Human Extinction

intelligence could shape the way the world works so that humans could create many copies of themselves in computers.

HUMAN EXTINCTION

Human extinction is, of course, hypothetical as it has not happened yet. Even so, extinction could happen because of human actions, natural disasters, or disease. Things like biological warfare, nuclear extinction, pandemic agents, climate change, overpopulation, and climate change are more likely to play a role in human extinction than a natural disaster such as volcanism or a meteorite impact.

Some believe that humans have a 95 percent chance of becoming extinct in the next 8 million years. Others argue that, as long as earth is habitable, there will be humans on it and these will thrive. Possible doomsday scenarios include biological and nuclear warfare that would annihilate the human race. Some type of pandemic could destroy the human race, even those that are geographically isolated. Climate change could render the earth uninhabitable. Population decline could happen with humans having fewer children. An extraterrestrial event is less likely but still could happen.

The human race was at 1 billion in 1800 but is now over 7 billion. This has led to an increase in human use of land and a possible threat to human habitats in the future. Some predict that human population numbers will peak at 12 billion people. The sun will ultimately grow and effectively destroy the oceans in about a billion years. Before this happens, however, carbon dioxide levels will be so high that plant life will not be possible. The earth will be sterilized by the expanding sun in about 7 billion years.

Human technology could also lead to human extinction. Some theories include the creation of a super-intelligent entity that annihilates humans, uncontrolled nanotechnology destroying the ecosystem, or the creation of a small black hole through scientific experimentation. Alien invasion has been considered as a possibility but this has become unlikely. A new species of superhumans could evolve that will edge out regular humans. As long as some people survive, however, the human race is unlikely to completely die out.

The extinction of the human race because of humans themselves is called omnicide. Most think it could happen because of biological warfare, nuclear war, or ecological catastrophe. Preventative measures include colonization of other planets or the isolation of some humans on earth itself in order to protect the human race from extinction.