Hows it gonna end
 

I always get in this argument with different people(usually when alcohol is involved) and I was wondering what you all thought. I've decided I'm a realist and I think I'm gonna see the end of civilization before I go. Not just a massive shift in civilization I'm talking world ending random bands of stragglers walking the earth like Carridine in kung fu. Most people in the argument give the basic WW3 nuclear war everything's gone which we could definately see... I've personally have decided some virus (HIV, EBOLA so on) is gonna evolve to the point and go totally airborne like the common cold or flu and kill 99 percent of population.. What are your opinions hows it gonna go???

Silent but deadly...,,,

it's either gonna be a meteor the size of texas
or a super volcano.......

Luxemborg.

No slag what so ever I have the same feeling... about all my nephews and nieces... I don't want to see it happen just wondering what peoples opinions were

Honestly, I think it's gonna be something we don't even see coming. Like, due to a bunch of whaling, there'll be a big increase in plankton since they're not being eaten, and that's gonna cause a big chain-reaction that'll completely fuck things up. Maybe not that specifically, but something like that, just totally out of left field. The Mutually Assured Destruction theory doesn't really hold much weight.

STE.... Just curious why you believe the Mutally Assured Destruction theory doesn't hold much weight....

Well, the MAD theory its self holds a lot of weight, I meant that the theory that we're gonna nuke each other and the world will end that way. I don't think that theory holds much weight BECAUSE of MAD. IE: The nukes would be Mutually Assured Destruction, thus, it doesn't hold much weight.

Got yeah.... I've always wondered if the 2 countries are at war and do shoot nukes.... do the other countries with nukes stay out of it.... and how widespread does nuclear winter really go....

I think anybody would be stupid or crazy to use nukes regardless.

1000 percent agreement but all it takes is one Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Napolean, Kim Jong etc.... to do something stupid

Maybe the landing of comets would be the end.

I'm afraid painting a meteor a reflective colout will definitely not make the sun burn it up. The more reflective something is, the less heat it absorbs as it reflects the radiation back out again.

When there is an ice age on earth, part of what keeps the temperature low is the fact that the earth is much more reflective as the sunlight just bounces back off the ice. When there's open ground (darker) exposed, the ground absorbs much more heat. Same thing if you wear a white or black t-shirt on a hot day.

I must admit, I lean towards the Gaia philosophy on this one. The earth will look after itself - with or without humans - as is necessary. Usually it attains a balance in all things, but the human race has upset that balance somewhat. Between 1970 (the year I was born) and 2000, the population of the world doubled - in 30 years! The balance is being upset.

Since this is an inherently human issue, I think the human race will be due a 'cull' when it gets too much. I don't think it will be a man-made event or anything from space, although I concede these are possibilities. I think it will be a natural phenomenon - perhaps a virus, as mentioned, or worldwide famine, or something like. Most will die out, but the human race will continue and even (possibly) prosper as a) only the stronger/more able will survive, and b) there's a good chance we might actually learn from our mistakes if and when it does happen.

Whether this will be sooner or later, I honestly couldn't guess. I don't have a clue what the 'upper limit' is for the human race, or when 'Gaia' will decide enough is enough.

It could even be that we're already in a race for survival. If we can get out to other planets (the idea of Gaia 'seeding' other planets is almost akin to reproduction) then evolution will have decided that we are still a successful experiment, whereas if we don't then evolution may decide the other way, and start down a new track. It's happened many times before, no reason to think we're particularly special.

Ho hum

So what would make it burn up if it was white? If it was black, it would heat up more. When you wrap something in reflective material, it keeps any other heat out (if the temperature outside is higher) or keeps any internal heat in (if the inner temperature is higher) - ie instead of transferring heat from one to the other it reflects the heat back the way it came. Therefore, it works against heating the meteor up.

Try it yourself - wrap a couple of stones up, one in white and one in black, and leave them for a while in the sunlight. Then unwrap them and see which one is warmer - it will be the one wrapped in black.

Even comets only develop a tail when they're in a close orbit around the sun. When they are further out, they are just lumps of ice/whatever. If a meteor, which is more than likely made of metal or rock, is heading for the earth, to burn it up it would have to reach a MUCH higher temperature than that required to melt ice (ie the comet), and it just isn't going to get close enough to the sun. The only time this temperature would be reached is entering the atmosphere of the earth, and if it's too big most of it will survive the entry process. The sun won't even play a part in what burns up.

Oh, sweet, simple Ashley. Things just work differently in space, dear.

Ha ha! I can't remember ever being called 'dear' before (*starts speaking in a more manly voice*)

But I'm right about this.:p

A graminicide will probably be the end of us all ala the great scifi classic No Blade of Grass

If grasses die, livestock dies then we die.


Or it could go like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqlutnHRA3I

we are going to run out of delivery services..

That short story does hit the nail right on the head.

Um... I can't say mine, because... I'll get eaten alive by religion haters. Haha

Ah, now I get ya Pink. Not burning it up but pushing it out of the way. I;ve heard of this one, and I'm not sure, but I think they estimated something like an 800 year headstart to be able to push it far enough!

Mind you, get Bruce Willis up there, he could do it even if it was right on top of us! ;)

LMAO! Playboy has articles? :D

I think it will be either a meteore or some megalomaniac creating a war. What you have to remember is earth has survived Ice ages, meteores and such and creatures have survived that. And they didn't have technology. I think us humans will fight it and fight until we come out victorious and the only thingthatcan stop us is the sun.

Ah, but is technology actually the crutch that will be snatched out from underneath us? If we suddenly didn't have it any more, how many of us could REALLY survive using only the skills we have? Not me for sure.

I see what you're saying about technology, though. We now have tools with which to make a difference. That's what I mean about a race... either our technology (or our intelligence) adapts quickly enough to save us from wahtever threat comes along, or we're screwed. That's evolution.

I think were screwed... If some thing catastrophic does happen... how many people do you know that can keep even a power plant open to keep our electricity going

With a whimper....

Nope. With a splat.

Or a squish....?

Yeah, it might've been 'squish'

Sorry man, I'm tired and bored. I'll shut up now.

em going with the squish too

i think the ten plauges will wipe us out

You are all ignoring the main threat: namely, that the bodies of the dead will rise to feast upon the flesh of the living. I have made extensive plans for this possibility and urge everyone here to do the same.

Perhaps you've missed those threads... I KNOW you're not patronizing them. ;)

I do think that someday when the Sun starts to change, the planets will be sucked into its fierce gravitational pull and slowly disintegrate as they approach closer to it. First Mercury, then Venus, then it will be our turn.

wow you seem serious about this dont you