How long will humanity last, and what will be its downfall?

[Asper Sarnoff]

Unusually pesimistic thread this, coming from me. But I wanted to spawn a little friendly debating, and the question popped into my brain first.

So, how long do you figure humanity will last? Nothing is everlasting you know, and it'd be arrogant trying to deny that we'd be the only exception.

What will be our downfall? Will we go from rulers of the earth, to dust in a short amount of time, or will we gradually be forced away from the trone by races more adaptable than us, only to finally go extinct many, many years later?

The ball is in your hands. What do you think?

[ballisticwaffles]

To be truely honest i do thinkk we will advance far enough to leave this planet. And when we do we will have fun stomping around the galaxy for a few hundred years before fading away into obscurity.

[Robert Monroe]

Until the sun can no longer support humanity. Or until we evolve beyond Homo sapiens. Our modern societies may not last, but the tale of Earth and what lives on it is that of survival and endurance. Even if all modern societies collapse, something will survive, and it will crawl away, and it will eventually prosper. Such it always is.

[ThePointingMan]

To be truely honest i do thinkk we will advance far enough to leave this planet. And when we do we will have fun stomping around the galaxy for a few hundred years before fading away into obscurity.

Kinda... contradictory don't ya think.

I don't think it really matters when it ends, and as for how long, I'd say... ya till the sun blows up/goes out/whatever it does. forgot about the whole space thing... so never mind. I'm confident will get into space, I mean we've... sorta found a cure for old age already right, even if it does cause super cancer. get the one minus the cancer, and we could travel pretty dang far.

[Steve]

Humanity is advancing at a really fast rate, if we get to reach the space exploration age and we get to the point of being able to venture further our solar system, then humanity will last. But while we figure out how to do so, we are vulnerable to our own stupidity as race and space threads such as our sun, black holes, meteorites or  even nature itself.

What robert said also takes place, if evolving from homo sapiens to something else tears the concept of humanity, then we are destined to perish one way or the other  :P

[ballisticwaffles]

Until the sun can no longer support humanity. Or until we evolve beyond Homo sapiens. Our modern societies may not last, but the tale of Earth and what lives on it is that of survival and endurance. Even if all modern societies collapse, something will survive, and it will crawl away, and it will eventually prosper. Such it always is.

i shed a tear at that. that was beautifle...

Kinda... contradictory don't ya think.

Not really, all im saying is we will have a good run until someone elses turn. They will have to earn that turn however...

[CrypticQuery]

Humanity as we know it will most likely last until tensions rise and WWIII begins

There are so many things in our society that don't consider the long term results, and this can be especially deadly. 

[Scott7]

At least until the whole Zombie apocalypse stuff takes place... if ever.

[Sabre]

we are vulnerable to our own stupidity as race and space threads

No one start a NASA thread!

Again, space escape has already been mentioned. I think if anything is going to be a problem it's going to be religion and/or tradition. Basicly the idea of 'holy terra'. People saying what we can't do based on what's sacred.

Short term however, the current fad for enviromentalism. Just like the above, not an issue on it's own, but it's the way we are told we cant do X Y and Z cos it could hurt gaia or whatever bollocks they come up with.

Both case have a very similar cause, worship of the old ways that never exsisted, that somehow if we go back to how things were pre-industry we will discover an eturnal paradice. Covering your ears doesn't make a problem go away, just you can't hear it.

[DZComposer]

I think humanity will destroy itself. We are so great at coming up with ways to kill eachother, that someday, someone will invent and unstoppable one.

It could be argued that we already have. The amounts of CO₂ we are pumping into the atmosphere will eventually make the planet uninhabitable. Probably not for a few hundred years, but definitely plausible.

Of course, all it takes is the development and release of a super bio-weapon that is resistant to all known medications that could really destroy us.

[ballisticwaffles]

hah, such human Hubris to think that we actually have the power to destroy ourselves.

Are any of these things actually that devistating that they will eradicate an entire species with out leaving any survivors?

Even the worst case scenarios of Armageddon leave a few people living at the end.

No one start a NASA thread!

Again, space escape has already been mentioned. I think if anything is going to be a problem it's going to be religion and/or tradition. Basicly the idea of 'holy terra'. People saying what we can't do based on what's sacred.

Short term however, the current fad for enviromentalism. Just like the above, not an issue on it's own, but it's the way we are told we cant do X Y and Z cos it could hurt gaia or whatever bollocks they come up with.

Both case have a very similar cause, worship of the old ways that never exsisted, that somehow if we go back to how things were pre-industry we will discover an eturnal paradice. Covering your ears doesn't make a problem go away, just you can't hear it.

Environmentalism isnt, to the extent of my knowledge, about claiming Earth is Divine. its about keeping stuff on earth alive. IE the plants we kill and the animals we destroy. And where are you getting these accusations of Earths divinity from? i know its in Warhammer 40K, but thats it. To my knowledge ive never heard of this before, in any religion current or past.

I do agree with what you said about going back to the past though. Ten thousand years ago was paradise for those living in it. 5000 years ago was paradise. 230 years ago was paradise. And how does the metaphore of covering your ears fit into this?

Humanity as we know it will most likely last until tensions rise and WWIII begins

There are so many things in our society that don't consider the long term results, and this can be especially deadly. 

WW3  is inevitable. That does not, however, mean it will be an apocalypse.

[CrypticQuery]

WW3  is inevitable. That does not, however, mean it will be an apocalypse.

But, with the possibility of thermo-nuclear bombings, bio-weapons, and other forms of advanced warfare developed today, the human race can certainly crush themselves.  And we do have the ability to wipe ourselves out completely; what if most of our population was wiped out, and the little survivors that there are do not trust each other/free for all it/kill each other?  There will be no potential to continue the species. 

[Robert Monroe]

But, with the possibility of thermo-nuclear bombings, bio-weapons, and other forms of advanced warfare developed today, the human race can certainly crush themselves.  And we do have the ability to wipe ourselves out completely; what if most of our population was wiped out, and the little survivors that there are do not trust each other/free for all it/kill each other?  There will be no potential to continue the species.

There is plenty of potential. Our ancestors crawled out of Ethiopia and managed to brave a bizzare unknown world for thousands of years before they even had the concepts of civilization down. Not to mention with the exception of a few axe-crazy countries (lookin at you N. Korea), most world leaders I like to think are smart enough to not use nuclear weapons, considering they have absolutely no payoff. And even if they were used, major population centers would be the ones who suffer most. Secluded communities could thrive (depending on how bad they get hit with the fallout).

[CrypticQuery]

There is plenty of potential. Our ancestors crawled out of Ethiopia and managed to brave a bizzare unknown world for thousands of years before they even had the concepts of civilization down. Not to mention with the exception of a few axe-crazy countries (lookin at you N. Korea), most world leaders I like to think are smart enough to not use nuclear weapons, considering they have absolutely no payoff. And even if they were used, major population centers would be the ones who suffer most. Secluded communities could thrive (depending on how bad they get hit with the fallout).

I know, we do have quite a good chance of survival, I just wanted to portray a worst-case-scenario circumstance. 

(Oh N. Korea, when will you stop? )

[ThePointingMan]

Not really, all im saying is we will have a good run until someone elses turn. They will have to earn that turn however...

The contradictory part was where you said and "when" we do, rather then "if" we do, even though you had previously said we won't.

Also, just the possession of the nuclear weapons holds the payoff(at someone else' expense), not setting em off, and if holding them gives you the payoff, then you have to be willing to launch em anyways.

As far as an end world thing, what if Them dudes accidentally made an error in the creation of some kind of bomb, it blows up, and blows up the rest and chain reactions of explosions, ya figure the other end of the world would live or what?

[Sabre]

I think you are overestamating the power of nukes.

[ThePointingMan]

This is in a future, where there's so many bombs it's easier to make bombs out of more bombs, then make them out of explosive powder,ect.  in this future that is an understatement.

[Robert Monroe]

This is in a future, where there's so many bombs it's easier to make bombs out of more bombs, then make them out of explosive powder,ect.  in this future that is an understatement.

Sounds like a ridiculous future to me.

[ballisticwaffles]

The contradictory part was where you said and "when" we do, rather then "if" we do, even though you had previously said we won't.

Oh, okay. My apologies.

Why does everyone seem to think that north Korea will end the world? its a 3rd World country facing almost evry other Nation on Earth. And even if they did launch their Nukes, why dont we just shoot them down? Its not like they will initiate after being blown to peices..

[Robert Monroe]

Oh, okay. My apologies.

Why does everyone seem to think that north Korea will end the world? its a 3rd World country facing almost evry other Nation on Earth. And even if they did launch their Nukes, why dont we just shoot them down? Its not like they will initiate after being blown to peices..

North Korea is a backwards nation that still lives in the cold war. It may not be able to nuke the world (they dont have the range for that), but they could be able to ruin Japan or South Korea.

[Geo Stelar]

Vast amounts of Carbn dioxide pores through the ozone layer. And the longer these holes are left be, the sooner humanity, and possibly Earth, will die. The only solution is for us to stop using all technology and machinery affecting the nature, especially ones that emit carbon dioxide and pollution. Even if it takes a long time, the Earth will heal itself eventually.

But.. well, you should know what stops it already.

[Sabre]

Vast amounts of Carbn dioxide pores through the ozone layer. And the longer these holes are left be, the sooner humanity, and possibly Earth, will die. The only solution is for us to stop using all technology and machinery affecting the nature, especially ones that emit carbon dioxide and pollution. Even if it takes a long time, the Earth will heal itself eventually.

But.. well, you should know what stops it already.

Oh you wakey cave man worshipers you.

[Sarita]

Vast amounts of Carbn dioxide pores through the ozone layer. And the longer these holes are left be, the sooner humanity, and possibly Earth, will die. The only solution is for us to stop using all technology and machinery affecting the nature, especially ones that emit carbon dioxide and pollution. Even if it takes a long time, the Earth will heal itself eventually.

But.. well, you should know what stops it already.

... Oh honey no. The holes in the ozone layer let in ultraviolet radiation from the sun, not carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is necessary for the Greenhouse Effect, which warms our Earth and keeps the sun's warmth from bouncing back in to space. Chlorofluorocarbons are the things that destroy the ozone layer (among a few other gases/compounds).

Seriously, a quick Google search would tell you this. It's not hard to be informed. Most scientists speculate that it's too late to stop using them, and the damage done is too much for stopping to be effective.

[ballisticwaffles]

Vast amounts of Carbn dioxide pores through the ozone layer. And the longer these holes are left be, the sooner humanity, and possibly Earth, will die. The only solution is for us to stop using all technology and machinery affecting the nature, especially ones that emit carbon dioxide and pollution. Even if it takes a long time, the Earth will heal itself eventually.

But.. well, you should know what stops it already.

Why should we stop using tech that effects ALL nature if the Ozone is being torn like a sack? And by that loose definition, Windmills, Waterwheels, Solar Panals all effect nature, so should we destroy them?

[Tzunami]

It is completely unimportant what methods we use. It is (was and will be) a well known fact that we are destroying ourselves, and we CAN'T stop it. End of story.

BUT the "how" is an interesting question. The "slow" process of the destruction of the ozone layer, or the rather "quick" beginning of a war? From my (pessimistic) perspective it is a matter of time before hell breaks loose.