Apocalypse: the Three Most Realistic Theories
In the span of history, a lot of people, religions and scientists have predicted the Apocalypse, the end of the world. There are thousands of different theories, but most of them are very, very unlikely to ever occur. But, a few of those theories do actually make some sense. Here are the three most realistic theories.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine…
In the span of history, many different people, religions and scientists have predicted the Apocalypse, the end of the world. There are thousands of different theories, but most of them are very, very unlikely to ever occur. But, a few of those theories do actually make some sense. Here are the three most sensible theories:
Theory 1: A giant meteor
Millions of years ago, when our planet was still one big magma ball, it was continuously being bombarded with meteors. Later on, less and less meteors hit planet Earth, though several large ones have had severe consequences, like the one that once extinct the dinosaurs. There is a chance that a meteor of that size could crash on earth again. Could be in five thousand year, but it could also be tomorrow. If the meteor is over 10km (about 6.2mi) in span, it would destroy most of the life on our planet. Everything within a range of around one thousand kilometres would be incinerated immediately. But the worst effect of the impact would be a sort of nuclear winter. The crash sends huge amounts of debris into the atmosphere. These will block the suns rays, causing a temporary ice age that will kill all remaining life forms.
Theory 2: A gamma ray burst
Though this is a very realistic theory, not many people know about it. When a huge stars dies, it will implode in its own core, creating a black hole), they emit an enormous amount of gamma radiation. Currently, this phenomenon only occurs in distant galaxies, however this may change. If a star within 10,000 light years dies and sends out a gamma ray burst, and if that star’s axis is tilted towards our planet, we die instantly. The side of the earth that is disposed to the radiation directly will incinerate completely within 10 seconds. Next, the radiation (try imagining a million of nuclear power plants without the concrete around them) will change very single atom in the atmosphere and on the ground, turning them radioactive. Shortly after, everything on the other side of the earth dies of the huge amount of radioactive atoms degenerating and emitting radiation themselves.
Theory 3: A super volcano
Several super volcanoes have erupted in history, for example during the Permian Triassic era. The eruption destroyed 95% of all life on Earth. An area comparable to the United States would be covered in lava. Next to that, the volcano would pump huge amounts of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. This also causes a nuclear winter, just like the meteor did. But, in addition, the volcano will spew out chlorine compounds. These break down the ozone layer, exposing us to the sun’s deadly UV rays. It’s quite interesting that there is actually a super volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park. It erupts every 600,000 years on average, and surprisingly, the last eruption was about 640,000 years ago. To make things even scarier, scientists have seen Yellowstone’s ground level rise several centimetres over the past century.
How can we survive?
In case of a gamma ray burst, don’t mind, there’s absolutely no chance of survival since everything is radioactive. The only chance you would have is when you are in a bunker whose walls are about a mile thick. And you would never be able to surface.
In case of the meteor, get yourself to a bunker on the right side of the planet straight away. Take water, food and other supplies for five years. After those five years, the atmosphere should be cleared a bit, enough for plants and trees to grow. Now the problem is that everything is dead. Luckily, there is one place where you will be able to get your seeds. Norway has built a bunker over 400 feet under the Earth and stacked it with seeds from all plant species all over the world. Go to that bunker, get the seeds, learn how to be a farmer and replant the world. Next you might want to start communicating and repopulating with other groups of survivors. The bunker is located on the island of Spitsbergen and is built next to an airport. You can try taking an airplane, there’s not really going to be anyone needing it anyway.
Lastly, in case of the volcano, if it destroys the ozone layer, you don’t even stand a chance. If it does not, or only partially, destroys the layer, best is doing the same as with the meteor impact.
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11 Responses to “Apocalypse: the Three Most Realistic Theories”
On December 16, 2008 at 12:47 pm
This is all well and good, except for one problem. The concept of Apocalypse is not the death of humans. It’s the end of the world (In this definition of world, Earth and Universe can readily be exchanged).
In the first theory, the giant meteor, you remind us of the meteorite that “extincted” the dinosaurs. It might have killed the dinosaurs, the largest living animals at the time, but if it killed everything, than why are there fossils from after that? If everything died, life would have to rebegin, taking faaaar longer than it has. Meteorites would just kill most life. Not even close to all.
The second idea, a gamma ray burst, was actually close. It would more than likely kill everything. Except for small microbes that would be able to withstand such intense radiation. You should give life more credit. It didn’t make it this far to be destroyed so easily. It’d just adapt and renew itself.
And a super volcano? That wouldn’t even kill all humans, let alone all life and even the world! A landmass the size of the U.S. gone? Woopdedingy. We still have the rest of the world.
Have a nice day- Grant
On December 17, 2008 at 3:42 am
I am sure you will write a happier story on the 25th of the month
dragonfly 178
On December 17, 2008 at 9:09 am
Hi Grant,
Thanks for your (rather criticising) comment, I would like to reply something:
In the chapter Apocalypse in the holy Bible, planet Earth itself does not get destroyed, only man.
1) Fossils are created when the corpses of animals or other things are covered with for example ice and seperated from fresh air. That way, their remains do not decay and will eventually turn into stone.
2) It might indeed be possible for some organisms to survive, but we as humans will not be able to.
3) As I state in the last paragraph about how we might be able to survive, we can indeed survive the volcano (and the meteor) if we are properly prepared. But even then, very large parts of all civilisations will be destroyed
–
Hi dragonfly!
Though this text may seem (quite) a little negative, I myself do not really feel worried, as the chance of these events actually occuring is next to zero.
A happy Christmas to you and everybody else anyway!
DwarfPope
On January 29, 2009 at 8:42 am
Hello
Describing the chance as ‘next to zero’ is a little over the top. There’s every chance something similar to those things you have outlined COULD happen and any of them COULD occur within seconds of me writing this. However, physicians, geologists, experts in any of the appropriate fields can predict thousands of years in advance and can still be wrong by a millenium or more. This is being the case, people should stop using the internet to spread, for lack of a better word, conspiracy theories which have little or no underlying scientific fact.
That may sound hypocritical, me saying yes it could but, dont talk about it, but Im not saying it cant happen. Im just saying that a lot of what you’re implying needs a hell of a lot more research and evidence to be considered credible. I have heard too many differing dates for the Mayan 2012s so called Apocalypse to even consider it a possibility. And as for the Hadron Collider, what a load of over exaggerated rubbish.
It seems to me too much of what is working its way around is just hypercondria and propaganda and until something obvious makes itself known, everything outlined seems to lack any sort of proof.
Love C
On March 5, 2009 at 1:39 am
This is gay
On March 5, 2009 at 1:40 am
Who would believe this bullcrap
On March 19, 2009 at 5:00 am
jay if you dont like it
then why are you on here….
shut the hell up!!
On March 20, 2009 at 10:55 am
Thanks for the comments everyone!
Fans may also like: Parallel universes, science-fiction or plain facts?
http://www.scienceray.com/Philosophy-of-Science/Parallel-Universes-Science-fiction-or-Plain-Facts.380097
DwarfPope
On May 5, 2009 at 5:11 pm
There are various theories out there as to how the world will come to an end… and really… who is right? Everyone who forms an opinion usually believes that they are right and the others are wrong- therefore, if everyone is right, then who is wrong? None of us have answers- we have opinions, science, religion and faith/belief that our stories are true or we hope so (hope being not an optimistic view here seeing as how we are discussing the apocalypse :p) I believe in Biblical prophecy, that’s my opinion, but I am ALSO a VERY open minded person and will step up and say that who really knows they answers or the possibilities? ANYTHING is possible. Is it all mathematics? Is it scientific? Are the poles changing? Will God finally have His say? The whole purpose of this is one person’s opinion about the most likely to occur in their mind- please, don’t ostracize someone for an opinion because you have your very own and bear in mind that others could think that yours are “bullcrap.” I think anything can/will happen… Except 2012- I do not believe in that- MY opinion… I digress, however. Oh, and life isn’t all optimism- sure, the world is dark enough as it is, but you can’t ignore the darkness completely, while you shouldn’t dwell either- it was an opinion.
On January 17, 2010 at 1:04 am
I know that it is pretty much as unlikely as all of the above (probably more), but I’m surprised that no-one has yet mentioned a drug-resistent strain of a disease. Think of the SARS epidemic, and how fast it spread. H1-N1 even; a disease starting in Mexico and being diagnosed in hundreds of cases around the world in a matter of weeks. Tourists will be the death of us, so to speak. With all our travelers going around picking up diseases and bringing em back to wherever they came from, it just makes epidemics so much more plausable. Its only time until some virus mutates and becomes so much more of a pain in the arse…unless the gamma-rays get there first ^^
On February 4, 2010 at 9:49 am
I DONT BELIEVE IN THE FIRST THEORY OF BIG METEORS HITTING EARTH….RATHER I BELIEVE IN SUPER VOLCANOES AND THE GAMMA RAY….
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