# The Human Race is Doomed! DOOMED, I say! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 24, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892 "2014-07-24T00:00:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/1 "2014-07-24T00:00:57Z")
I know that people go around and spout off reasons why they think the human race is doomed. It occurred to me lately that I think I might have stumbled upon a scientific reason why that might actually be true. I’ll keep it short. Living cells eat living cells in order to get energy. So, the dominant living cell usually wins. That goes all the way up through the species, where grass is eaten by rabbits, squirrels are eaten by foxes, and cows are eaten by humans. You ever ask yourself why it has to be that way? I mean, it obviously _is_ that way, but why? Can you envision an intelligent species (made up of cells) that doesn’t need to consume other living cells for fuel? A species that can get all the energy it needs through absorbing minerals, elements, and nutrients? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/2 "2014-07-24T00:12:50Z")
I’m with you. It’s only a matter of time. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/3 "2014-07-24T00:30:41Z")
My money is on “Super Volcano”. Got _killer odds_ in Vegas! Oh, boy, am I gonna be _rich!_ ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/4 "2014-07-24T01:52:10Z")
What would eat us? The only life form that has any real power to harm us are pathogenic microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa) and parasites. Even those aren’t a ‘huge’ threat compared to the past and as long as we take precautions and use medicine. We have weapons and intelligence, I don’t see some larger animal posing a threat to us. Intelligence and tool making seems to trump size when it comes to biology. Before we developed technology our biggest predator threats were probably reptiles and large cats, hence why we are afraid of them. But with an armored vehicle and a machine gun a field filled with large cats is harmless. Snakes can be poisoned. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/5 "2014-07-24T02:01:02Z")
> [@Chicago\_Faucet](#): > > Can you envision an intelligent species (made up of cells) that doesn’t need to consume other living cells for fuel? A species that can get all the energy it needs through absorbing minerals, elements, and nutrients? Sure. Add an organ that transforms electricity into metabolic energy\*, a stomach based on plants that can extract raw materials from minerals, and there you are. All they need is a wall socket and a bowl of dirt. \*Perhaps based on [these critters](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140310144000.htm). ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/6 "2014-07-24T03:10:05Z")
The human species is a disease, which is recognized as a threat by the unified system of life on earth. Antibodies are being developed as we speak. It cannot be any other way. Life evolved on earth precisely because this is true. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/7 "2014-07-24T07:16:35Z")
> [@Chicago\_Faucet](#): > > Can you envision an intelligent species (made up of cells) that doesn’t need to consume other living cells for fuel? A species that can get all the energy it needs through absorbing minerals, elements, and nutrients? OMG, you can’t mean… wait… those are called ‘plants’. Are you saying that such a species would be more efficient at gathering useful energy than us? Because I don’t think that’s correct. Part of the reason that animals are so damn successful is that they are able to steal the energy reserves of other organisms by eating them. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/8 "2014-07-24T09:20:47Z")
> [@Chicago\_Faucet](#): > > You ever ask yourself why it has to be that way? I mean, it obviously _is_ that way, but why? Why not? Seriously, I don’t see the problem here. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/9 "2014-07-24T09:37:54Z")
I hate to sound like some sort of radical hippie, but me, personally, I’m against it. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/10 "2014-07-24T09:51:48Z")
> [@Chicago\_Faucet](#): > > …Can you envision an intelligent species (made up of cells) that doesn’t need to consume other living cells for fuel? A species that can get all the energy it needs through absorbing minerals, elements, and nutrients? If it just absorbs nearby minerals, elements, and nutrients then it doesn’t really have a need to be intelligent… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/11 "2014-07-24T09:52:20Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Can you envision an intelligent species (made up of cells) that doesn’t need to consume other living cells for fuel? A species that can get all the energy it needs through absorbing minerals, elements, and nutrients? > > OMG, you can’t mean… wait… those are called ‘plants’. “Intelligent species”, so no. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/12 "2014-07-24T09:53:20Z")
I’m opposed to the sun fusing those poor hydrogen atoms into helium. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/13 "2014-07-24T10:57:40Z")
I have a question. I agree we are all DOOMED but what is the half life of breast implants ? (Please show your work.) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/14 "2014-07-24T11:41:46Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “Intelligent species”, so no. Dammit. Skipped over that detail. I don’t think we have much to worry about such a species, should it arise - getting our food by stealing it from other living cells is actually quite an effective, energetic strategy, compared to metabolising rocks. Unless perhaps the OP is positing an organism that is powered by something like nuclear fusion, but even then - in the unlikely event that something like this arises, it would not be intelligent from the start, so we would just domesticate and farm it. End of problem. Fusion powered extraterrestrials would probably have us over a barrel. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-human-race-is-doomed-doomed-i-say/693892/15 "2014-07-25T02:18:30Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “Intelligent species”, so no. \So sure, are you? [Hmmm](http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-01-09/new-research-plant-intelligence-may-forever-change-how-you-think-about-plantshttp://)?