History Channel - Time Machine. I started watching it & really enjoyed it. It was 2 hours long & it featured the 7 greatest threats to our existence. (Humanity/Earth)
If im correct I believe the top 7 were (in random order)...
Gamma Rays- Are as big as an explosion can get. They come from distant stars. As a star reaches the end of its life, it collapses into itself causing either a massive explosion (gamma ray) or a black Hole (see below). The Gamma rays travel at the speed of light. The closest star capable of actually harming us is 8,000 light years away. If a gamma Ray was to ever strike Earth, it would burn off our protective layer of atmosphere, thus allowing the gamma rays to strike earth. Everything even on a molecular level would die. Your hair & nails would stop growing & the cells in your body would simply wither and die. You wouldnt be able to take in food or liquid & every living thing on earth would simply perish. It would take approximately 30 days for this to happen. However our symbols would be left unharmed. Buildings, streets, cars etc... would be left standing. The only chance of anything surviving would be bacteria miles under ground. Earth would be a massive Ghost town.
Asteroids- They can be miles across or yards across. Over 99% of the species that have ever inhabited earth have perished due to a massive asteroid strike that destroyed the dinosaurs & almost all living organisms millions of years ago. The only survivers were underground mammals. A asteroid strike in the near future isnt a "IF" but a "WHEN". There is a 100% chance that earth will be struck again. When this happens, the initial blast & shock waves will kill most of earths population. Shock waves with windows upwards of 3000 mph will rip human bodys in half. The amount of debree kicked up from the asteroid into our atmopshere will mix with the materials already in our atmosphere causing a sulfuric cloud to cover the earth, eating up all oxygen. Any survivers will die due to lack of oxygen. This cloud of sulfur & earth debree will cover earth for several years blocking out the sun, bringing in an extreme ice age & destroying any & all sources of food. It is estimated (by the scientsists on the show) that practically all living organisms will die (except those deep underground). Bacteria will rule the world.
Traveling Black Holes- Also caused by a collapsing star. Only the outcome is different compared to a gamma ray blast. Instead of the star exploding due to its nuclear fuel running out, it collapses into itself, causing such a gravitational pull that its nearly impossible to calculate according to scientists. The details surrounding black holes are vague. But if earth was ever in the path of one, we'd have about 40-100 years to prepare for it. However there is nothing Earth would be able to do. merely wait & brace for it. The effects of a black hole closing in on earth would be suttle at 1st, slight climate changes & larger tides & ocean activity. As the black hole moves closer, massive changes in earths oceans would take place. Waves on average would be MILES HIGH. Most of earths smaller and low lying continents would be flooded killing millions. As the black hole closes on earth all objects not nailed to the earth would be sucked up into the black hole. Buildings would crumble & all major structures would either crumble or collapse. Once it gets close enough for you to feel the effects, you'd feel a slight pull, almost as if you were stretching before a workout. It would actually feel nice at 1st. The human body is quite elastic so the 1st few seconds of this pulling sensation would be quite pleasurable, after several minutes it would get increasingly uncomfortable. Finally your feet would be ripped off your body, followed by your torso, arms head etc...you'd basically be broken down to a molecular level as your sucked up. Earth itself would then fall apart and be sucked up into the black hole.
Global Warming (This was the #1 threat on the list) - Were doing it to ourselves. If we dont cut down on our pollution scientists prediect that within 50-60 years all 365 days of the year would feature temperatures topping 140 degrees & no lower than 100. Ocean water levels would rise by about 40 ft due to melting glaciers & slow & steady flooding would take place. Almost all beach side cities (Ex. Los Angeles, new York, miami etc..) would flood & become uninhabitable. Eventually earth would get so hot it wouldnt be able to support Life. (we'd all either die or be forced to find a new home...new planet). This will happen no matter what we do. All we can really do is slow it down.
Super Volcanoes- There are over 40 world wide & they have the power to render Humans extinct. The most famous of all is Yellow Stone National Park. Smack dab in the middle of the United States. If it erupts it would erupt with a power over 1000x that of Mt. St. Helens. The states closest to yellow Stone would practically be buried alive. Coastal states wouldnt feel the effect as heavily, but enough ash would impact such states as California & New York that it would collapse roof tops on houses. The massive amount of ash & sulfur pushed into earths atmosphere would block out the sun for upwards of 4-5 months. Killing almost all crops & major produce productions through the globe. Causing famine on a global scale. Riots would break out for food & thousands would die. Scientists do expect Humans to survive such a disaster, but the United States would suffer greatly...bordering the point of the government falling apart & the USA becoming a 3rd world country. Yellow Stone erupts every 600,000 years say scientists & were about 24 years overdue for the next eruption.
Nuclear War - It has almost happened before, and no one's to say it cant happen. It is estimated that the world's nuclear arsenal combined could kill 8 billion people. Only 6 billion currently inhabit earth. The most powerful Nuclear Weapons are held by the USA. With Nuclear Weapons bordering the strength of 200 mega tons of TNT, a single nuke of this size could destroy half of Europe. To put this into prespective, Russia detonated a Nuke of about 58 MEGA tons of TNT in the 1950's...the shock wave could be detected on its 3rd trip around the globe. Shock waves with winds upwards of 800PMH could be felt within a 5 miles radius of the initial blast. A 200 mega ton bomb would be nearly 4x that. The initial blast wouldnt be the real killer, its the radiation. A nuclear explosion also produces gamma rays similar to stars, but on a much smaller scale.
I seem to have forgotten the 7th. But those 6 alone are deadly enough ....my fingers hurt.
If im correct I believe the top 7 were (in random order)...
Gamma Rays- Are as big as an explosion can get. They come from distant stars. As a star reaches the end of its life, it collapses into itself causing either a massive explosion (gamma ray) or a black Hole (see below). The Gamma rays travel at the speed of light. The closest star capable of actually harming us is 8,000 light years away. If a gamma Ray was to ever strike Earth, it would burn off our protective layer of atmosphere, thus allowing the gamma rays to strike earth. Everything even on a molecular level would die. Your hair & nails would stop growing & the cells in your body would simply wither and die. You wouldnt be able to take in food or liquid & every living thing on earth would simply perish. It would take approximately 30 days for this to happen. However our symbols would be left unharmed. Buildings, streets, cars etc... would be left standing. The only chance of anything surviving would be bacteria miles under ground. Earth would be a massive Ghost town.
Asteroids- They can be miles across or yards across. Over 99% of the species that have ever inhabited earth have perished due to a massive asteroid strike that destroyed the dinosaurs & almost all living organisms millions of years ago. The only survivers were underground mammals. A asteroid strike in the near future isnt a "IF" but a "WHEN". There is a 100% chance that earth will be struck again. When this happens, the initial blast & shock waves will kill most of earths population. Shock waves with windows upwards of 3000 mph will rip human bodys in half. The amount of debree kicked up from the asteroid into our atmopshere will mix with the materials already in our atmosphere causing a sulfuric cloud to cover the earth, eating up all oxygen. Any survivers will die due to lack of oxygen. This cloud of sulfur & earth debree will cover earth for several years blocking out the sun, bringing in an extreme ice age & destroying any & all sources of food. It is estimated (by the scientsists on the show) that practically all living organisms will die (except those deep underground). Bacteria will rule the world.
Traveling Black Holes- Also caused by a collapsing star. Only the outcome is different compared to a gamma ray blast. Instead of the star exploding due to its nuclear fuel running out, it collapses into itself, causing such a gravitational pull that its nearly impossible to calculate according to scientists. The details surrounding black holes are vague. But if earth was ever in the path of one, we'd have about 40-100 years to prepare for it. However there is nothing Earth would be able to do. merely wait & brace for it. The effects of a black hole closing in on earth would be suttle at 1st, slight climate changes & larger tides & ocean activity. As the black hole moves closer, massive changes in earths oceans would take place. Waves on average would be MILES HIGH. Most of earths smaller and low lying continents would be flooded killing millions. As the black hole closes on earth all objects not nailed to the earth would be sucked up into the black hole. Buildings would crumble & all major structures would either crumble or collapse. Once it gets close enough for you to feel the effects, you'd feel a slight pull, almost as if you were stretching before a workout. It would actually feel nice at 1st. The human body is quite elastic so the 1st few seconds of this pulling sensation would be quite pleasurable, after several minutes it would get increasingly uncomfortable. Finally your feet would be ripped off your body, followed by your torso, arms head etc...you'd basically be broken down to a molecular level as your sucked up. Earth itself would then fall apart and be sucked up into the black hole.
Global Warming (This was the #1 threat on the list) - Were doing it to ourselves. If we dont cut down on our pollution scientists prediect that within 50-60 years all 365 days of the year would feature temperatures topping 140 degrees & no lower than 100. Ocean water levels would rise by about 40 ft due to melting glaciers & slow & steady flooding would take place. Almost all beach side cities (Ex. Los Angeles, new York, miami etc..) would flood & become uninhabitable. Eventually earth would get so hot it wouldnt be able to support Life. (we'd all either die or be forced to find a new home...new planet). This will happen no matter what we do. All we can really do is slow it down.
Super Volcanoes- There are over 40 world wide & they have the power to render Humans extinct. The most famous of all is Yellow Stone National Park. Smack dab in the middle of the United States. If it erupts it would erupt with a power over 1000x that of Mt. St. Helens. The states closest to yellow Stone would practically be buried alive. Coastal states wouldnt feel the effect as heavily, but enough ash would impact such states as California & New York that it would collapse roof tops on houses. The massive amount of ash & sulfur pushed into earths atmosphere would block out the sun for upwards of 4-5 months. Killing almost all crops & major produce productions through the globe. Causing famine on a global scale. Riots would break out for food & thousands would die. Scientists do expect Humans to survive such a disaster, but the United States would suffer greatly...bordering the point of the government falling apart & the USA becoming a 3rd world country. Yellow Stone erupts every 600,000 years say scientists & were about 24 years overdue for the next eruption.
Nuclear War - It has almost happened before, and no one's to say it cant happen. It is estimated that the world's nuclear arsenal combined could kill 8 billion people. Only 6 billion currently inhabit earth. The most powerful Nuclear Weapons are held by the USA. With Nuclear Weapons bordering the strength of 200 mega tons of TNT, a single nuke of this size could destroy half of Europe. To put this into prespective, Russia detonated a Nuke of about 58 MEGA tons of TNT in the 1950's...the shock wave could be detected on its 3rd trip around the globe. Shock waves with winds upwards of 800PMH could be felt within a 5 miles radius of the initial blast. A 200 mega ton bomb would be nearly 4x that. The initial blast wouldnt be the real killer, its the radiation. A nuclear explosion also produces gamma rays similar to stars, but on a much smaller scale.
I seem to have forgotten the 7th. But those 6 alone are deadly enough ....my fingers hurt.
Last edited by reefl3x (2007-01-01 22:37:25)