The End of the World

[Lonehunter]

The new Omen movie comes out on 6-6-06


Definetly have 2 possible ways.

The appocolyptic WWIII setting we've all ironicly fantasized about in gaming.

Natural Causes, at our current rate, we aren't gonna last on our resources much longer. Not many have the balls or power to make mankind know how limited we actually are. I bet in about 40-50 years, the 69 Corvette my dad will pass on to me, will cost a fortune to drive, just cuz gasoline will be rare.

[Electrofreak]

I think the world will end when some scientist in a lab somewhere on our planet starts some kind of infinite chain reaction that systematically breaks apart every molecule on the planet. Either that, they'll do something like split a graviton particle, causing a disruption in space-time that turns the planet into a black hole.

Screw superstition and religion and stuff, its going to be our race's curiosity that will kill the cat.

[Geist]

Originally Posted by Electrofreak

I think the world will end when some scientist in a lab somewhere on our planet starts some kind of infinite chain reaction that systematically breaks apart every molecule on the planet.

Basically what I said except nanobots do it.

[Biohazzard56]

You guys are going about this wrong, try out this perspective.

The world wont end until Bush appologizes for the hurricanes.

[xmodum]

And for hating black people.

[Mag-Mower]

Originally Posted by Electrofreak

Screw superstition and religion and stuff, its going to be our race's curiosity that will kill the cat.

QFT.

[Heavygain]

I believe that our developement of Artificial intelligence will be our undoing. Machines will become ultimately superior.

[Infernus]

Originally Posted by Mag-Mower

Well, didja think about the year 666, 1006, and all the other years that end in 6? How about 7? what about 777, 1007, and all the other years that end in 7. If I were you, I would worry more about Dec 12, 2012, as that is the end of the mayan callendar. ph34r.

Falacy.

Edit: Explanation:

First some backstory: The little bit of the mayan mythology that I remember from my days researching for Earth and Beyond tells me that the Popol Vuh or the "Book of the Community" says we are living in the fourth creation. The Popol Vuh describes the first three creations that the gods failed in making, and the creation of the successful fourth world where men were placed. The Maya beleived that the fourth world was to end in cataclysm and the 5th world would be created to signal the end to mankind. The end of the 13th Baktun is supposd to have great importance to the maya, and it is beleived to be the end of the world.

According to the mayan calander this creation began (in long count) 0.0.0.0.0 or August 11, 3114 BC. Another 13.0.0.0.0 will occur on December 12, 2012 signifying the end of this the last creation supposedly. Only it doesn't. Thats an abbreviated date... the mayans usually abbreviated their dates to the last 5 vigesimal places. The full date for the end of this creation is actually 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13 .13.13.13.0.0.0.0.

We know that 13.0.0.0.0 is not the end because a prediction of the date 1.0.0.0.0.0 (October 13, 4772) was found at the Palenque ruins. Classical Mayans didn't think the world would end at the end of the 13th baktun. They only thought something important would happen.

By the way. The Mayans rounded to the first 5 numbers of long count since it was more then enough to express dates... with something like 5000 solar years covered. In theory the mayan calander can continue forever by adding 1 to the highest-order place and calling the day that number.

Edit2: Theres a lot of information missing, and its really hard to understand without a lot of it. Thats basically most of what I remember from researching the aliens in Earth and Beyond (which ended up being all for naught as the aliens were much more aztec based.)

[Hamma]

Interesting

Originally Posted by Heavygain

I believe that our developement of Artificial intelligence will be our undoing. Machines will become ultimately superior.

Terminator anyone?

[Setari]

Speaking of Terminator, the company that Japanese guy started to sell the HAL exoskeleton is named Cyberdyne.

[Kikinchikin]

Time to call in Joanna Dark, I think. (Datadyne)

[Mag-Mower]

Originally Posted by Infernus

Falacy.

Edit: Explanation:

First some backstory: The little bit of the mayan mythology that I remember from my days researching for Earth and Beyond tells me that the Popol Vuh or the "Book of the Community" says we are living in the fourth creation. The Popol Vuh describes the first three creations that the gods failed in making, and the creation of the successful fourth world where men were placed. The Maya beleived that the fourth world was to end in cataclysm and the 5th world would be created to signal the end to mankind. The end of the 13th Baktun is supposd to have great importance to the maya, and it is beleived to be the end of the world.

According to the mayan calander this creation began (in long count) 0.0.0.0.0 or August 11, 3114 BC. Another 13.0.0.0.0 will occur on December 12, 2012 signifying the end of this the last creation supposedly. Only it doesn't. Thats an abbreviated date... the mayans usually abbreviated their dates to the last 5 vigesimal places. The full date for the end of this creation is actually 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13 .13.13.13.0.0.0.0.

We know that 13.0.0.0.0 is not the end because a prediction of the date 1.0.0.0.0.0 (October 13, 4772) was found at the Palenque ruins. Classical Mayans didn't think the world would end at the end of the 13th baktun. They only thought something important would happen.

By the way. The Mayans rounded to the first 5 numbers of long count since it was more then enough to express dates... with something like 5000 solar years covered. In theory the mayan calander can continue forever by adding 1 to the highest-order place and calling the day that number.

Edit2: Theres a lot of information missing, and its really hard to understand without a lot of it. Thats basically most of what I remember from researching the aliens in Earth and Beyond (which ended up being all for naught as the aliens were much more aztec based.)

Ah, well, thanks for making me confused . Ill probably look up some stuff on wiki. But it was nice to have an explanation of sorts.

[OneManArmy]

I think the world will end the day before Team Fortress 2 comes out.

[Mag-Mower]

Originally Posted by OneManArmy

I think the world will end the day before Team Fortress 2 comes out.

I have given up hope for TF2/TFC:S, Ill just go with fortress forever... Valve sucks...

[AztecWarrior]

I'll admit it: I'm so much of a geek I was physically scared when I read Wikipedia's entry on the end of the world, listing the dozens of ways Earth is predicted to pretty much get destroyed. I'll chime in on my thoughts about the Apocalypse:

The basic fact is that Earth is doomed. In about 3 billion years, the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies will collide. Imagine trying to fly through a hail storm without hitting one single piece of ice. Yeah. Failing that, in 5 or 6 billion years, the Sun will go Red Giant and completely envelop us. Even if we move Earth out of the way, it will lose energy over time and eventually shut off for good and we all freeze.

There are various less probable scenarios: Meteor impacts are extremely likely. A large one (>1 Km, says Wikipedia) will probably kill us all. However, I believe that our technology is advancing fast enough to the point where in the near future (or even in the present) we will be able to detect and somehow destroy or deflect any incoming meteor.

Ice ages will happen eventually but I do not believe that this will kill off *all* of humanity.

Before any of this happens, it is more probable that we will kill ourselves. I don't forsee nuclear war in the future with any country, China included. In any case, a few cities might go up due to terrorism or a reigonal war in India or Pakistan, but this wouldn't be enough to kill everyone (unless you're some sort of liberal, in which case one nuclear explosion will kill everything EVER because War Is Not Healthy For Children And Other Living Things). The fact is, this isn't the Cold War. There is one superpower, the USA. Logic dictates that you don't enter a fight you can't win. China has 300-some nukes and shoddy delivery systems. Russia has the most but I can't forsee them becoming our archrival again. Our most serious threat from nukes is terrorism, not a DEFCON 1 war.

I personally don't buy Global Warming, though it is very credible and if true (and the events have already been set in motion) is quite a dangerous theory indeed. Science might backfire: a fusion reactor or leaked antimatter might go on to combust with massive amounts of matter, creating a rather large explosive reaction, or some sort of virus or self-replicating nanotechnological robot might consume us all.

I think the most serious threat to us all is dysgenics, or anti-evolution. Look at me. I can't see very well at a medium distance, and not very well at all at a far distance. I'm mildly overweight and not very strong by any means. 200,000 years ago I'd be saber-toothed tiger food. Now, I can shoot any tiger with a high-power rifle and the debate is over. Natural selection, right? Homo Sapiens beats Panthera Tigris, GG?

Biologically, we're screwed. Unless we can come up with some way to edit our genetic codes (at this point, this is unthinkable, the moral concerns are too numerous) to continue evolving, our bodies might well decay over generations. Myopia cases are rising. Since we have conveniences like firearms, advanced medical healthcare, vehicles, etc. humans are no longer required to compete physically to survive. I will pass on my fat, blind, but smart genes to my children.

So yeah, I hope we can think up something to stop that.