Political Crossfire Forums

[Infinite911911]

Quote: When a Civilization reaches our stage of development it becomes unstable and destroys itself.

Do you believe Mankind can survive the next 100 years? I’m not sure. But what I do believe is if we do survive till then, life will look nothing how it is today.

Nuclear War, Genetic Engineering, Disease, Over Population, Climate Change all amounts to a dim future for the "smartest" creature ever to walk mother Earth. Death for Mankind won't come in the form of an Asteroid but in the form of our self doing.


Stephen Hawking addresses the question of how humanity can survive the next century. If it even can survive.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=178f89d3d9987efabcf31c6fb8364fd6.654968&cache=1

[X-Shocker]

Infinite911911 wrote: Quote: When a Civilization reaches our stage of development it becomes unstable and destroys itself.

Do you believe Mankind can survive the next 100 years? I’m not sure. But what I do believe is if we do survive till then, life will look nothing how it is today.

Nuclear War, Genetic Engineering, Disease, Over Population, Climate Change all amounts to a dim future for the "smartest" creature ever to walk mother Earth. Death for Mankind won't come in the form of an Asteroid but in the form of our self doing.


Stephen Hawking addresses the question of how humanity can survive the next century. If it even can survive.

Just need to change one thing from your list:
Nuclear War resulting from the Middle East situations.

[perdidochas]

Infinite911911 wrote: Quote: When a Civilization reaches our stage of development it becomes unstable and destroys itself.

Do you believe Mankind can survive the next 100 years? I’m not sure. But what I do believe is if we do survive till then, life will look nothing how it is today.

Nuclear War, Genetic Engineering, Disease, Over Population, Climate Change all amounts to a dim future for the "smartest" creature ever to walk mother Earth. Death for Mankind won't come in the form of an Asteroid but in the form of our self doing.


Stephen Hawking addresses the question of how humanity can survive the next century. If it even can survive.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=178f89d3d9987efabcf31c6fb8364fd6.654968&cache=1

20 yrs ago, I wasn't so sure. now, I have no doubts we'll survive. The question isn't really survival, it's conditions. Will mankind want to be alive in 100 yrs is a better question.

Widespread nuclear war isn't going to happen. Genetic engineering is a question, but I think most scientists are aware of the risk. Disease might decimate the population, but not destroy us. Overpopulation is a non-issue--chicken littles have been worried about this since the 1860s. Climate change is not going to wipe out humanity.

[TNBiologist]

Humanity will survive the next 100 years. We have something that that no other creature on this planet has ever had: abstract thought.

1. Nuclear War: I don't think fullscale nuclear war is going to happen. Maybe a isolated blast or two but humanity as a whole will survive.

2. Genetic Engineering: No scientist I know of is crazy enough to practice this on humans. genetic engineering of some food plants may actually help humans survive (engineering food plants to produce in arid reginions thus helping overcrowding)

3. Disease: humanity has always had some disease or another that spreads fast and kills most people that get it. We have some bad ones but they will not kill everyone, some people will have a natural defense while science can also help on this front.

4. Over population: Use science to help food plants grow in currently arid regions to help with feeding the population.

5. Climate change: Humanity has endured climate changes before and we can again. it may alter life as we know it but we can survive.

[Winchester]

Right now I'm only concerned about the next 50 or so. :wink:

Humanity will still be around in a 100 years from now barring a really, really big asteroid hit and even then a small percentage should survive.

[Free Thinkr]

TNBiologist wrote: Humanity will survive the next 100 years. We have something that that no other creature on this planet has ever had: abstract thought.

1. Nuclear War: I don't think fullscale nuclear war is going to happen. Maybe a isolated blast or two but humanity as a whole will survive.

2. Genetic Engineering: No scientist I know of is crazy enough to practice this on humans. genetic engineering of some food plants may actually help humans survive (engineering food plants to produce in arid reginions thus helping overcrowding)

3. Disease: humanity has always had some disease or another that spreads fast and kills most people that get it. We have some bad ones but they will not kill everyone, some people will have a natural defense while science can also help on this front.

4. Over population: Use science to help food plants grow in currently arid regions to help with feeding the population.

5. Climate change: Humanity has endured climate changes before and we can again. it may alter life as we know it but we can survive.
Well, you pretty much said it all. Over-population is a non-issue. Climate change is over-hyped. Disease and nuclear war and war are always threats, but unlikely to wipe out mankind. I see genetic engineering as more likely to help than to hurt.

[Free Thinkr]

Winchester wrote: Right now I'm only concerned about the next 50 or so. :wink:

Humanity will still be around in a 100 years from now barring a really, really big asteroid hit and even then a small percentage should survive.
That depends on the size of the asteroid! I saw a program on television where they ran models on an asteroid the size of the US hitting the Earth; it released so much heat that it instantly vaporized all water, and then melted the salt!

[Rankor and Pissing]

Winchester wrote: Right now I'm only concerned about the next 50 or so. :wink:

Humanity will still be around in a 100 years from now barring a really, really big asteroid hit and even then a small percentage should survive.

Yeah... we can as humans pretty much avoid snuffing each other out I think... it's those damned asteroids and comets that'll eventually do us in...

[Demonic Spoon]

Infinite911911 wrote: Quote: When a Civilization reaches our stage of development it becomes unstable and destroys itself.

Do you believe Mankind can survive the next 100 years? I’m not sure. But what I do believe is if we do survive till then, life will look nothing how it is today.

Nuclear War, Genetic Engineering, Disease, Over Population, Climate Change all amounts to a dim future for the "smartest" creature ever to walk mother Earth. Death for Mankind won't come in the form of an Asteroid but in the form of our self doing.


Stephen Hawking addresses the question of how humanity can survive the next century. If it even can survive.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=178f89d3d9987efabcf31c6fb8364fd6.654968&cache=1


You underestimate the adaptability of mankind. If mankind could survive a fatal disease we knew nothing about (killed about 30% of Europe), and could survive all the other s**t we've been through, we can survive this.

[Selfish_Meme]

I think a more pertinent question would be, will we still be human in a hundred years?

I feel that like cosmetic surgery, genetic manipulation for cosmetic, medical and capability is just around the corner (so to speak). While there will always be an 'Amish' population of people who won't modify themselves, the majority will. They will also weed out undesirable traits from their children and try and give their children the best advantages in life they can.

Also Brain/Body computer interfaces to increase our native capabilities are also just around the corner (in some cases already here).

What will this gestalt mean for the species Homo Sapiens Sapiens, will we fragment into a lot of sub species or coagulate into another species, perhaps the next stage of evolution.

[Slythe]

That is one of the things I am most afraid of Selfish Meme; that we would strip our own humanity. Because it would eventually lead to a point that we won't be able to function without it.

[patrickt]

Of course, mankind will survive. Adaptability is the key. But, bacteria and viruses are possibly even more adaptable than we are. They won't wipe out mankind but they might make overpopulation a moot point.

I read an interesting article on the characteristics of a virus or disease that would do great damage. It has to be highly lethal, slow acting, and easily transmitted. Consider what would have happened with AIDS if it were as easy to contract as the flu. The slow acting parameter is so that people are infected before we are aware of the disease and prevention won't help.

[toddytodd]

Perhaps. For sure though, there needs to be a big change in individual and personal attitudes and ideals if we have a chance.

[micfranklin]

Winchester wrote: Right now I'm only concerned about the next 50 or so. :wink:

Humanity will still be around in a 100 years from now barring a really, really big asteroid hit and even then a small percentage should survive.

I'm only concerned about living until I'm 80 or so.

[Wyatt Earp]

micfranklin wrote: Winchester wrote: Right now I'm only concerned about the next 50 or so. :wink:

Humanity will still be around in a 100 years from now barring a really, really big asteroid hit and even then a small percentage should survive.

I'm only concerned about living until I'm 80 or so.

That's the whole problem, Humans only live 80 or so years, so they the earth, they get what they can for themself's in those 80 or so years and after that it don't matter to them, there .

[AllAmericanMan]

With the severe weather we have been witnessing with a 1 degree warm up over the past century, what do you think it will be like in 2100 after a 6 degree warm up?

[Babylon_Horuv]

I am fairly certain humainity will survive more than another hundred years. We are extremely adaptable. We will almost certainly b living in a very different manner then we are now though. Look at the differences in the world between 1906 and now. Full scale nuclear war is unlikely, but even if it were to happen I think there would be scattered pockets of survivors.

[LostSoul3412]

Yes, humanity will survive the next 100 years...

And if I'm wrong, then it won't matter anymore.

[sunwook]

Yes, we will survive the next 100 years...

but if we continue to live the way we do for maybe... 500 years? We're going to have some massive death. Not destroying all of mankind, just billions going hungry and we can't do anything about it kind of thing.

[TNBiologist]

AllAmericanMan wrote: With the severe weather we have been witnessing with a 1 degree warm up over the past century, what do you think it will be like in 2100 after a 6 degree warm up?

6 degress huh? got any sources for that number?