Asteroid Impact: 2012 it will miss but 2020 it may hit

[DarkyPwnz]

Well now we have a good place to fire all those nukes at.

[warita]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

Considering the timespan on hand, the best logical and economical step in which current technology offers us in the face of this somewhat inevitable disaster is to build huge underground bunkers.

Start getting used to stone and dirt diet.... if you dig deep enough, you could spice it up with some minerals and ores.

[Nightbat®]

Originally Posted by warita

Start getting used to stone and dirt diet.... if you dig deep enough, you could spice it up with some minerals and ores.

With a few million people in bunkers, I think I could find a few tasty enough

[monsta666]

Another potential threat to Earth and its inhabitants would come from gamma ray bursts. When a giant star were to collapses it emits a large burst of gamma rays. If a big star were to collapse in our galaxy and those gamma rays were directed in the direction of Earth the radiation would have catastrophic effects on life. To give you an idea of the effects it is said a 10 second burst of gamma radiation from such an event would be enough to deplete 25% of the Earth's ozone layer. And lets not forget the severe radiation sickness people would suffer from this exposure to radiation. On top of all that the radiation could react with oxygen, nitrogen and nitrogen dioxide which could result in photochemical smog so it could lead to climate change too. Not sure even bunkers would be enough to protect you from such an event. Fortunately these events only occur once every 5 million years.

[Endless Soul]

Well with bursts of gamma rays, wouldn't that lead to, you know, zombie outbreaks?

Endless "Doomed" Soul

[GDB]

Gamma rays? Hulk outbreaks, maybe.

[Endless Soul]

Hulk zombies then?

Endless "Still doomed" Soul

[Ithekro]

One would thing parts per billion in Gamma Rays verses our planetary raditation belts and the system's heliosphere would be insignificant at these distances. Wouldn't see need as fairly large star to become black hole near us for that to happen ("near" being a relative term).

[Dhomochevsky]

We are pretty far out and alone in our region of the milky way.
There is no candidate for such an event anywhere near us.

There was that event during the middle ages, when a supernova apparently lit the night sky to almost day level for some days. But those stars that are near us, don't do much more than that would they explode. And the ones that would do more, are far enough away.
Radiation from a super nova can be distributed asymetrcial, but that's far from being directional.

Those directional bursts are thought to come from gas falling into a black hole.

[monsta666]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

One would thing parts per billion in Gamma Rays verses our planetary raditation belts and the system's heliosphere would be insignificant at these distances. Wouldn't see need as fairly large star to become black hole near us for that to happen ("near" being a relative term).

There is a theory albeit a minority theory that the second largest extinction event on Earth which occurred about 450-440 million years ago was caused by a gamma ray burst. This gamma ray burst originated from a hypernova that was about 6,000 light years from Earth. So gamma rays could effect Earth although since the theory is not so mainstream it can be disputed. What is more likely is the radiation could be bad enough to cause electrical failures which could have profound impacts. For example if the whole electric grid went down it could result in a meltdown in some nuclear power plant.

I am sure there are a million other ways you can cook up how we can all die! Problem is that while it is true these doomsayers have been wrong many times it is also true that those doomsayers only need to be right once for all of us to be screwed.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

Hulk zombies then?

Endless "Still doomed" Soul

No, just Hulks. But everyone would be affected by the rays differently, so we might get some normal humans, some radiated humans, some zombies, and some Hulks. Therefore, prepare for Hulks vs Zombies!

[Solace]

Originally Posted by monsta666

Problem is that while it is true these doomsayers have been wrong many times it is also true that those doomsayers only need to be right once for all of us to be screwed.

"Ha! I told you so!"
"...."
"Crap."

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

Have to wonder if the general public would be told flat out if their was a big hunk of rock definately going to hit. If you look at the panic and stuff that consumes the world in those disaster movies, it wouldn't be all that surprising if we weren't told if nothing can be done. Governments wouldn't want anarchy, since people would just stop giving a shit most likely. Unless people just didn't believe it and continued on day by day until the fiery end, a sharp increase in crime would be the least of things.

What would you do if you were told two days from now most life on the planet will die, and more death to follow in the years to come from fallout? Looting spree? Revenge on those that wronged you? Climb a mountain for some zen thoughts? Say 'screw it' and get back on the computer for some last time gaming?

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Mr Hat and Clogs

Have to wonder if the general public would be told flat out if their was a big hunk of rock definately going to hit. If you look at the panic and stuff that consumes the world in those disaster movies, it wouldn't be all that surprising if we weren't told if nothing can be done. Governments wouldn't want anarchy, since people would just stop giving a shit most likely. Unless people just didn't believe it and continued on day by day until the fiery end, a sharp increase in crime would be the least of things.

What would you do if you were told two days from now most life on the planet will die, and more death to follow in the years to come from fallout? Looting spree? Revenge on those that wronged you? Climb a mountain for some zen thoughts? Say 'screw it' and get back on the computer for some last time gaming?

There was a movie that explored those questions.

Last Night

Endless "Going out in style" Soul

[Nightbat®]

What would you do if you were told two days from now most life on the planet will die

Grab a beer, sit back in a comfy seat and wait for the fireworks to start

Then, if I'd survive the disaster, I get up from my seat and start looking for means of survival

Shelter, food, water, fuel, and LOTS OF WEAPONS


Because people are gonna do EVERYTHING to survive, rob/kill you for clothes/food

Or they're gonna form a community, which will get a pickingorder not much unlike a wolfpack
and don't think you're getting a fresh start with 'rightious' leaders either
the meanest and baddest WILL try to take power (and most likely succeed)
where the alphas will be in a struggle against the betas, and omegas end up the whippingboys of everyone

"Mad Max" and "Waterworld" aren't far from the truth there

[Dhomochevsky]

Well humans can only survive if they coorporate and cooperation is built into our nature.
We would still do that, just in smaller groups than today.
That's where we came from, so it's what we will fall back to again.
The visions of marauding bikers from Mad Max are unlikely. That's only what you get if you have an all male youth group with no connections to anyone else.
But a mixed group would behave more like a traditional tribe.
Possibly very hostile to outsiders, but not quite as crazy on the inside, as the common horde of wasteland inhabitants you see in those movies.

[Asuras]

Originally Posted by monsta666

Another potential threat to Earth and its inhabitants would come from gamma ray bursts. When a giant star were to collapses it emits a large burst of gamma rays. If a big star were to collapse in our galaxy and those gamma rays were directed in the direction of Earth the radiation would have catastrophic effects on life. To give you an idea of the effects it is said a 10 second burst of gamma radiation from such an event would be enough to deplete 25% of the Earth's ozone layer. And lets not forget the severe radiation sickness people would suffer from this exposure to radiation. On top of all that the radiation could react with oxygen, nitrogen and nitrogen dioxide which could result in photochemical smog so it could lead to climate change too. Not sure even bunkers would be enough to protect you from such an event. Fortunately these events only occur once every 5 million years.

The chances that a gamma ray burst just happens to be aimed at our puny rock in the vastness of space is so incredibly slim, I believe we'll develop psychokinesis before it happens. Which is to say, never.

[monsta666]

Originally Posted by Asuras

The chances that a gamma ray burst just happens to be aimed at our puny rock in the vastness of space is so incredibly slim, I believe we'll develop psychokinesis before it happens. Which is to say, never.

Yes the chances are very slim but it is still interesting to know about the ways the world could end. I think if there is to be a catastrophe it would be grounded in some sort of man made disaster such as a nuclear disaster, some big war or economic collapse etc.

[erneiz_hyde]

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

Well humans can only survive if they coorporate and cooperation is built into our nature.
We would still do that, just in smaller groups than today.
That's where we came from, so it's what we will fall back to again.
The visions of marauding bikers from Mad Max are unlikely. That's only what you get if you have an all male youth group with no connections to anyone else.
But a mixed group would behave more like a traditional tribe.
Possibly very hostile to outsiders, but not quite as crazy on the inside, as the common horde of wasteland inhabitants you see in those movies.

Interesting. Though, that is a scenario of "civilization as we know it has ended" aka "post-apocalyptic world", and not "what would you do if in two days the most life will die". Though indeed it's a more interesting idea to explore because the latter will pretty much only result in chaos and anarchy.

I don't watch those movies, but personally I think that "the mad bikers are unlikely" is a little too trusting towards human nature. Even in stable times, we already have rebellious groups marauding around. At times of chaos, these people would likely start alone at first, but will later get absorbed in larger groups as they move about (for the WAAAGH! ). So they ARE cooperating, forming one kind of community, just in a very destructive way. Even if they would ultimately be smaller in number than the "normal" communities, they are pretty much guaranteed to exist, at least for quite some time. I agree though that "normal" communities will function pretty much like how you described. And I might add that if you throw in "scarce resources" in the equation, even clashes between "normal" communities would eventually occur to secure control of said resources for themselves.

One thing I'm curious is how quick civilization will get to where it was after such a condition. It would most certainly take centuries to replace the population, but I wonder if the technologies will be salvaged sooner than that.

[Vexx]

You'd have both... the agrarian type mixed tribes.... who might be soon "co-opted" by biker warlord "king and his knight barons" (which is pretty much how the Dark Ages worked -- we won't slaughter you too bad maybe protect you from other gangs, you give us 50% of your product - oh and we get first dibs on women on their wedding day).