# The End is Coming
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 6, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346 "2005-12-06T13:58:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/1 "2005-12-06T13:58:18Z")
My choices for the destruction of Earth
and/or total annihalation of the homo sapiens species
1. Meteor Impact:
Not good for dinosaurs, or humans
2. Earth loses its orbit around the Sun:
" Brrr its getting cold "
3. Sun explodes into a Super Nova
This ain’t Oz Dorothy, you really are melting
4. Aliens Attack
They have finally triangulated our location, and their Sun is about to explode
5. Man Made
" Incoming! Incoming! This is not a drill! Initiate launch sequence! "
6. Natures’ Revenge
Ice Age, Drought, Tsunami, Plague, locast swarms whoevers left
7. Rise of the machines
Oh wait, Schwarzenegger did this one, we’ll just use their time machine to …
8. Terrorist Attack
The mother of all suicide bombers
9. Armageddon
The Beast, 666, rapture, war, oh thats right, good guys win 1000 years of peace
10. 22nd Ammendment repealed, George Bush elected Dictator for life
Better get your life right people, we are doomed.
How many years do you think we have left?
---
### Author:  [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/2 "2005-12-06T14:14:19Z")
Reading this reminds me of the [Drake Equation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation) that is used to predict how many intelligent lifeforms we share the universe with, one of the elements of the equation is the ‘lifetime’ of a civilisation evolved enough to communicate. Estimates I read varied between 50 and 1,000 years before a civilisation became so advanced that it ultimately destroyed itself or the eco system they relied upon to live. Personally I give us about 500 years before some jumpy radar operator launches a super-bomb in retaliation to a flock of radioactive geese heading his way and wipes out all life on Earth.
---
### Author:  [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/3 "2005-12-06T14:16:19Z")
I pick “gay marriage occurs.” Volcanoes everywhere explode as a result, Nazis ride dinosaurs, who have come back into existence, and then the world blows up.
I think we have a good five hundred years.
---
### Author:  [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/4 "2005-12-06T15:21:22Z")
1. 22nd Ammendment repealed, George Bush elected Dictator for life
Actually, I guess repeal of the ammendment wouldn’t work, it would require abolishing the Constitution. In any case, I would prefer any other scenario on my list before this one.
---
### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/5 "2005-12-06T16:21:48Z")
I wonder how likely a plague is. Is it even possible for a plague to completely wipe out humanity? Or will there _always_ be some people immune, even if’s a small group?
---
### Author:  [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/6 "2005-12-06T16:59:35Z")
> [@Revtim](#):
>
> I wonder how likely a plague is. Is it even possible for a plague to completely wipe out humanity? Or will there _always_ be some people immune, even if’s a small group?
Yeah, I doubt any one plague could wipe out everyone, but if it moved quickly across the globe, it could really put a dent in the population.
But in my scenario, they had to escape the ice age, the drought, and the ones who did, were ravaged by the swarms of locust. :eek:
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/7 "2005-12-06T17:05:36Z")
In my apocalyptic world, the hole in the ozone layer expands to cover, well, everything, and it becomes so unhealthy to be outside that nobody will leave their homes; as a result, the Starbucks coffee chain is driven out of business and the world economy collapses. Without an economy, there are no jobs, so nobody drives to work, and without all those cars running and generating heat, the global temperature plummets and next thing you know, we’re in an ice age, so there’s no food growing, people starve/freeze/die of boredom without a new season of Survivor.
---
### Author:  [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/8 "2005-12-06T17:10:25Z")
> [@2centsworth](#):
>
> 1. Earth loses its orbit around the Sun:
> " Brrr its getting cold "
How exactly would that happen? Would gravity just switch off one day? We’re more likely to see nazis riding dinosaurs.
---
### Author:  [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/9 "2005-12-06T17:31:18Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#):
>
> How exactly would that happen? Would gravity just switch off one day? We’re more likely to see nazis riding dinosaurs.
If Earth collided with another celestial body it could be knocked off its orbit.
Unless the Jurassic Park movie is a possibilty, Nazis will never ride dinosaurs.
---
### Author:  [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/10 "2005-12-06T17:38:00Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> In my apocalyptic world, the hole in the ozone layer expands to cover, well, everything, and it becomes so unhealthy to be outside that nobody will leave their homes; as a result, the Starbucks coffee chain is driven out of business and the world economy collapses. Without an economy, there are no jobs, so nobody drives to work, and without all those cars running and generating heat, the global temperature plummets and next thing you know, we’re in an ice age, so there’s no food growing, people starve/freeze/die of boredom without a new season of Survivor.
The global temperture is dependant on cars running?
Other than that, I think you’re spot on. I’m dumping all my Starbucks stock.
---
### Author:  [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/11 "2005-12-06T18:24:00Z")
> [@2centsworth](#):
>
> How many years do you think we have left?
Let’s see… I’m 48, so I can’t say that I can reasonably survive for more than 60 years, and maybe not survive until tomorrow… and when I go, all you figments of my imagination go with me… I’d say less than 60 years.
😉
---
### Author:  [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/12 "2005-12-07T02:24:11Z")
> [@Who\_me?](#):
>
> … and when I go, all you figments of my imagination go with me…
>
> 😉
The people at your door are your friends. They are our friends. Go with them do not resist. You will be kept perfectly safe and fed a nutritious diet along with having healthly aerobic exercise evry day.
We are very sorry for any inconvenience this causes you, but you gotta think of the big picture.
---
### Author:  [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/13 "2005-12-07T06:12:51Z")
If all 10 happen at once, would they somehow cancel each other out? It would be quite a show, that’s for sure.
I should take this opportunity to link [this website](http://www.xs4all.nl/~mke/exitmundi.htm), an authority on this sort of topic.
---
### Author:  [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/14 "2005-12-07T06:18:00Z")
In my apocalypse scenario, I will get evicted.
My daughter’s father will leave us in frustration.
World ends.
---
### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/15 "2005-12-07T07:49:15Z")
Sociological Apocalypse, aka the “Henhouse Scenario”—The progress of civilization and the spread of modern, “progressive” culture produces a population that’s thoroughly “domesticated,” a paragon of human advancement over bestial nature.
Sadly, such “sivilizing” also results in a coddled, oversocialized community that’s unable to bring itself to defend against any violent throwbacks with a modicum of willpower. (Imagine Genghis Khan in a village full of Eloi.) In the end, it just withers away in it’s pretty ideological purity, while the barbarians reinherit the Earth. Time left…a century or so. Give or take.
On the plus side, civilization will leave some _lovely_ ruins for whatever rises up next.
---
### Author:  [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/16 "2005-12-07T20:35:28Z")
> [@2centsworth](#):
>
> 1. Natures’ Revenge
> Ice Age, Drought, Tsunami, Plague, locast swarms whoevers left
But, Dennis Quaid skis to New York and saves everybody, we all move to Mexico, Sela Ward is saved and marries me, and a humble Dick Cheney becomes president, so everything is fine.
---
### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/17 "2005-12-07T20:50:23Z")
> [@Yumblie](#):
>
> If all 10 happen at once, would they somehow cancel each other out? It would be quite a show, that’s for sure.
>
> I should take this opportunity to link [this website](http://www.xs4all.nl/~mke/exitmundi.htm), an authority on this sort of topic.
Another good one, [How to Destroy the Earth.](http://ned.ucam.org/~sdh31/misc/destroy.html#mission) Why wait for nature to take care of it, when you can destroy it yourself ! 😃
---
### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-coming/334346/18 "2005-12-07T22:20:37Z")
> [@2centsworth](#):
>
> If Earth collided with another celestial body it could be knocked off its orbit.
>
> .
I concur, except that a collision probably wouldn’t cause it. It’d have to be a massive planet sized object nearly missing the Earth, and moving in a parallel direction, so it would impart some additional velocity to Earth in its solar orbit. It’s hard to see how this could completely pull the Earth away, but it could raise the apohelion of Earth’s orbit, causing a yearly temperature dip.
Actually that strikes me as an interesting scenario, but I can’t creatively write my way out of a paper bag, so that’s a story that won’t be written, at least not by me.