Is humanity on the verge of extinction? - By: Red.eVolution

On history channel I watched recently a program regarding big disasters plaguing our planet Earth. Human races been wiped out from Earth's face by different cataclysmic scenarios such as asteroids, comets, gamma ray bursts, and also after recalling all those movies portraying Earth on the verge of extinction by deceases, asteroid impacts, atomic disasters, and by the "danger of global warming". All these terrifying and apocalyptic scenarios, have puzzled me, leaving me with many questions:

All these "Mega Disasters" are, a real scenario on humans path evolution? Meteors, comets, and asteroids can they really destroy human civilizations the same way they wipe out the dinosaurs? Has humanity a long overdue with fate, for a total cataclysmic disaster? And in the end, can humanity survive and recover from it? I'll try to summarize all my answers in one block.

Asteroids, comets, prophets of doom.

Hundreds of thousands of asteroids have been discovered within the solar system every month. The Earth has gone through periods of abrupt and catastrophic change, some due to the impact of large asteroids and comets on the planet. Until recently dinosaurs were considered to have died off gradually. The recent discovery of the impact from a large asteroid or comet on the Yucatan peninsula, had scientists think its size and timing make it, the culprit that would explain the demise of the dinosaurs. Earth been plagued by such events since is creation, is well known. So that in the end humanity is indeed, steering on the path of such cataclysmic scenarios in the near future. Can we avoid it? That depends on our technology.

Gamma ray bursts.

Gamma ray bursts, something which I learned from the history channel. From many disasters impelling on us, this one seems that has came out from a science fiction movie, but the threat is real, even if it has a very low probability to ever happened is another threat to add in the cataclysmic events list. And if "I hope in the most far future possible" this will ever happen, there is any chance of survival? No, there is none! Supernova'gamma-ray bursts announce the demise of the most massive stars in the universe, and hypothetically if Earth was on any of these path, for our world would be the end.

Contagious diseases.

Avian Infectious Diseases, is another emerging infectious disease, which threats humanity survival. Many are concerned that the Bird flu virus will mutate and trigger a human pandemic. Will this decease spreading world-wide like a fire, cause human populations to decline dramatically, or all together end human civilization as we know? Contagious diseases like the bubonic plague which spread in Europe in the 1347s, and causing after five years, 25 million of dead people "one-third of Europe's population". There were three major epidemics - in the 6th, 14th, and 17th centuries, the total death toll was 137 million victims. These diseases can take their toll of human lives, but in the end we'll survive them.

Atomic disasters.

Atomic disasters such as nuclear melt-downs, or a nuclear wars.Right now, looks like the big players on the "nuclear war" contest, have realized the impossibility to win an atomic war, and "wishfully" they are refraining themselves from ever actuate this threat.

Global warming.

Adding one more at the list is global warming. Global warming is not the least of all threats to be dismissed. I believe global warming is one serious threat to be reckoned with in the near future, and dealing with it in time, may be one solution.

All these disasters or near disasters will in the end have an impact in the human evolution and history for sure. We can deal with some of them right now, by modifying our own behaviors, others are in God's hands.

About the Author

Red.eVolution-My Window In The World A view of the world around us. http://mywindowintheworld.blogspot.com/

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