first W stands for world. America has been nearly alone in the War on Terror from the get-go. Plus, terrorism isn't a nation or even a singular organized body, so it technically isn't a war in the first place.

 

 

 

. . . Although, random nuclear bombings are a scary thought. That could end the world real quick.

[Rebdragon]

Most likely we will kill ourselves(well that was the outlook until recently but there's a small chance we won't now) and when we do the world will be a better place.

 

It's. A. Rock.

[mrpez]

a myriad of things can, and eventually will, end the human race on earth.

 

 

 

but in all honesty, with the infinite span of the universe its nearly impossible that somewhere, in another galaxy, there exists another race of near-humans. so our human "race" on earth will surely end at one point, but will still exist elsewhere.

[assassin_696]

It would take an utterly unimaginably large catastrophe to actually end us as a race. Perhaps a devastatingly large comet, or the Sun's eventual expansion. Everything else just seems like pest control.

[Giordano]

Heh, the human race are greedy bastards so they'll be alive for ever. Evolution or not, things creatures that desend from humans would still exist throughout the universe in our little colonies and such.

 

 

 

Although in the next 300 years we could get killed by metors or such, but that's not very likely.

[Laura]

I think it's safe to say that Lenin will one day dominate and destroy human existence.

 

 

 

:?

 

 

 

EDIT: Seconds after writing this, there was a fire on the 4th floor room 408. A few doors down. *sigh* No, seriously.

[Lenin64]

I'd like to take this opportunity to laugh at those who think the un will go supernova. It's just not big enough. Yes, it will turn into a Red Giant (maybe Supergiant, but I think that's only bigger stars) and swallow Earth, and afterward form a Planetary nebula that will do something that I forget and get rid of some other planets, but there will be no supernova and certainly no black hole (which only come from Hypernovas).

 

 

 

And Laura, I read your thoughts.