Many people wonder how long the mankind will last on Earth and whether humanity can disappear completely. There are many pseudo-scientific theories about this, but in fact there are at least 13 reasons why people can disappear from the face of the planet within the next few hundred years.
1. Overpopulation
This has already been discussed more than once. Before the industrial revolution, the question about how to maintain the existence of so many people was not so urgent as today. Of course, railways, steam engines and mass farms helped solve the problem at that time, but one can only guess what will happen next.
2. Nuclear Armageddon
Of course, this is only a hypothetical problem … at least until someone presses the launch button. How long will humanity control its impulses is a big question. It is becoming more urgent since a growing number of countries are getting nuclear warheads at their disposal.
3. Resistance to antibiotics
Although scientists in the US have recently managed to develop the so-called superbiotics, people are rapidly approaching the time when all modern antibiotics will be useless against evolving microbes. This can potentially bring humanity back to the time when even cutting your finger with paper could kill a person.
4. Gamma-ray bursts
Perhaps this is an unlikely scenario, but a high-energy explosion in a distant galaxy (an explosion in a super new galaxy) may have long-term consequences for our planet. It can happen at any time, so the period of a thousand years is not that big.
5. Cyberwar
This is directly related to terrorism and an increase in the number of “radical groups” in the world. Historically, groups of outcasts and protesters had to rely on guerrilla tactics as such, but today they can cause harm anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. They may not destroy humanity, but their actions can cause chaos that will destroy the traditional way of life.
6. Depletion of resources
Although this may not lead directly to the end of mankind, such a situation may lead to the end of civilization. Do we need to talk about the consequences?
7. Drought
Although more than 70 percent of the planet is covered with water, only 3 percent of it can be drunk. Given that the world’s freshwater reserves are steadily declining, this can lead to wars for fresh water, as well as to extinction. It is necessary to take into account global warming, which is getting worse every year.
8. Fasting
Most people reading this article do not even know what hunger is. But about 800 million people on the planet are starving at the moment. At the same time, the population of the Earth is constantly growing.
9. Biological wars
As genetic engineering becomes more and more developed, very unpleasant things will soon become possible. This is almost the same as antibiotic resistance, except that the process will be deliberate.
10. Extinction
Overpopulation has already been mentioned, but the opposite option is quite possible. There is evidence that, as countries become more developed, people will prefer 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 give birth to posterity. Japan is not the only country suffering from the demographic crisis, the same is happening in Europe.
11. Aliens
Many people think this idea to be ridiculous. However, most scientists agree that the probability of extraterrestrial life is quite high. In addition, it is likely to be more developed than the humanity. It is for this reason that many people, such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, are against sending messages into space with the help of the SETI program (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
12. Solar storms
Although most solar storms are relatively harmless, it is already known that they can “roast” transformers and adversely affect the energy system. If there is a really big solar storm, you can only guess how much damage it will cause.
13. Mercury
Scientists note there is a one-percent probability that the orbit of this planet can be unstable due to Jupiter’s gravity. Computer modeling showed four possible results: the ejection of the planet from the solar system, its collision with the Sun, a collision with the Venus, or a collision with the Earth.
