World Ending Events: What Creeps You Out?

[opie's twisted balls]

Not necessarily a medical question and its not about me.


Dr. Steve,

You're an awfully bright fellow (shameless sucking up seems to help) and seem to have a good grasp on the comings and goings on our spinning little orb. Other then the health & safety of your family what's your greatest concern or worry? I mean the sphincter puckering, wake up with cold sweats, complete humena humena humena concern.

i.e North Korean nuclear attack, killer bees, email transmittable ebola virus, etc.

Just something that came up with friends over beers and would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Thanks :)


O'sTB

[Dr Steve]

Not necessarily a medical question and its not about me.


Dr. Steve,

You're an awfully bright fellow (shameless sucking up seems to help) and seem to have a good grasp on the comings and goings on our spinning little orb. Other then the health & safety of your family what's your greatest concern or worry? I mean the sphincter puckering, wake up with cold sweats, complete humena humena humena concern.

i.e North Korean nuclear attack, killer bees, email transmittable ebola virus, etc.

Just something that came up with friends over beers and would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Thanks :)


O'sTB

I have to go on rounds, so this won't be as wordy as I'd like, but we can continue this as time goes on (assuming we HAVE time (shudder))...


Google: Supervolcanoes

Did you know we have one in the good ol' USA? It's called "Yellowstone National Park" and around every 700,000 years or so a supervolcano erupts, causing perpetual winter, death of nearly all plant life, and mini-mass extinctions. We're about 100,000 years overdue on the Yellowstone Eruption.

Other things that give me the willies? The virus that finally emerges that has the perfect storm of capabilities: 1) easy transmissibility, 2) near total fatality, and 3) long incubation period (so we can all get it). It's been 5 Billion years and there's no evidence of a viral mass-extinction, but I'm not sure we'd recognize it in the fossil record if it happened. This one at least we can do something about if we have time.

Discover magazine did a crappy job...none of this scares me very much: http://discovermagazine.com/2008/nov/28-ten-ways-the-world-will-end

The truth is, though, given an open timescale, the world WILL end. In 5 billion years the sun will go red-giant on our ass and engulf the earth. So we have to:

1) survive long enough to develop technologies that will save our asses
2) use those technologies to eventually leave earth and colonize tons of other worlds so it's unlikely that ONE thing can kill us all
3) eventually develop the technology to leave this universe for a younger one before the "big rip" happens and levels the whole universe (and it IS coming).

but for now it's the supervolcano that skeeves me out.

[Furtherman]

Gamma Ray burst. If we were hit by one, that supervolcano would seem like a good day.

[Dr Steve]

Gamma Ray burst. If we were hit by one, that supervolcano would seem like a good day.

No question about it...it's just so blood UNLIKELY.

We can talk about GRBs if anyone's interested. The Supervolcano is a near-certainty. The GRB is possible, but vanishingly not-gonna-happen likely.

[opie's twisted balls]

cool, thanks for the comments!


Google: Supervolcanoes

Did you know we have one in the good ol' USA? It's called "Yellowstone National Park" and around every 700,000 years or so a supervolcano erupts, causing perpetual winter, death of nearly all plant life, and mini-mass extinctions. We're about 100,000 years overdue on the Yellowstone Eruption.
There was National Geographic program that covered the topic of supervolcanoes and ya it did sort of scare the poop out of me. I think what causes me concern about this one is that unlike a killer meteor its internal to the earth so its not like we can send Bruce Willis and Steve Buscemi out to blow it up before killing us all and like you say historically speaking its inevitable for another eruption.


Other things that give me the willies? The virus that finally emerges that has the perfect storm of capabilities: 1) easy transmissibility, 2) near total fatality, and 3) long incubation period (so we can all get it). It's been 5 Billion years and there's no evidence of a viral mass-extinction, but I'm not sure we'd recognize it in the fossil record if it happened. This one at least we can do something about if we have time
There's a few books on the subject I've really enjoyed:
Hot Zone (http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Zone-Terrifying-True-Story/dp/0385495226/ref=pd_sim_b_2)
Demon in the Freezer (http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Freezer-True-Story/dp/0375508562)
Virus Hunter (http://www.amazon.com/Virus-Hunter-Thirty-Battling-Viruses/dp/0385485581/ref=pd_sim_b_4)

All non-fiction and all rather chilling.

[Furtherman]

No question about it...it's just so blood UNLIKELY.

We can talk about GRBs if anyone's interested. The Supervolcano is a near-certainty. The GRB is possible, but vanishingly not-gonna-happen likely.

Oh yea, I know that the chances are near zero of a star collapsing within our cosmic neighborhood and lifetime.... yet. I'm just naming a creepy scenario.

[Hottub]

Go ahead, people. Keep ignoring the pending zombie menace.
You weak and unprepared shall perish.

[opie's twisted balls]

Go ahead, people. Keep ignoring the pending zombie menace.
You weak and unprepared shall perish.
I've watched Shawn of the Dead so know what to do :)

[furie]

Black pox


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[GregoryJoseph]

Gamma Ray burst. If we were hit by one, that supervolcano would seem like a good day.

I guess you never read The Incredible Hulk as a kid...

[opie's twisted balls]

Black pox

I wonder if he'll ever repay Fez?

[GregoryJoseph]

I wonder if he'll ever repay Fez?

That was mean, uncalled for, and fantastically funny.

Kudos.

[opie's twisted balls]

thank you, I have my moments

[Furtherman]

I guess you never read The Incredible Hulk as a kid...

Good point.

A planet full of Hulks! We'd kick ass in the Intergalactic Olympic Games.

[underdog]

10 Ways The World Could End (http://blog.ted.com/2007/09/stephen_petrane.php)

[boosterp]

I still think we need to worry about viral zombies and stock up on shotgun shells, soap, and spit shields. Acording to 1 .net member we also need a stockpile of babies.

[opie's twisted balls]

Acording to 1 .net member we also need a stockpile of babies.
Food source?

[brettmojo]

I had a dream within a dream last night where the sun got big and red and everything on the Earth's surface started burning up.

[boosterp]

Food source?

Yup, and when the shells run out you can hurl them at the zombies for distraction while you make your get away to rob another Walmart of their shells.

[CHUCKWAGONCOOK]

I think what we all need to worry about are.....


Giant Tomatoes!!!!

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/attack_of_the_killer_tomato.jpg

[opie's twisted balls]

Yup, and when the shells run out you can hurl them at the zombies for distraction while you make your get away to rob another Walmart of their shells.
Excellent! Can I have mine with fava beans and a nice chianti?

http://i35.tinypic.com/msmwqc.jpg

[boosterp]

Excellent! Can I have mine with fava beans and a nice chianti?

http://i35.tinypic.com/msmwqc.jpg

Actually I hear a good ale goes better with the tender baby meat.

[CHUCKWAGONCOOK]

Excellent! Can I have mine with fava beans and a nice chianti?

http://i35.tinypic.com/msmwqc.jpg
Is that the proper time to cook baby?

[CHUCKWAGONCOOK]

Excellent! Can I have mine with fava beans and a nice chianti?

http://i35.tinypic.com/msmwqc.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S3XEraQZjGk/Sq9BNAU5FOI/AAAAAAAAHUc/K5_e9aR1aOk/s400/patrick+swayze+dies+dead+dirty+dancing+nobody+puts +baby+in+a+corner+pancreatic+cancer.jpg

Nobody puts Baby in a pot!!!!

[boosterp]

Is that the proper time to cook baby?

I like them on the grill (4 hrs slow cooked) without the head, but that's just me.

[Jughead]

I like them on the grill (4 hrs slow cooked) without the head, but that's just me.

No Head Animal!!!!:dry:

[opie's twisted balls]

Actually I hear a good ale goes better with the tender baby meat.
hmmmmm......baby meat and ale! :p


Is that the proper time to cook baby?
just like that swill beer its always baby cooking time!


Nobody puts Baby in a pot!!!!
Would you prefer microwaved, broiled, deep fried, flambed, juiced or steamed?


I like them on the grill (4 hrs slow cooked) without the head, but that's just me.
Cool, just like how I like trout!

[Dr Steve]

ha, how the fuck did this go from a philosophical discussion about the end of the world to how best to cook and eat babies?

http://carnell.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/derailed-train.jpg

[Knowledged_one]

It already happened back in November of last year

[opie's twisted balls]

ha, how the fuck did this go from a philosophical discussion about the end of the world to how best to cook and eat babies?
Hunger and a loathing of children?

But back to the topic at hand and something more cheery....the end of mankind.

If I had to pick the one thing that concerns me the most is some sort of pathogen wiping us all out. However is it going to be a virus, bacteria or something more exotic like a prion or parasite. Granted my knowledge of creepy crawlies maxed out with a second year microbiology course (not much use for biology with a business degree) but from what I've read I'd put my money on it being a virus.

[IAgreeRonnieB]

It already happened back in November of last year

Obama won. Get over it and bow down to your HNIC.

[TooLowBrow]

bow down to your HNIC.

Swine flu?

[opie's twisted balls]

Get over it and bow down to your HNIC.
http://www.hockey.bz/Images/Products/HNIC-currentlogo.jpg

[tanless1]

I thought swine flu was h9n1 and birdflu is
H1n1 I think they are just trying to panic and then take credit for saving us from the dreaded bird flu.....sick.

[Dr Steve]

I thought swine flu was h9n1 and birdflu is
H1n1 I think they are just trying to panic and then take credit for saving us from the dreaded bird flu.....sick.

bird flu will suck because it's a truly "novel" H5N1 flu virus for humans. So far it's been 60% fatal in the few humans who have contracted it directly from birds. So far, it hasn't been spread from one human to another (whew).

Good news: it's sensitive to Tamiflu and Relenza. Vaccines will control it as well, as long as we do better than we did this year with H1N1

your pal,


steve