Despite the fact that all the predicted dates of the end of the world again and again turn out to be pure fiction, today you will not surprise anyone with the presence of many true scenarios according to which our civilization will nevertheless cease to exist. This should include those cases that have a scientific basis, although at first glance they do not seem as mysterious and attractive as the collision of our planet with a huge meteorite or the explosion of the well-known supervolcano Yellowstone.
1. Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD Doctrine)
For the uninitiated, under the name "Mutual Assured Destruction" are military doctrines practiced by the US and Soviet armies during the Cold War. In short, in the event of a massive nuclear strike on one side, hundreds of nuclear warheads are launched at enemy military bases, government buildings, or supply centers. According to experts, the practical use of such a development of events will mean a global catastrophe, including in the form of a hypothetical nuclear winter (the possibility of climate change at the sites of an atomic bomb explosion, which has never been confirmed in a practical way). Not to mention the total losses from the military and civilian side. The MAD doctrine has repeatedly been the subject of films on the brink of political fiction, but it has never been taken seriously. Despite the existence of various agreements on the reduction of weapons of mass destruction between the leading powers, many people still fear nuclear war and the escalation of a major armed conflict that could lead to the end of the world.
2. The global fuel crisis
Mile-long lines at gas stations and terrible prices for every drop of fuel - this is how a generation of older Americans recalls the 1970s, when capitalist countries suffered from the great oil crisis. The first stage (1973) began after the Arab OPEC countries blocked oil exports to the states that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur war, and the second stage (1979-1982) was caused by the Islamic revolution in Iran. These events clearly showed how our civilization depends on oil, which drives almost every sector of the market economy. Any seemingly insignificant event in the international arena can provoke a crisis in the fuel markets. But before all gas stations run out of gas, there must be a combination of circumstances and time. Proponents of the theory of the inevitability of the apocalypse believethat fuel shortages will lead to slower economic growth, lack of goods in stores and, as a result, social and political chaos. On the other hand, the continued development of new deposits in search of "black gold" can lead to the destruction of the natural ecosystem and a crisis in agriculture.
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3. Overpopulation of the Earth
As announced at the end of October 2018 by the United Nations Population Fund, our planet is home to more than 7.6 billion people. Most of them live in Asia, more specifically in China and India. Already today, these countries provide information on overcrowded cities, poverty among millions of citizens and problems with access to food or drinking water. Back in the nineteenth century, the British scientist and priest Thomas Malthus developed a theory according to which uncontrolled population growth can lead to mass hunger, death, or epidemics of infectious diseases. Today, in addition to these problems, the destruction of the environment as a result of human activities and the growth of aggression among the population of overpopulated areas are added, and thus it is only a step towards anarchy and revolution.
Overpopulation of the Earth in the long term can lead to irreversible consequences and not at all the kind of existence we are used to, although today there are many institutions and programs that protect us from such a threat (not always as strictly as the one-child policy in the PRC). Unfortunately, the overpopulation argument can also be used as an argument for eugenics (selection for humans), forced abortion and euthanasia for people with disabilities.
4. Hypercanum
Again, we are dealing with a hypothetical possibility of a natural disaster that threatens our peaceful existence. Hypercane is a hurricane of unprecedented size and strength, the material impact of which does not occur in certain regions, but on entire continents. According to climatologists, such a hurricane giant will blow at a speed of 600-800 km / h, and a column 30 km high will appear at its epicenter, where the pressure will drop to 650 hPa. But all the terrified weather forecast aficionados and enthusiastic hurricane hunters needn't worry about several factors for now. First of all, Hyperkana has never been registered since the moment of metrological measurements. Secondly, the main condition for such a phenomenon is considered to be an increase in temperature on Earth (it should be above 40 degrees Celsius), which is not expected earlier than in the next century,if humanity does not take the necessary measures to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
5. Mass extinction of bees
Since childhood, we have become accustomed to treating bees as enemies of human existence (they bite, sit on fruits in gardens, making us fearful all the time). But these small, very intelligent and hardworking insects are real allies of people - in addition to producing very sweet honey, they distribute pollen, preserving the principles of a natural ecosystem. But the latter is threatened by a phenomenon called CCD (Colony Collapse), and means the mass extinction of honeybees outside the hive in many parts of the world. This phenomenon was first observed in the 1960s in the United States, but its dangerous escalation occurred again at the beginning of the last decade. CCD is caused by insect diseases, global warming,the use of agricultural pesticides and even the development of cellular telephony (radio waves at many frequencies will lead to a decrease in the concentration of bees returning to the hive). Albert Einstein noted that if bees disappear, people will feel the effect of this within four years - bees pollinate many of the plants that form the basis of food, and their absence will ultimately lead to world hunger.
6. Crazy Science Experiments
When we want to find information about the Large Hadron Collider on the Internet, the assumption of a "black hole" immediately appears. Fiction? According to many scientists, and not just overly keen dreamers, further experiments in this direction will lead to the creation of a small black hole that will "pull" all matter into itself, which will lead to the end of the world. One German woman came to a similar conclusion and began to demand that her government stop participating in such experiments, because "they will destroy the Earth." The fear of new technologies and innovations in recent generations causes extreme emotions. Prior to the first nuclear tests, there were opinions that such explosions would pollute the atmosphere and harm civilians. But scientists are always trying to tame public opinion.
It is currently difficult to imagine an experiment that would cause a global catastrophe, although many conspiracy theorists will easily call HAARP (a project to study the interaction of the ionosphere with powerful electromagnetic radiation) or Area 51 (a US military base used for experiments in the field of weapons systems).
7. Verneshot
If you think this has something to do with the legendary French writer Jules Verne, then you are only partially right. Dr. Jason Phipps Morgan of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, hypothesized in the early 2000s that large quantities of magma could be ejected from the earth to a height of several kilometers, especially in regions of the world where the tectonic cover is the thickest and most durable. He called such a possible volcanic event "Vernechot", referring to the impressive cannon featured in the book by French writer Jules Verne "From the Earth to the Moon in a Direct Way in 97 Hours and 20 Minutes."
Dr. Morgan, supported by scientists from many countries, believes that liquid magma and volcanic gases that collect deep underground are in fact not regularly emitted by "classical volcanoes." Over time, when the pressure reaches a critical level, a huge amount of rocks, hot magma and poisonous gases will cause a serious natural disaster that can even cause tectonic destruction throughout the planet. According to Dr. Morgan, "Verneshot" could lead to the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, or even to the mysterious Tunguska catastrophe of 1908. Proponents of this hypothesis also cite an example of such a case of the eruption that accompanied the earthquake in Taiwan in 1999. However, there is a lack of rigorous scientific and long-term studies supported by analysis to clearly showcould Verneshot threaten our civilization.
8. Space catastrophe
In this case, we are not talking about the possibility of a collision of our planet with an asteroid or comet, but about a catastrophe that can destroy not only our planet. The appearance of a black hole in the solar system, a supernova explosion (the strongest explosion in the Universe), a collision of planets - these threats can actually cease to exist for everything in our part of the Universe. But an even more powerful explosion (flare) on the Sun will be fatal to our computerized world, which will lead to power outages on all continents. Although many prophets of the Apocalypse are trying to scare us, including the mysterious planet X, which has not yet been discovered, the scenario of such a cosmic catastrophe is very, very far away. Over the next 5 billion years or so, the Sun will burn up the rest of its energy,after which an unimaginable explosion will engulf the three nearby planets (including the Earth). If, nevertheless, somehow we manage to avoid this, then the constantly expanding Universe may someday begin the opposite process and will contract, which will actually deprive us of the future, but advanced research technologies, combined with the development of science, give humanity a good chance to discover a real threat in the vast space.