The Mayans predicted it, Chicken Little felt it, the movie industry has made millions from it and scientists have been debating it for decades: the end of the world.
According to nationalgeographic.com, our impending demise could come due to anything from global warming to the death of bees. Here are some of the possible ends to our world.
Asteroid Impact
This already happened to the dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago, meaning Earth is overdue for its next collision. Would an immediate vaporization of all life forms be preferable versus another option? At least it would be quick.
“An asteroid collision is possible,” English teacher Kevin Brown said. “It could happen in my lifetime.”
In this scenario the dominant life form, humans, would face immediate extinction, sending waves of destruction around the world.
Global Climate Change
We are already beginning to see the detrimental climate shift. Polar bears are drowning, earthquakes are rocking our world and remember when we had four feet of snow that barricaded us in our houses for a week? If this continues, we could be under water, snow or acid in years to come.
“Because of all the blizzards and earthquakes, I seriously think the end is near,” junior Jasmine Song said. “This is only my feeling based on [current] environmental conditions.”
Although it may be starting small, the climate shift could soon lead to extreme floods, unending droughts, large hurricanes, melted glaciers and acid-filled oceans. Due to human contributions to pollution and a natural climate change, the Earth may become so uninhabitable that it will not be able to support any life forms.
Deadly Epidemic
Picture the terror of swine flu times ten. Disease has been plaguing our planet since the beginning of mankind; large epidemics in history such as polio, small pox and the recent H1N1 debacle are just a taste of the potential disaster that could ensue. If a massive epidemic breaks out that we could not control, the human species as we know it might struggle to survive.
Although some people may not trust human medical advancements, others are hopeful about our future.
“I think if we survived the swine flu we can survive anything,” senior Ale Martinez said.
Death of Bees
Everyone knows that bees give us honey, but not everyone knows that 30 percent of the world’s food relies on bee activity. It sounds crazy that bees could bring the world to an end, but if we do not help our buzzing friends, there will be mass food shortages in the future.
Paired with the Earth’s ever-increasing population, a food shortage would inevitably lead to a struggle for survival.
According to nationalgeographic.com, in the winter of 2008, 36 percent of the commercial beehives in the US succumbed to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a syndrome in which all of a colony’s worker bees mysteriously die off, leaving a lone queen wandering around the hive. If this is any hint as to the future of bees, then we are in some serious trouble.
Solar Maximum
According to Astronomy and Earthspace Science teacher Clint Sandford, the earth is reaching its solar maximum activity.
A solar maximum is the period of greatest solar activity in the sun’s cycle. The last solar maximum occurred in 1859, which completely knocked out the telegraph system.
According to Sandford, another one of these could cut off communications altogether.
“Every eleven years the solar system flairs, the sun gets really hot and [it] acts up in very bad ways,” Sandford said. “It could put a serious dent in the way we live.”
Although it is not proven that the end of the world is coming, these possibilities do shed light on the way people may think about the future.
With this in mind, go out and confess your feelings to your true love, go bungee jumping and get a tattoo, because you never know when it could come to an end.
