Extintion of Man-kind
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arcthemonkey
Sponsor
You left out the Rapture, which, considering the fact that some half of the population of earth thinks it will happen that way, is a major oversight.
There's not even an "other" option.
There's not even an "other" option.
Hyprogriff
Member
Mankind is mankind's worst enemy.
These polls never have my answers... Actually mankind could be extinct by many ways... Global warming could do it, but it is unpropable, since it will be too long for that to happen, and when it happens, it will only drown some cities and end some civilizations near to equator... But people living in north or south will survive, and the world will start a de-warming process...
Space disasters will take TOO LONG... The Sun have at least 5 million years before it turn into a red supergiant star ... and it is the most propable disaster to end earth... humakind surely would be extinct until then...
Mankind... Not too propable, altough is dificult to predict what we can do, right? I still think mankind being extinct by mankind doesn't make much sense...
Robots... seriously... what a robot could do? play PONG at you? technology still have a long way to go before thinking in AI... And we aren't stupid! Making robots with AI for military purpose is just dumb... it's a lot more easy to command dumb machines than ones that think...
Diseases, too, aren't that propable... Sure, a lot of them already scared us, but medicine is so far that is dificult to a disease to spread that fast whitout a counter attack from us...
I's propable that we will only follow Darwin's theory of natural selection... a stronger or a simpler being has more chances of survival. Who knows how much possibilities this have... We could evolve into more intelligent or more resistent beings, or another animal could evolve, improving his brain and mantality, making it racional(that's kind of unpropable, but the organism could be more simpler or the brain more desenvoved)... It could not be exactly this ways, but natural selection sure could do the task of extincting us...
I don't even believe too much in "my" theory... But to me, it's the closer one to the "truth"...
well, that's it... Didn't chose any of the alternatives...
Space disasters will take TOO LONG... The Sun have at least 5 million years before it turn into a red supergiant star ... and it is the most propable disaster to end earth... humakind surely would be extinct until then...
Mankind... Not too propable, altough is dificult to predict what we can do, right? I still think mankind being extinct by mankind doesn't make much sense...
Robots... seriously... what a robot could do? play PONG at you? technology still have a long way to go before thinking in AI... And we aren't stupid! Making robots with AI for military purpose is just dumb... it's a lot more easy to command dumb machines than ones that think...
Diseases, too, aren't that propable... Sure, a lot of them already scared us, but medicine is so far that is dificult to a disease to spread that fast whitout a counter attack from us...
I's propable that we will only follow Darwin's theory of natural selection... a stronger or a simpler being has more chances of survival. Who knows how much possibilities this have... We could evolve into more intelligent or more resistent beings, or another animal could evolve, improving his brain and mantality, making it racional(that's kind of unpropable, but the organism could be more simpler or the brain more desenvoved)... It could not be exactly this ways, but natural selection sure could do the task of extincting us...
I don't even believe too much in "my" theory... But to me, it's the closer one to the "truth"...
well, that's it... Didn't chose any of the alternatives...
sixtyandaquarter
Member
Global Warming.... by the time it actually goes from being "it could be a threat" to "GOD DAMN IT'S KILLING ME!!!" we'd have found a way to prevent it would be able to agree on wether or not it even exists... (my oppinion is not included on if it does or doesn't exist).
Space Disaster.... anything could happen. But when was the last space disaster? Many people believe that asteroids and meteors could hit the earth and wipe out entire species of people. What people forget is that the earth has gotten smacked or at least pinged (barely hit) by an estimated "hundreds of thousands" of "doomsday" missiles. We've pretty much, along with other planets in our system, have gotten hit by all the locals floating around that could pose a threat. The chance of getting cought by something free roaming not of our system is low - but could happen. Then again we survived ice ages before. And we have wool now.
Stars exploding, and all the odd energies out there... I just don't see an implosion happening any time soon. If we aren't dead by then, then that could definatly put a frown on things.
Mankind... we'll... the only way I can see that honestly happening is full on nuclear war... of course theres a nuclear scare among people thats pretty much worked thus far... if we bomb them they'll bomb us kind of fear. May not always hold out, but that's the only way I can image this. And even then I can't see it wiping out the entire planet, including after affects.
Robots... I'm not even going to comment on robots.
Bacteria, viruses, etc... The flu has killed more people than any single thing in the entire human excistence. It's plagued us for as long as theres been an "us". We have no cure, but precautions and some treatments. HIV/AIDs is bad, and for it's "youth" compared to others it's done some nice damage. And while I'm not sure if a cure can be found, the sickness can certainly be (nearly)eradicated if safe sex and other precautions (blood safty) were made. We're a pretty tough species given our ability to adapt and survive. This, out of the options, is the best choice I'd say.
However, my actual thoughts on extinction isn't on the list. While I don't think the rapture will happen, AtM's got a good point on the few options on the list here - not even an "other". Me, I'd have to say malnutrition.
Now true, malnutrition can be caused as an after effect of many of the things listed - but that's my choice. Given that malnutrition is the 2nd biggest killer of humans in history - far out doing temperature, murder, cancer, everything you can think of except the flu is way behind malnutrition, it just makes sence to me.
So that's my pick.
EDIT:
Actually I don't think that mankind will be wiped out by any single thing. Like most extinctions I'm sure our populatio nwill dwindle down little by little, as a result of multiple actions. And I'm fairly sure that there will be a last group of humanity. And some will probably be sick. But I don't think the sickness, be it the flu, aids, radiation poisoning, or whatnot will be what kills them. They will probably starve, maybe have such a poor diet, or simply not have enough water. The last human, in my eyes, will die of malnutrition.
Space Disaster.... anything could happen. But when was the last space disaster? Many people believe that asteroids and meteors could hit the earth and wipe out entire species of people. What people forget is that the earth has gotten smacked or at least pinged (barely hit) by an estimated "hundreds of thousands" of "doomsday" missiles. We've pretty much, along with other planets in our system, have gotten hit by all the locals floating around that could pose a threat. The chance of getting cought by something free roaming not of our system is low - but could happen. Then again we survived ice ages before. And we have wool now.
Stars exploding, and all the odd energies out there... I just don't see an implosion happening any time soon. If we aren't dead by then, then that could definatly put a frown on things.
Mankind... we'll... the only way I can see that honestly happening is full on nuclear war... of course theres a nuclear scare among people thats pretty much worked thus far... if we bomb them they'll bomb us kind of fear. May not always hold out, but that's the only way I can image this. And even then I can't see it wiping out the entire planet, including after affects.
Robots... I'm not even going to comment on robots.
Bacteria, viruses, etc... The flu has killed more people than any single thing in the entire human excistence. It's plagued us for as long as theres been an "us". We have no cure, but precautions and some treatments. HIV/AIDs is bad, and for it's "youth" compared to others it's done some nice damage. And while I'm not sure if a cure can be found, the sickness can certainly be (nearly)eradicated if safe sex and other precautions (blood safty) were made. We're a pretty tough species given our ability to adapt and survive. This, out of the options, is the best choice I'd say.
However, my actual thoughts on extinction isn't on the list. While I don't think the rapture will happen, AtM's got a good point on the few options on the list here - not even an "other". Me, I'd have to say malnutrition.
Now true, malnutrition can be caused as an after effect of many of the things listed - but that's my choice. Given that malnutrition is the 2nd biggest killer of humans in history - far out doing temperature, murder, cancer, everything you can think of except the flu is way behind malnutrition, it just makes sence to me.
So that's my pick.
EDIT:
Actually I don't think that mankind will be wiped out by any single thing. Like most extinctions I'm sure our populatio nwill dwindle down little by little, as a result of multiple actions. And I'm fairly sure that there will be a last group of humanity. And some will probably be sick. But I don't think the sickness, be it the flu, aids, radiation poisoning, or whatnot will be what kills them. They will probably starve, maybe have such a poor diet, or simply not have enough water. The last human, in my eyes, will die of malnutrition.
What do I honestly believe? I believe that we may actually have left earth by the time "Doomsday" has come. While it may take thousands-millions of years, if we get the technology, we can terraform another suitable planet and begin repopulation/finding a renewable energy source.
Oh, or God'll slap us with the rapture.
Oh, or God'll slap us with the rapture.
arctrooper48
Member
I think that mankind might actually be the extinction of us, because everyday we (as in anyone out there) are thinking of/and/or creating something that could destroy entire nations with the click of a button.
Anonymous
Guest
Humans are tougher and more adaptable than cockroaches. Nothing save the planet becoming completely inhospitable to all life will wipe us out. And maybe not even that, if we spread to other planets or moons. Maybe only the destruction of the galaxy or universe would do it.
Not to say our civilization mightn't collapse at some point or terrible nuclear or biological war devastate the population, but even without technology our species would go on. After all, the numbers needed to continue a species is pretty low.
EDIT: Oh, and dude? It's etc., not ECT.
Not to say our civilization mightn't collapse at some point or terrible nuclear or biological war devastate the population, but even without technology our species would go on. After all, the numbers needed to continue a species is pretty low.
EDIT: Oh, and dude? It's etc., not ECT.
I would definitely have to say mankind is most adept at destroying itself.
Global Warming is a serious problem that eventually could heat up the earth's surface temperature beyond the livable limits, but this could be offset by technology (ie: immense biodomes, etc.).
Space disasters are highly unlikely. There is no star large enough in the immediate vicinity to cause a black hole that would cause any kind of worry. The sun is estimated to have another 3-4 billion years left of fuel, and after that, it may collapse and pull some of the planets into itself. It is too small to become a neutron star or white dwarf, so it will probably just become a supernova, reigniting itself and throwing off matter back into the solar system. This material will congregate to form planets, and the cycle will repeat (hey, that's how we got here in the first place!). But, I really believe humanity will have long since destroyed itself before this happens.
Robots. Seriously? We are too far from creating realistic AI, so unless you are talking about man-controlled war machines, then it is not a concern.
Bacterias and diseases are also a possibility. New diseases are either man-manufactured, accidentally produced as biproduct or undergo mutation regularly. These new diseases are resistant to antibiotics (Darwinism at it's finest) and have no known cures.
Another possibility would be large-scale natural disasters, such as a global polarity shift. This shift in magnetosphere could leave the Earth unprotected, allowing harmful radiation and solar particles to bombard the Earth.
Global Warming is a serious problem that eventually could heat up the earth's surface temperature beyond the livable limits, but this could be offset by technology (ie: immense biodomes, etc.).
Space disasters are highly unlikely. There is no star large enough in the immediate vicinity to cause a black hole that would cause any kind of worry. The sun is estimated to have another 3-4 billion years left of fuel, and after that, it may collapse and pull some of the planets into itself. It is too small to become a neutron star or white dwarf, so it will probably just become a supernova, reigniting itself and throwing off matter back into the solar system. This material will congregate to form planets, and the cycle will repeat (hey, that's how we got here in the first place!). But, I really believe humanity will have long since destroyed itself before this happens.
Robots. Seriously? We are too far from creating realistic AI, so unless you are talking about man-controlled war machines, then it is not a concern.
Bacterias and diseases are also a possibility. New diseases are either man-manufactured, accidentally produced as biproduct or undergo mutation regularly. These new diseases are resistant to antibiotics (Darwinism at it's finest) and have no known cures.
Another possibility would be large-scale natural disasters, such as a global polarity shift. This shift in magnetosphere could leave the Earth unprotected, allowing harmful radiation and solar particles to bombard the Earth.
Doomwaffle
Member
If slaver comes up again, we could eliminate each other.
Hmmm, I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Thomas Malthus yet. His theories have some validity... Regardless of nuclear technology, robots, global warming, or anything similar to that, humanity (or at least the part of humanity that lives in the same way we do, as totalitarian agriculturalists, i.e. not hunter gatherers or part time agricultural nomads.) at some point will outstrip its resources and, if not go extinct, probably decrease very drastically in population. We will either outstrip our agricultural capabilities and have widespread crop failiure and starvation, or by our constant, exponential population growth encroaching upon unused lands drive enough species to go extinct (causing biodiversity to decline drastically: small sized gene pool = more likelihood for inter-species diseases) so we will be very vulnerable to inter-species diseases.
Erichermit
Member
Cthulhu will rise from his sleep in R'lyeh and devour us all.
The Storyteller
Member
arcthemonkey;157550 said:
Not to get off topic but with the Rapture, the poplation would not be extinct since everyone would come back for 1000 years of roaming the Earth with Jesus Christ.
On Topic:
I think nuclear war will end the Earth, causing a nuclear winter and another Ice Age. The possibility of that happening right now is very high. World War III would probably cause a big hit in the population of the world. Even though I voted for global warming I think the win goes to a nuclear war.