Earth. A planet far enough away from the sun not to be scorched by blazing hot temperatures, yet not too far away that its landscape would be frozen solid by freezing cold temperatures. It’s the one planet in the Sol System that can support human life. A planet that was once completely barren, not unlike any other moon or asteroid in the galaxy. There’s no question that we as a society have evolved since our more primitive days. But has all of this evolution and progress been in vain? That’s what this topic is meant to find out.

“All good things must come to an end.” The quote applies to relationships, to your favorite hamburger, to your best friends, and sadly, also to the planet Earth itself. There’s been much discussion amongst the scientific community, as well as amongst ordinary people, regarding how the human race will come to an end. There are many theories – some of which are more sensible than others. Not to be a pessimist, but however which way you look at it, the end will come. Whether it’s sooner or later, however, entirely depends on how we as a society act in the present.

Following are the 5 main theories regarding how the human civilization will meet its end.

Alien Invasion

Alright, so this theory is a long-shot, but it can’t entirely be ruled out. It’s almost a well-known fact that our race cannot be the only one in existence in the entire universe. There are obviously other civilizations in the galaxy – we just haven’t yet made contact with them. However, one aspect we can all agree upon is the fact that we won’t know whether these “aliens” will be hostile or peaceful until first contact is made.

It was just recently revealed that a massive ground-based satellite will begin construction in South Africa and Australia in 2012. Once construction is completed by the year 2020, scientists will be able to pick up even the slightest radio-waves coming from space. This will allow us to finally determine if there are other sentient beings in the universe, and if so, allow us to communicate with them. Talk about the advancement of technology, huh?

Collision Course

How we have evaded being struck by a meteor for so long has eluded my mind. Nevertheless, it has happened once in the past and it resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs. If it ever happens again, it’ll result in the extinction of several billion humans.

Disease

We still haven’t cured all of the numerous identifiable diseases on this planet, never mind the unidentifiable ones. Heck, we still don’t have a cure against the common cold. You know that flu vaccine that’s massively advertised on television each Christmas? What the advertisers don’t tell you is that the inoculation only protects you against 4 viral strains of the flu. There are over 150 known strains of the flu in total. That means that based upon 150 strains, you’re getting a vaccine that only protects you against 3% of them. And don’t forget about the side-effects too, such as the several people who die each year because of either being allergic to the flu vaccine, or because it conflicts with their body’s natural immune system.

Many scientists have determined that if a terrorist group were to unleash a biological weapon to attack us, we would have no defense against it. Think of it like the gas chambers the Jews were forced into in World War 2. It would be instantaneous death amongst the general population.

Radiation

No, I’m not talking about the radiation from nuclear power plants or nuclear missiles, though that is a problem nonetheless. I’m referring to the O-Zone layer and the fact that it’s rapidly depleting. Whether you agree upon the concept of “Global Warming” or not, the O-Zone layer is becoming thinner and thinner each year. Although we may be able to slow its rate of depletion, we will never be able to restore it to its original strength.

To use an appropriate analogy, think of the O-Zone layer as a shield. Once that shield loses power, we fall victim to attack by our enemy. Except in this case, it’s the sun’s radiation that will “attack” us.

World War 3

We’ve already suffered through two global wars. Now that practically every major country has nuclear weapons at their disposal, we wouldn’t stand a chance in hell of surviving should a third world war erupt on our planet between rivaling factions.

A Definite End to Life on Earth

Should our civilization manage to survive an alien invasion, a collision by a meteor, a deadly disease, the radiation emitted by a depleting O-Zone layer, AND the nuclear holocaust that will present itself in World War 3, we still have one other problem. Unfortunately, unlike the past 5 scenarios, this one cannot be avoided.

Instead of beating around the bush, I’ll just get straight to the point. All of our scientists can agree on one concept: eventually, the sun in our galaxy will burn out. It won’t be in our lifetime, or in the lifetimes of our children or grandchildren. However, whether it’s in 1,000 years, 10,000 years, 1 million years, or 10 million years, it will happen. And once the sun goes, we go too, because this planet will freeze up faster than a hot-dog left out on an iceberg in the Antarctic. What’s the worst part about this? There is absolutely nothing we can do to prevent it.

If the human race still exists when that time comes, we’ll have no other option but to find another solar system to live in, because all of the planets in this one will freeze over, including Mars (which has been the most habitable planet we have discovered thus far). That means we’ll need to develop some method of interstellar travel and find the real version of “Alpha Centauri.”

It kind of makes you wonder about your current goals in life, doesn’t it? Imagine girls on the beach yelling, “OMIGOSH! My tan is like, so darker than yours!” (reference to “Goombella” in Paper Mario) even though it doesn’t really matter since they won’t be around for more than 2 centuries anyway. And when they die, it’s not as if they can take their 18-year-old tanned bodies to heaven. Talk about issues.

Anyways, my point is, we should take a more active interest in how the decisions we make in the present will influence the outcome of events in the future. Because ultimately, if we just stand idly by and do nothing at all, it will result in our own demise.

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