The Future of Humanity

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What's in the stars? Maybe that question is not so esoteric.

The future of Humanity is up for grabs at the moment.

Nuclear powers demanding that other nations get rid of their nuclear capacity, or they'll get nuked.

The threat of interstellar collision with a meteor large enough to split the earth in two.

The reality of greedy punters saying "screw the environment, if there's a dollar in it".

What do you think will be the death of Mother Earth?

Here's a quote from the greeny in me.

This is from an Amerindian in the Amazon, watching a logging crew in action.

"They are taking Her skin. How will She breathe?"

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We will muddle our way through and enough of us will become self-sustaining off planet that the earth's future will be secondary to the expansion of mankind in its journey to the stars. But there is a very good chance man will ruin the earth like a chicken ruins its egg.

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Chumly wrote:

We will muddle our way through and enough of us will become self-sustaining off planet that the earth's future will be secondary to the expansion of mankind in its journey to the stars. But there is a very good chance man will ruin the earth like a chicken ruins its egg.

So who will "muddle our way through"???

Our governments? I don't think my current govt gives a **** about forward thinking nor planning. They're only in for four years.

On the issue of self-sustenance, I'm seeing plastic bubbles on Mars, with synthetic fertilisers for growth. How long can that go on, considering that Mars is light years from Earth?

I'm seeing a resiliant Earth. I'm seeing a planet that took a big hit, but the stormfront is building, and those dickheads that decided to build at sea level will soon have to agree that they were dipshits.

Tough. Take a number and wait. Very Happy

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I reckon either we survive and move to another planet or we die in the next, oo let me see, one hundred years. Luckily I'll still be alive to find out while you two probably won't (scientific longevity techniques will be invented soon (by me (I hope))).

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We (us and civilization as we know it) will die off, just like every other civilization before us. And a new one will begin.

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Now there's a topic Laughing

No sense in taking a modest approach, eh? <smiles>

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I voted "We're canned. Drink and be merry", btw Razz

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I should have added another query to the poll.

The likelihood of a super-volcano in the Yellowstone caldera.

It's on the cards. It will wipe out massive areas of the US. Like half of it.

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Bella Dea wrote:

We (us and civilization as we know it) will die off, just like every other civilization before us. And a new one will begin.

Planet of the Apes. :wink:

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I don't think we humans have the power to kill the earth. We may make it sush a hostile environment to ourselves that it cannot sustain us, but if would only be ourselves we were killing.

We're still subjected to the rule of nature, no matter how much control we have, or think we have, over it.

As for the future of humanity...

I think there will be a third world war, a nuclear war that will bring humanity to its knees.

We do learn from our mistakes, but we unfortunately need to make them before we can learn something from them.

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aperson wrote:

I reckon either we survive and move to another planet or we die in the next, oo let me see, one hundred years. Luckily I'll still be alive to find out while you two probably won't (scientific longevity techniques will be invented soon (by me (I hope))).

Now that's just damned nasty mate. Not to mention presumptious.

I'm only 44 years young. I got some steppin space, and I'm gonna use it.

Very Happy

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The downfall of all the great empires of the ages (greek roman egyptian etc) has been preceded by large increases in the volume of rubbish.

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Builder wrote:

aperson wrote:
I reckon either we survive and move to another planet or we die in the next, oo let me see, one hundred years. Luckily I'll still be alive to find out while you two probably won't (scientific longevity techniques will be invented soon (by me (I hope))).

Now that's just damned nasty mate. Not to mention presumptious.

I'm only 44 years young. I got some steppin space, and I'm gonna use it.

44!? You're old 'n' crusty mate. Step aside, for the next generation is movin' in (that's me, btw).

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Cyracuz wrote:

I think there will be a third world war, a nuclear war that will bring humanity to its knees.

I remember asking my history teacher (diverting tactics) whether he thought there would be a WW3 and he said no. When I asked him why he replied, "Because it would kill everyone."

But I don't know. I mean, people just keep on making bigger and betting weapons. From rifles to machine guns to trenches to tanks etc. What if WMDs become obsolete? Like if someone invented a satelite with a high powered laser on it which shoots down nuclear missiles over the countries that launch them, spreading nuclear fallout and backfiring on the attacker? And what about space warfare?

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Call me a doomsayer but I wouldn't be surprised if over the next 150 yrs 30% or more of the human population dies due to the effects of global warming.

That will come in the form of crops destroyed, erratic "natural" disasters , continued record lows and highs in temperature, resources and manpower wasted futile attempts to keep things in order in the initial stages that ruin the economy and collapse government, then susceptibility to plague, anarchy and murder, and the inability of most people to actually provide food and warmth that doesn't come from a store.

The ultimate fate of humanity is not uncertain -- there is 100% chance that humans will go extinct eventually. The question is only when, and what will we accomplish before then. My personal estimate as to the chances of us starting a civilization on another planet before we go extinct is 0%.

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Quote:

That will come in the form of crops destroyed, erratic "natural" disasters , continued record lows and highs in temperature, resources and manpower wasted futile attempts to keep things in order in the initial stages that ruin the economy and collapse government, then susceptibility to plague, anarchy and murder, and the inability of most people to actually provide food and warmth that doesn't come from a store.

Sounds fun. Better than getting up each morning before the sun to go to a job you hate...

When I was in the army I learned to survive in the wild. And winter in norway is no picnic. So I think I'd stand a fair chance... Smile

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stuh505,

Glad to see an opti-midst in our midst :wink:

Based on that outlook however one might ask why not simply live for the moment. Not that I am necessarily in disagreement with what I assume to be your linear extrapolation of our present circumstances.

But linear extrapolations of present circumstances don't always have high predictive efficacy, especially in light of exponential change in science/technology.

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I blame capitalism. It's the ultimate ego booster. Probably why it's such a success.

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Chumly wrote:

Based on that outlook however one might ask why not simply live for the moment.

I guess it depends on what is meant by "the moment." I'm not ready to sign up for 20 credit cards and max them out with no intention of paying them back yet.

Quote:

But linear extrapolations of present circumstances don't always have high predictive efficacy, especially in light of exponential change in science/technology.

Science and technology is the cause of the problem, not the solution. Moreover, we've started a natural process which is also exponential but with a much higher factor than the rate of technology.

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http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/toiletpaper/history.html

According to the toilet roll timeline analogy for the age of the earth, humanity occupies the final millimetre. In my opinion we will be doing well to get to a full centimetre let alone the 14 full squares of toilet paper achieved by the dinosaurs!

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The Future of Humanity

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