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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, @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?