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Earth has been hit by objects in the past, with devastating effects. Scientists largely agree that it was an asteroid or comet impact that started the chain of events that wiped out the dinosaurs around 60 million years ago.
[...] impacts from objects in space are just one of several ways that humanity and most of life on Earth could suddenly disappear.
We are already observing that extinctions are happening now at an unprecedented rate. In 2014 it was estimated that the extinction rate is now 1,000 times greater than before humans were on the Earth. The estimated number of extinctions ranges from 200 to 2,000 species per year.
From all of this very worrying data, it would not be a stretch to say that we are currently within a doomsday scenario. Of course, the “day” is longer than 24 hours but may be instead in the order of a century or two.
So what can we do about this potential prospect of impending doom?
[...] But the threats we face are so unpredictable that we need to have a backup plan. We need to plan for the time after our doomsday and think about how a post-apocalyptic Earth may recover and humanity will flourish again.
As computer experts, you are familiar with backup plans. What should we do to backup human survival ?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday June 14 2017, @03:41AM (9 children)
We have approximately one million years before the Earth becomes inhospitable for humans. The first effect will be a serious overheating way worse than any current climate issues. To protect from plasma mishaps. It will be needed to master intergalactic space. That means solid mastering of nuclear power and radiation protection. As fission material is hard to find there. The power source has to be fusion or black hole based unless something now, unknown is found. Radiation is easier to solve using material science and protection fields. The catch is that radiation exposure at these location may be magnitudes worse.
(Score: 2) by linuxrocks123 on Wednesday June 14 2017, @06:50AM (6 children)
No, we have about 2 BILLION -- with a B -- years before the Sun kills everything: http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2012/11/heres-how-long-we-have-before-earth-is-uninhabitable/ [chron.com]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday June 14 2017, @10:21AM (5 children)
The Earth will become inhospitable a long time before that.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday June 17 2017, @11:49AM (1 child)
um, you mean, like, now ? ? ?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Saturday June 17 2017, @12:33PM
No, In one million years. So considering that human like species has been around for like 1.8 million years. There will be no time for rebooting. And the current species has been around for like 200 000 years so that only gives a few reboot opportunities. If the species is preserved, it seems a civilization can be recreated in 10 000 years, so that may work.
Though I would point out that it the green house effect boosts the permafrost release of methane. That might trigger a accelerated scenario that is quite unpleasant.
The point is. The time is finite and there is only a limited number of tries to become a interplanetary species that won't live and die with this planet.
(Score: 2) by linuxrocks123 on Saturday June 17 2017, @11:12PM (2 children)
And you base that assertion on what? Astrology?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday June 18 2017, @05:25AM (1 child)
Long term climate data based on astrophysics. It's scientifically established asfaik. But the time perspective is far for humans.
(Score: 2) by linuxrocks123 on Sunday June 18 2017, @11:59AM
Well, all the articles I could find seem to say you're off by three orders of magnitude. Can you link to something supporting your estimate?
(Score: 2) by Webweasel on Wednesday June 14 2017, @11:04AM (1 child)
Don't you mean interstellar rather than intergalactic?
Getting to the nearest star is hard, but the nearest galaxy? On nuclear?
Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday June 14 2017, @12:48PM
You are probably right. It's likely interstellar. Ie we need to be able to manage self sufficiency in free space beyond Mars and outside the Solar system. In those places there are only few hydrogen atoms per m³ so not much to make use of as fuel.