 Throughout the annals of time there have been many species on the earth. Despite this, many have already gone by the wayside. In fact, 99% of all the species who have ever lived are extinct. A British scientist named Brandon Carter created a theory in 1983 that uses statistics to gauge when we might become extinct ourselves. Thanks to technology and other advancements, the human race is doing more now to damage itself and the environment around it than ever before. Some believe that the human race could be the next race that is extinct from the earth. Here are some possible ways how it could happen.
1. A change in the earth’s magnetic field 
Research suggests that the earth’s magnetic field decreases to essentially nothing for a century every few hundred thousand years. It has been deduced that the most recent reversal in the magnetic field was nearly 800,000 years ago. Measurements show that the magnetic field on the earth has decreased 5% in the last 100 years. If there were no magnetic protection, there would be further damage to the earth’s ozone layer. This would cause extreme ecological changes. 2. Asteroids 
Even though there have been many movies made about asteroids coming in contact with the earth, the fact is that this is a very real possibility. In fact, in 1908, a 200-foot-wide, comet hit Siberia, Russia. This is not the first to space rock to hit the earth, and it is unlikely to be the last. Some anthropologists believe that an asteroid hit a Chinese City in the 1500s and killed more than 10,000 people. It is estimated that a half-mile wide object hits the earth once every 250,000 years. Astrologists point to the sky as a warning sign that we may be hit again. Some asteroid belts include about 100,000 balls of ice that are larger than 50 miles in diameter. Just one of these ice-balls could ruin civilization as we know it. 3. Gamma-ray Burst 
A gamma-ray’s burst could do immense damage to the earth. These bursts occur in galaxies that are far away and are as much as 10 quadrillion times as energetic as our sun. These bursts occur when two stars collapse and merge. Even though the earth’s atmosphere would give us some protection from this burst, it would only be temporary. The radiation would eventually come into the atmosphere and destroy the ozone layer. This ultimately would allow for ultraviolet lights to come into the atmosphere and wipe out those living on the earth. 4. Vacuum collapse 
It is widely believed that empty space and a lot of energy existed early in the history of the universe. This was a very unstable area. Over time, a more stable vacuum came about and took over the universe. The transition caused a large amount of energy to appear. As the universe continues to grow, small particles of this vacuum may dash off at the speed of light. This would create a blast of energy so large that everything would be destroyed. Although this is not likely to happen, it cannot be ignored either. 5. Giant solar flares 
The solar flare is a huge magnetic explosion from the sun that hits the earth with an array of subatomic particles at light speed. It is possible that a super flare could occur on the sun that would be millions of times more powerful than typical flares or stellar flickers. There is research that suggests that the earth’s sun is not so susceptible to these flares, however scientists do not completely understand why these flares occur. After one of these flares, the sun could become one percent less bright. If this were to occur, it could send the earth into another ice age. 6. Black holes 
It has been estimated that there are about 10 million black holes in the Milky Way Galaxy. Because black holes orbit around objects, it is unlikely that any are headed toward the earth. However, if one does begin to move toward the earth, we may not know until it is close to us. The fact is that a black hole would not have to actually come into contact with the earth to destroy life. If a black hole gets close, earth could be drawn into a path that would feature desperate swings in the climate. The earth also could be ejected from the solar system altogether and freeze in deep space. 7. Epidemics 
The black plague killed 25 percent of Europeans in the 1300s. In the early part of the 20th century, influenza killed more than 20,000,000 people. The center for disease control and prevention claims that deaths from infectious disease rose 58 percent between 1982 and 1998. Even though there have been antibodies created to eliminate some diseases, new ones seem to pop up into their place. If a strand is able to move quickly, it could do a lot of damage because there would not be enough time to fight it. 8. Volcanoes 
It is believed that a plume of lava burst through the earth’s mantle 65,000 years ago that caused 250,000 miles of lava to cover the earth. Some scientists believe that it was a volcano, and not an asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. The gases from volcanoes cause acid rain to be produced. In addition to causing mass damage immediately after a large volcano erupts, it also causes long-term damage because it speeds up the global warming process. 9. Collapse of the ecosystem 
We rely on other species to exist and other species rely on us. For example snowy winters could cause wolves to hunt in larger groups. In turn, they would kill more moose. If the moose population declined, more fir saplings would live. The trees, in turn, would pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and then change the climate. Everything is intertwined. It is estimated that 30,000 species disappear each year because of the things that humans do. Doing things such as building new buildings, cutting down trees, or manufacturing in new ways are all things that can have the long-lasting effect on the ecosystem. 10. Global Warming 
It is a commonly accepted fact that the earth is getting warmer. Scientists mostly have come to the conclusion that this is the fault of humans. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have published studies that claim that global warming could cause an environment in which parasites are more common and more difficult to remove. This would ruin crops and could cause famine. Ultimately, the earth could be in the same situation as Venus, where it is typically 900° F. Scientists are unclear about what would need to happen to cause this kind of damage. 11. When The Earth Freezes Over 
The Earth has been through many different ice ages. Many scientists believe that the Earth has been through five major periods, and numerous short periods, of glaciation. Studying such ice ages has lead scientists to come to the 'Snowball Earth' hypothesis. It is believed that glaciers once flowed on ice-covered tropical seas, meaning that the Earth was actually frozen even in the low elevation tropics. 12. Biotech disasters 
There are many genetically modified crops that are grown in order to improve taste and nutrition. However, the long term effects of these crops on the earth’s biological welfare is still mostly unknown. There are reasons to believe that seeds from genetically altered plants can seep out and enter into other living species. This could cause superweeds or superpests that may be resistant to insecticide, which would ultimately cause a famine. 13. Nanotechnology accident 
Some believe that a widescale problem could occur in nanotechnology. They believe that after an industrial accident occurs, small bacteria could begin to blow in the wind, multiply, and make the biosphere and the dust nothing within a matter of a few days. There are some who believe that nanotechnology could be very dangerous in the hands of the military or terrorists. 14. Particle accelerator accident 
The tests done on particle accelerators make some scientists uneasy. It is possible that a particle accelerator experiment could cause a black hole that would slowly cause the planet to disintegrate. Likewise, altered matter could be created that would destroy ordinary matter that it met up with. Experts claim that this is very unlikely because they say that the machines in which the particle accelerator experiments are done are not large enough to cause a black hole. However, if a larger accelerator is built, there are no guarantees. 15. Toxins from the environment 
Major cities around the world have air that is thick with diesel fumes, which are considered to be a carcinogen by the National Institute of Health. Heavy metals from smokestacks are found across the globe, even now in Antarctica. Each year the National Institute of Health adds more substances to its list of items that may be cancer-causing. The number is now up to nearly 220 substances. A researcher with the world wildlife fund believes that dioxins can mimic human hormones so well that they may reduce fertility. If this is true, it would ultimately lead to people not being able to procreate. 16. War 
Even though the days of the Cold War are over, this does not mean that the nuclear warheads are gone. In fact, Russia and the United States alone have nearly 20,000 nuclear warheads. In addition to classic weapons, there are other weapons that could be even more dangerous to the citizens of the world. For example, many countries have worked on developing biological weapons, which would include killer germs. These weapons are cheap and easier to produce and hard to control. 17. Divine Happenings 
Many religions all around the world believe that this earth will someday meet its end. Some believe that God will destroy the earth, while others believe that He will come to save it. Perhaps the most alarming groups are those who believe that they should take it upon themselves to usher in a new era by killing themselves and others. Members of the Aum Shinri Kyo sect unleashed a Sarin gas in Tokyo in 1995 that injured more than 5, if 000 people. This could simply be a small taste of other things that could occur. 18. Insanity 
By 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of death in the United States. It is believed that science will soon be able to let people live as long as 200 years. However, just because the body is able to last that long, it does not mean that the mind can do the same. A person living longer then he should could cause depression, or even worse it could in turn cause the person to act in insane ways and do potentially dangerous things to themselves and to others. 19. Robots 
As strange as it may sound, there are intelligent people who believe that robots still could take over the earth. Some believe that robots could match human intelligence by 2040. The belief is that human minds could merge with robotic minds. This would ultimately cause humans to lose control of their own consciousness and abilities to think for themselves because they would instead do what was programmed for them to do. Although this is unlikely, there are some who still consider it a concern. 20. Aliens 
There have definitely been a number of movies about aliens wanting to take over the earth, however nothing has happened yet. Those who believe that aliens may want to take over the earth argue that it only takes one group of aliens to change everything. Even if aliens did not want to destroy the earth, they may do so on accident by bringing foreign pests, animals, and germs into the earth’s atmosphere. It is also believed that aliens may want to take samples from the land and atmosphere, which could upset the earth’s ecological balance. 21. Terrorism 
The word "terrorism" has become so emotionally and politically charged that we can forget its severity. If one person has access to enough nuclear bombs and wanted the world to end, he or she could end it. Terrorism can come from political leaders, not just some lunatic on a war path. Overall, it is important that measures are maintained to keep anyone one man from having too much power. |
