does this mean they will stop whining about globull warming now???
Posted on 05/05/2013 7:59:36 PM PDT by presidio9
The crazy man walking down the city street holding a sign that reads “The end is near” might just have a point.
A team of mathematicians, philosophers and scientists at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute say there is ever-increasing evidence that the human race’s reliance on technology could, in fact, lead to its demise.
The group has a forthcoming paper entitled “Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority,” arguing that we face a real risk to our own existence. And not a slow demise in some distant, theoretical future. The end could come as soon as the next century.
"There is a great race on between humanity’s technological powers and our wisdom to use those powers well," institute director Nick Bostrom told MSN. "I’m worried that the former will pull too far ahead."
There’s something about the end of the world that we just can’t shake. Even with the paranoia of 2012 Mayan prophecies behind us, people still remain fascinated by the potential for an extinction-level event. And popular culture is happy to indulge in our anxiety. This year alone, two major comedy films are set to debut (“The World’s End” and “This is the End”), which take a humorous look at the end-of-the-world scenarios.
For its part, NASA released a series of answers in 2012 to frequently asked questions about the end of the world.
Interestingly, Bostrom writes that well-known threats, such as asteroids, supervolanic eruptions and earthquakes are not likely to threaten humanity in the near future. Even a nuclear explosion isn’t likely to wipe out the entire population; enough people could survive to rebuild society.
“Empirical impact distributions and scientific models suggest that the likelihood of extinction because of these kinds of risk is extremely small on a time scale of a century or so,”
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
can I collect my 72 virgins before these experts end the world for us?
Unless there is a total world ending disaster man will live on.
We’re all gonna die! Some day.
does this mean they will stop whining about globull warming now???
As of right now, there are still humans on the planet who do not wet themselves and become hysterical when the lights go out and they can’t recharge their cell phone. A country boy can survive.
this is the biggest pile of idiot scientist steaming hoo-haa that I have ever seen. have we no better use for our taxpayer dollars?
Just get it over with...
“A country boy can survive.”
and maybe that’s for the best.
I'll trade you 72 virgins for several highly enthusiastic ex-virgins.....
sorry, but when they’re done visiting here they are all worn out...
Liberals think the world is going to end because they know what is coming with Benghazi. They want it to end.
What Me Worry?? I’ll be dead by then.
“A team of mathematicians, philosophers and scientists at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute say there is ever-increasing evidence that the human race’s reliance on technology could, in fact, lead to its demise.”
Great, now philosophers are in on the research grant gravy train. My kid is a philosophy major. I’ll have to suggest he consider graduate studies in the ontology of extinction- sounds like there’s money in it.
Only three things tend to cause species extinction.
Being so limited in their range that they become incapable of adaptation. A massive catastrophe. And finally, the most common is that a better version takes over their ecological niche.
The only almost successful mutation to humans in written history are the almost forgotten “hedgehog brothers”, a group of five brothers who were stronger, faster, and smarter than most people, and were distinguished by having extraordinarily rough skin from their knees to their navel, and thus their nickname.
Had they reproduced, their offspring would have very possibly supplanted ordinary humans unless they had been exterminated early. However, their fatal flaw was their skin, which made it extremely difficult for them to reproduce without injuring the woman.
Importantly, when a superior type enters a niche, the existing occupant species declines, and can even be said, “gives up” in the face of competition. They lose their will to compete. A phenomenon not very well understood.
A good question is would people react the same way? If a “homo superior” came along, would everyone just give up?
LOLOLOL!!!!
I have plenty of kerosine for the lamps and plenty of books I haven’t read yet, ammo locker is full up, cleaning gear has been restocked and hand sausage grinder has been lubed; I am in good shape. I will have a bumper crop out of the mixed orchard this year and the garden produces faster than I can can it. Bringer on.
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