nirakar:
Genetically engineered plague sponsored by terrorists for any ideology, governments, organized racists or pharmaceutical corporations is also a strong possibility.
With modern medicine, even an epidemic is unlikely in the civilized world. Considering the barbarous conditions of the backwards third world, a plague there is likely, and potentially even beneficial - in the long term - for the population. It'd weed out the weak, bring to fore the strong, and produce surplus. Of course, it would come at the price of massive amounts of misery, but still.
Even in the unlikely worst case scenario there is debate over what would happen if all nuclear weapons on earth were fired. Some people would probably survive. Nuclear power plants might also melt down when their opperators are dead and their wires melted from the nuclear bombs. The earth would be degraded as a environment for humans for 10,000 years but humans can survive in harsh environments.
Nuclear winter conditions actually only last for 3 or so years, maximum. The natural filtering processes are very potent. MOreover, there are many areas which would be freed of the ill effects, specificallyt he most remote, and sheltered areas, such as Switzerland.
Anarchy regardless of what caused the anarchy could destroy the economy and send people back to the stone age. Civilization has collapsed before. When you don't know how to feed yourself you steal. If the people who know how to feed themselves won't share you kill them and take thier food. People need to know more things and be smarter in order to survive in the stone age than they need to know to survive in the modern era. Now you can do one skill all day long year after year and then trade that skill for the right to take things from the super market. If anarchy pushed us back to the stone age (+ the left over modern stuff) most of us would quickly die.
The problem with this, is that it generally requires something like an invasion, or horrific war, to start off with. This is unlikely to happen now a days. There are no Huns to ride from the Steppes against our Roman Empire. The closest we have is terrorism.
Quantum Quack:
Whilst I don't realy wish to get into prophecy, a good example of possible social outcomes can be seen in the movie/book, The Postman.
Good film.
Prince, I think you are quite right. Humans will always be "human". Their knowledge base may get larger but still they will be as they always have been, just maybe a little more mature. [ emotionally ]
There is no doubt in my mind that there are pivotal times ahead of us. A culminant point in human destiny if you like...but we will remain essentially "human" regrdless. [ using your context Prince]
I am quite glad you agree with my main premise! But define "pivotal" a bit? For whilst I agree that there will be changes and such things, the degree to which they shall be "pivotal" I question. That is, at least to those undergoing them.
