Perhaps many have ever wondered how long it will exist on Earth and whether the apocalypse threatens humanity. But there are many pseudo-scientific theories about this, but in fact, there are at least 15 reasons why people can disappear from the face of the planet within the next several hundred years.
1. Overpopulation
This has been said more than once. Before the industrial revolution, the question of how to keep so many people alive was not as pressing as it is today. Of course, railways, steam engines and mass farms “came to the rescue” at that time, but what will happen next is anyone's guess.
2. Nuclear Armageddon
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Naturally, this is only a hypothetical problem … at least until someone presses the "red button". How long will humanity be able to control its impulses is a big question, which is becoming more and more urgent, as more and more countries receive nuclear warheads at their disposal.
3. Antibiotic resistance
Although scientists in the United States have recently succeeded in developing so-called superbiotics, humans are rapidly approaching the time when all modern antibiotics will be useless against evolving microbes. This could potentially bring humanity back to a time when even a paper cut could kill a person.
4. Gamma-ray bursts
It may be unlikely, but it is entirely possible that a high-energy explosion in a distant galaxy (supernova explosion) could have long-term consequences for our planet. This can happen at any time, so a thousand years is not that long.
5. Cyberwar
This is directly related to terrorism and the increase in the number of "radical groups" on the world stage. Whereas previously, historically, groups of outcasts and protesters had to rely essentially on guerrilla tactics, today they can harm anywhere in the world with the push of a button. It may not wipe out humanity, but it can certainly cause chaos enough to "go downhill."
6. Resource depletion
While this may not lead directly to the end of humanity, it could well lead to the end of civilization. Needless to say, what it is fraught with.
7. Supercollider
Since the construction of the Large Hadron Collider, there has been a lot of controversy around it. While it definitely helps scientists understand the world, there is a small chance humans could accidentally create a miniature black hole.
8. Drought
Although more than 70 percent of the planet is covered with water, only 3 percent of it is drinkable. Given that the world's fresh water supplies are steadily declining, this could lead to both freshwater wars and extinction. It is also worth considering global warming, which is getting worse every year.
9. Fasting
Most people who read this have no idea what hunger is. But at the moment about 800 million people on the planet are starving. At the same time, the population of the Earth is constantly growing.
10. Supermen
Given the genetic advancements and “programming of babies,” there is already the possibility that governments will begin to program their citizens for total loyalty in advance. It remains to be seen at what point such people will actually cease to be human.
11. Biological warfare
As genetic engineering becomes more and more advanced, very unpleasant things will become possible pretty soon. This is almost the same as antibiotic resistance, except that the process will be deliberate.
12. Extinction
Overpopulation has already been mentioned above, but the opposite is quite possible. There is evidence that as countries become more developed, people choose not to have children. For example, in Japan, the government has long been trying to take at least some measures to "force" young people to continue the race. Japan is not alone in the demographic crisis; the same is happening in Europe.
13. Aliens
Now many may advise to "fix the foil hat". But most scientists agree that the likelihood of extraterrestrial life is pretty high. In addition, it is likely to be more advanced than humanity. It is for this reason that many people, such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, oppose sending messages into space through the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program.
14. Solar storms
Although most solar storms are relatively harmless, it is already known that they can “fry” transformers and negatively affect the power system. And if a really big solar storm happens, one can only guess how much damage it will cause.
15. Mercury
The scientists noted that there is a one percent chance that the orbit of a given planet could be unstable due to Jupiter's gravitational pull. Computer simulations have shown four possible outcomes: a planet ejection from the solar system, a collision with the sun, a collision with Venus, or a collision with the Earth.