139 replies to this topic

[Siguy]

Despite the impression you might get from the internet, there aren't nearly enough people stupid enough to actually generate widespread panic in 2012. Probably a few new-age types will commit suicide, at little loss.

[Christian]

There were dinosaurs. They got extinct. Then there were humans. It's likely we're going to go extinct. What'll then happen? Will there be a new race of creatures that will inhabit the planet? And our remains are going to be the dinosaur bones of their age?

Yes, we will become extinct. It is unlikely we will live longer or survive a comet impact like the one that happened 65 million years ago.

[Siguy]

As far as evolution of life on Earth? Who can say?

[Eddy]

The human race will get extinct. If we live as far as 5 billion years, the human race will get extinct for sure because of the Red Giant stage of the Sun.

In addition, The inner solar system will get extinct because all the 4 inner planets will get swallowed (including Earth!!) by the Sun.

[Siguy]

Earth will be unsuitable for human life long before the sun becomes a full blown red giant. Probably "only" about a billion years before it gets unbearably hot. Of course, by that time life will have evolved in order to adapt to the changing environmental conditions, and probably wouldn't much resemble today's life. Humans, meanwhile, if we didn't wipe ourselves out during modern history, will have most likely progressed beyond simple biological forms or even posthuman advancements, ascending to a higher plane of existence much like the monoliths of 2001: A Space Odyssey. A billion years is a long time. If we live anywhere near that long as a species, we won't still be stuck on Earth, that's for sure.

[Eddy]

Earth will be unsuitable for human life long before the sun becomes a full blown red giant. Probably "only" about a billion years before it gets unbearably hot. Of course, by that time life will have evolved in order to adapt to the changing environmental conditions, and probably wouldn't much resemble today's life. Humans, meanwhile, if we didn't wipe ourselves out during modern history, will have most likely progressed beyond simple biological forms or even posthuman advancements, ascending to a higher plane of existence much like the monoliths of 2001: A Space Odyssey. A billion years is a long time. If we live anywhere near that long as a species, we won't still be stuck on Earth, that's for sure.

So, it's good news?

[Siguy]

All I'm saying is don't sweat anything on a cosmic time scale. By the time any of it happens, chances are we'll be able to deal with it.

I'd be much more concerned about the possibility of, nuclear war. But even that most likely wouldn't spell the end of civilization entirely, perhaps set us back a few hundred years. In fact there are many hypothetical crises which we could bring upon ourselves, for example a major energy crisis, or rising sea from global warming. But these are all comparatively minor events to, y'know, Armageddon, and all preventable if not reversible.

Yes, there still is the looming possibility of an asteroid or comet impact. But it's exceedingly low, and we'd still know years in advance. There are organizations dedicated the research of preventing things like that, and I'm sure they'd get a boost of funding if we were to find something heading our way. Again, unlikely to happen for a long time. Extinction level impact events have only happened several times since the beginning of life itself, and of course non of them succeeded in wiping life out completely. Life is resilient. Humans are especially so.

[Eddy]

Well, a few months ago I heard on the news that 2 comets crashed on each other and now one of the asteroids from them are heading right to Earth. People kept predicting it was in 2 years time (Since I heard that, it was 2009, so, people thought the world was going to end in 2011).

[Siguy]

Bull****. The likelihood of two comets coming anywhere near each other, let alone colliding with each other, is well, astronomically low. Comets may seem large, since they have those massive tails, but the actual nuclei are only a few kilometers across. In addition, while there are billions upon billions of comets, the vast majority of them are on highly eccentric orbits and rarely on aligned planes with each other, or the rest of the solar system for that matter. Indeed, many comets, after approaching the sun, will then leave the solar system and never return. Ignoring all that, even if two comets were to collide, that would not change their orbits or cause them to head toward Earth unless that's where they were already going.

[Fabbrizio]

Earth will be unsuitable for human life long before the sun becomes a full blown red giant. Probably "only" about a billion years before it gets unbearably hot. Of course, by that time life will have evolved in order to adapt to the changing environmental conditions, and probably wouldn't much resemble today's life. Humans, meanwhile, if we didn't wipe ourselves out during modern history, will have most likely progressed beyond simple biological forms or even posthuman advancements, ascending to a higher plane of existence much like the monoliths of 2001: A Space Odyssey. A billion years is a long time. If we live anywhere near that long as a species, we won't still be stuck on Earth, that's for sure.

Hell, the Homo sapiens species hasn't even been on the earth a billion years yet, let alone a million. If human existence were a feature-length film in theaters, AMC's mascot (you know, the dude made from yellow .35mm film) would still be reminding us to turn off our cell phones.

Anyway, if humans and humans alone were to become extinct, Gorillas would probably take our place. They're capable of abstract thought, and have many of the adaptations that we as humans treasure, so there's no reason they wouldn't be able to evolve into a species somewhat similar to what we are now. Maybe even better.

Edited by PowerGauntlets, 09 June 2010 - 01:20 PM.

[Eddy]

they were already going.

But they were already going.

[Fabbrizio]

But they were already going.

If they were already headed towards earth (which is highly unlikely) then the fact that they collided is almost entirely irrelevant.

[Eddy]

It was a strange collision. After one comet was heading here another came by and crashed. Then an asteroid from the crash is taking the comets place to head here.