<p>The end of the Earth and the end of a habitat that can support life are 2 different things.  The Earth will not be able to support life as we know it for 4 billion more years.</p>

<p>The sun is slowly heating up, and estimates are that in 500 million years, the Earth will be too hot to support life.  That being said, life is resilient, and who knows what evolutionary changes might occur that would allow life to survive 500 million years from now.  After all, the Sun heating up will be such a gradual process that evolution could most definitely keep up with it.</p>

<p>Then there is the fact that in 500 million years, even if we aren't destroyed by cataclysm, humans as we are today won't exist.  We will have evolved into something else that wouldn't even remotely resemble humans.  Probably <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morlock" rel="nofollow">Morlocks</a>.</p>

<p>Technology also might allow us to escape our solar system and colonize across the universe.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T12:02:04.607Z
thanks for that explanation, thats what i was looking for. but what happen if a meteor strike us on a size of a house?
Danilo Breda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T13:54:43.837Z
That would most likely be an extinction level event.
Scottie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-22T18:51:53.570Z
2014-10-01T18:10:07.190Z
2014-10-01T18:10:07.190Z
Scottie
<p>Read "Death From the Skies!" by Phil Plait.  His list is quite comprehensive, going into what can kill humanity, what could destroy all life on Earth, and what could destroy the Earth itself.  I don't have my copy on me at the moment, but IIRC he goes into what damage a meteor of various sizes will do.</p>

<p>To avoid further confusion, <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0143116045" rel="nofollow">here</a> is a link to the book on Amazon.  And if you don't know who Dr. Phil Plait is (shame on you), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Plait" rel="nofollow">here</a> is a link to his Wikipedia entry.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-29T22:03:08.013Z
2014-10-01T17:05:48.643Z
2014-10-01T17:05:48.643Z
IchabodE
<p>What more can happen for the end of the humans?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-02T04:23:09.067Z
@Daniloloko You mean other astronomical cases or general cases?
r2_d2
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-22T07:44:49.560Z
For negatives... please comment why... im only interesting the way that it can happen for a school project.
Danilo Breda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-22T15:00:14.673Z
This is a little speculative. There are a lot of things that could happen, most of which we could bring upon ourselves.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-22T20:43:10.777Z
Could RHIC Strangelets Spawn Doomsday? http://news.discovery.com/space/could-rhic-strangelets-spawn-doomsday-140213.htm
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-22T23:01:49.833Z
@WayfairingStranger Really? Really? It's the same stuff people bring up whenever a new particle accelerator gets ready.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T00:01:38.393Z
@HDE226868  Yeah, I know, but Daniloloko did ask. At least I didn't mention the clathrate gun hypothesis.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T00:04:42.743Z
@Wayfaring Stranger Yep, props to you for that. :-)
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T22:42:02.737Z
General comment to @Daniloloko - Why do you think that only a meteor could end life on Earth?
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-24T03:15:58.530Z
@HDE226868 Why not? A fart of the space would destroy our solar system; You can think that everything is ok... but life was not planned...and thats not a wall.
Danilo Breda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-25T05:45:56.507Z
@Daniloloko, What's a space fart? And HDE226868 was referring to when you said that "The end of humans will be when a meteor strikes earth... that's the only way...." Why would that be the ONLY way?
Calc1DropOut
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-25T17:04:30.450Z
@Calc1DropOut Yep, that's exactly what I meant. I second your "What's a . . . ?" question, by the way. Unless Daniloloko means (I've heard the expression used like this before) that even the smallest thing could end life on Earth, which would not be accurate.
HDE 226868
<the-sun><earth><solar-system><meteor>
The end of the Earth and human history
Danilo Breda
# The end of the Earth and human history

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-09-22)

What more can happen for the end of the humans?

**Tags:** the-sun, earth, solar-system, meteor

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: For negatives... please comment why... im only interesting the way that it can happen for a school project.  
> **username_2**: This is a little speculative. There are a lot of things that could happen, most of which we could bring upon ourselves.  
> **username_3**: Could RHIC Strangelets Spawn Doomsday? http://news.discovery.com/space/could-rhic-strangelets-spawn-doomsday-140213.htm  
> **username_2**: @WayfairingStranger Really? Really? It's the same stuff people bring up whenever a new particle accelerator gets ready.  
> **username_3**: @username_2  Yeah, I know, but Daniloloko did ask. At least I didn't mention the clathrate gun hypothesis.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Yep, props to you for that. :-)  
> **username_2**: General comment to @Daniloloko - Why do you think that only a meteor could end life on Earth?  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Why not? A fart of the space would destroy our solar system; You can think that everything is ok... but life was not planned...and thats not a wall.  
> **username_4**: @Daniloloko, What's a space fart? And username_2 was referring to when you said that "The end of humans will be when a meteor strikes earth... that's the only way...." Why would that be the ONLY way?  
> **username_2**: @username_4 Yep, that's exactly what I meant. I second your "What's a . . . ?" question, by the way. Unless Daniloloko means (I've heard the expression used like this before) that even the smallest thing could end life on Earth, which would not be accurate.  
> **username_1**: @Daniloloko You mean other astronomical cases or general cases?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-09-22. Score: 5

The end of the Earth and the end of a habitat that can support life are 2 different things. The Earth will not be able to support life as we know it for 4 billion more years.

The sun is slowly heating up, and estimates are that in 500 million years, the Earth will be too hot to support life. That being said, life is resilient, and who knows what evolutionary changes might occur that would allow life to survive 500 million years from now. After all, the Sun heating up will be such a gradual process that evolution could most definitely keep up with it.

Then there is the fact that in 500 million years, even if we aren't destroyed by cataclysm, humans as we are today won't exist. We will have evolved into something else that wouldn't even remotely resemble humans. Probably [Morlocks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morlock).

Technology also might allow us to escape our solar system and colonize across the universe.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks for that explanation, thats what i was looking for. but what happen if a meteor strike us on a size of a house?  
> **username_5**: That would most likely be an extinction level event.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-09-29. Score: 3

Read "Death From the Skies!" by Phil Plait. His list is quite comprehensive, going into what can kill humanity, what could destroy all life on Earth, and what could destroy the Earth itself. I don't have my copy on me at the moment, but IIRC he goes into what damage a meteor of various sizes will do.

To avoid further confusion, [here](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0143116045) is a link to the book on Amazon. And if you don't know who Dr. Phil Plait is (shame on you), [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Plait) is a link to his Wikipedia entry.


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