How Will The World End?

Technically speaking, there are many ways the world might, or could, end. Imagine waking up to a gigantic and fiery explosion that scorches everything around you in a flash, leaving the entire world in dust form. Or being awoken by a hostile takeover of space aliens. Or possibly even discovering one night Earth was soon to be swallowed whole by a rogue black hole. Asteroids, aliens and space vacuums are all legitimate concerns of scientists and everyday civilians when it comes to how the world might someday end. Although green martians may be the least of our worries, other threats such as pandemic diseases like SARS, earth-shattering volcanic eruptions and overpopulation are very real possibilities. Even the rapid evolution of robot armies who turn against humans is an actual worry.

But which of these possibilities is most probable, and is there anything we can do to prevent it? Most importantly, when do researchers believe the world could realistically end—and could humans survive in a post-apocalyptic world? The burnout of the sun, drying out of oil and dissolving of the ozone layer all pose significant and real threats to life as we know it. This playlist gives you the heads up on just which potential disasters to worry about most (but you're on your own in learning to speak Martian).

Written by Curiosity Staff June 17, 2014
