Why do some believe Humanity will go extinct eventually?

There is a critical difference between Humanity and every other species that has vanished: we are the only ones that can know and take action. We can realize a threat before it occurs, and/or we can take action. Other species may have laid down and died, but intelligence is a saving grace for Humanity imo. This awareness of the situation leads me to believe Humanity should outlast the rest of Earth's natural life.

 

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While what you say is true, and I hope you're correct, well, forever's a long time. If we can get off this one planet and spread out across the solar system and the stars we'd have a much better chance of surviving over the very long term. Right now, we've got all our eggs in one basket.

 

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First problem is that we're nowhere close to being around as long as even some of our most recently-departed relatives. So we've got a long way to go to last longer than they did.

Second problem is that there are things we simply cannot prevent. If a star goes Supernova close enough to us, it would wipe us clean off the map and we couldn't prevent it. If an asteroid large enough was going to hit us, there's no amount of hiding we could do to stop it. WR104 is a Wolf-Rayet star that appears to be aimed right at us. When it goes nova, we're toast. And we'd have no warning, and no way of preventing it.

All of those things could happen tomorrow, for all we know. The best we can do is try to get a handle on the things we can do. But the fact is that chances are we eventually will go extinct. There are too many variables out there, too many things that would absolutely destroy us if we encountered them.

 

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True, there are dangers. But I feel that with the exponential growth of Humanity, and the further development of technology, our race should be able to outlast every other. Currently the only true danger to us is, ourselves.


And by the time the sun expands into a red giant, we should be long gone from Earth. I believe that after we settle other worlds and systems, our species should have it perfect to last forever.

 

Our nature allows for a incredible exponential growth that we 're unable to stop and that we sustain by our nature (we don't want 6 billion people we yust forever want 1 more) THis is somewhat compensated by developing new lands witch properly managed will cause serious strain on our surrounding enviroment witch will ultimatly lead to a collapse. Whill the alternative of improper managment like when agricultural grounds are being used to make fuel in stead of food it can lead to a food crisis and ultimatly situations like in sudan.

 

Yes, but a problem like overpopulation would fix itself. Eventually, while we might have a crisis, we will stabilize at a certain number which we can provide for.


Besides, soon enough within the next few centuries we should begin colonizing other worlds, maybe even before 2100.

 

Yes, let's hope we don't get hit by a big asteroid before then.

Subtext: I hope to God we do..

 

Why? We have been nothing but a blessing upon this Earth.

 

A mixed blessing at best. Besides, I'm just contrary.

Here's your opportunity to justify.

 

That's nowhere near true. There are plenty of very real dangers to our species.

I feel like I shouldn't be trying to debunk you, but the stuff you're proposing doesn't even make sense. Have it perfect to last forever? Dude...really?

Wow. OK, you know, I actually thought you were just being a dick when you said that gay marriage would bring an end to brotherhood and social interaction...but now I see you have totally got your head screwed on backwards.

We have done nothing to benefit this planet.

 

Cool

Not quite. WR-104 is too far away to worry about that. What we have to worry about—if we absolutely must worry, is that we will be precisely in the path of an unadulterated, undiminished Gamma-ray burst. (See Bad Astronomy)

Nonetheless, WR-104 does present us with a functional extinction scenario; a what-if that could (maybe) happen. So don't let me kill the party on that count.

 

There are some things that we cannot escape, like the death of our sun. Eventually we will go extinct.

Like Madanthony said, spreading across the universe will greatly enhance our chances. But, eventually, we might not persist in our current form.
If we spread across the universe we will eventually most likely evolve into a different species.

I hope we don't make it however..

 

Through intergalactic interbreeding?

 

No adaption to non-earth environments.
We also most likely have to maroon ourselves for centuries on spacecraft to get anywhere.
Some imbeciles have already suggested to genetically engineer people to be better equipped for living in space.

 

Highly doubt this would lead to us evolving into an entirely new species. Of course, you haven't specified a time-span..

 

lol ok.. I'm talking about HUGE time spans of course.
After all, we are talking about populating the universe..

 

In that case we can stay and evolve into a new species right here. (Assuming that we don't all get evaporated first). Which sort of makes your original point redundant. Was it just idle speculation?

 

I agree we will evolve here as well.
But I don't think we have is much time left here as we will have when we populate the universe.

Of course it was idle speculation

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Humans need to go though.. and I don't mean populate the universe.

 

What action would you take if you found out an asteroid was to hit the earth tomorrow?

 

Duck and cover !