World Question

[kdbug93]

Hi everyone,

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but does anyone have any ideas about what will happen when the world ends?

[SuperPigeon]

It isn't stupid.

Anything could happen. A super nova could pass through the atmosphere heating the seas to boiling point which melts are skin off e.t.c e.t.c.

An alien race may destroy our planet

An alien race may destroy our planet for a hyper space bypass as in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Only your imagination creates boundaries of what may destroy our world.

[kdbug93]

Yeah, I guess your right about that. Anything could happen. Who knows? Maybe we won't need our planet any more and we'll all live in space. Anything's a likely possibility. But what ever destroys this planet I'm thankful I won't be alive for it.

[Loosehead]

In roughly 1000,000,000 years our sun will have exhausted all it's fuel. The sun will expand to a red giant for a relatively short period. Mercury and venus will be ingulfed and the earth will quickly become a cinder, oceans will boil away and all life will end. As our sun is a relatively low mass the outer layers of the sun will be blown off in a Nova, a much gentler version of a supernova. the remaining part of the sun will shrink under gravity to become a white dwarf and will burn dimly for a short time before cooling into a lifeless dense cinder. But don't worry plenty of time!

Of course there are many other ways that life on earth may be wiped out before then, and my money is on mankind itself being the cause of that!

[MargeB]

<caution, post contains pessimism>

If you are referring to 'the world of humans' as opposed to 'The Universe' or 'Earth', I would say, sorry, we have not got long to go. Just look at global warfare...everyone is kicking everyone else's a55, all the time. Combine this with the onward march of technology, and within 100 years nukes will be commonplace and obtainable on ebay. It won't be a couple of planes flown into buildings, it'll be someone setting off nukes in major cities.

Sorry...its not looking good.

[fo3nix]

"when" the world ends.

you seem to know something more than the rest of us ;)

[kdbug93]

Your probably right. I should have said IF not WHEN. :P But from everything I know some day the sun is supposed ot burn out. I'd asume something will happen, I just wanted to know others oppions. :)

[brachiopod]

The sun is about halfway through its hydrogen fusing process before it turns red giant, so that means the Earth has about another 4.5 - 5 billion years (4,500,000,000 - 5,000,000,000 a.) before it gets it.

Loosehead - you had me all in a panic for a moment. There I was thinking it was going to happen alot sooner than I had previously thought, and wondering whether I should stop paying the mortgage and cancel the milk.
;o)

[georgit79]

Nothing, because it will be over, won't it?

[Loosehead]

Ok Brachio, I couldn't remember the actual amount of time, so we've got longer, great!