massextinction

posts about #massextinction more →
Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
Incoming! Earth's Due for a Massive Comet Impact

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

Promethean
02/19/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
Alarmists shoulf note that they're talking about geological time scales here, and so the concept of "heading for" a mass extinction event could still represent of value of "soon" that encompasses many thousands of years, so you'll probably die of oil & water wars instead.
Reply

Promethean was starred Promethean was unstarred

its_a_feature
02/19/09

@Promethean: Everyone knows that oil and water don't mix. Please make sure their wars remain separated.
Reply

its_a_feature was starred its_a_feature was unstarred

tk.
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
Well, all of this talk certainly makes me less worried about the sun going supernova or dying out, or the magnetic pole reversal knocking us off of our orbit, or the Large Hadron Collider opening up a black hole... The imminent liver failure from assuaging all of the potential worry, however, is a very real threat.
Reply

tk. was starred tk. was unstarred

Smeagol92055
02/18/09

@tk.: I'm kind of looking forward to the day the Hadron Collidor opens the black hole, just so in the nano-second before everything goes through a complete protonic reversal, I can say, "I told you so."
Reply

Smeagol92055 was starred Smeagol92055 was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Smeagol92055: You better get a move on with your moon laser harpoon proposal rewrite, then, if you want the Board to approve funding. You greedy fancypants man.
Reply

Mav
02/18/09

@tk.: You don't need to worry about our star going supernova. It's not big enough.
Reply

Mav was starred Mav was unstarred

gorehound
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
nuclear war would kill the planet in a day
Reply

gorehound was starred gorehound was unstarred

Grand_Marquis
02/18/09

@gorehound: Fallout from a nuclear holocaust would take several months, carried by high-altitude weather patterns, to reach its full potential. And I think, even then, Oregon would end up untouched. So, hooray for Oregon.
Reply

Grand_Marquis was starred Grand_Marquis was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Grand_Marquis: I'll take care of Oregon myself if it comes to that. *puts on nuke boots*
Reply

GreyHammer
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
when the robots come and then the zombies after there will be no escape. then the robots will fight the zombies causing robot-zombies and they will roam the husk of the world moaning "mothhhherrrr boarddddsssss".

thats how the world ends.
Reply

GreyHammer was starred GreyHammer was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@GreyHammer: Well, shit, kill me now.
Reply

Daveinva
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
"Arens and West's work also suggests that Earth may be headed for a new mass extinction, because climate change is a common form of press event, and all we really need is one big pulse event to reach the total apocalypse tipping point."

Right. It *always* comes back to climate change.

Two questions:

1. What is the ideal temperature for planet Earth? Please prove it.

2. When did this temperature exist? Please prove it.

Climate change happens. It happened before we ever got here, it'll happen long after we leave this planet.

Sea levels are rising, world is going to be destroyed? Guess what-- the sea level was *70 feet* higher 400,000 years ago.

[www.sciencedaily.com]

If only Homo Erectus hadn't bought all those Escalades, they might not have been replaced by Homo Sapiens. . .

Look, the environment is fragile. Pollution is bad, the coral reefs and the fisheries suffer, I get that. We need to do what we can to save what we can, and when we can't, we need to adapt.

Me? I'm far more worried about the things we DON'T know are happening than the things we ARE worried about. Like, say, another ice age showing up just for the fun of it. Or supervolcanos arriving in the American West. Or those pesky dark comets blindsiding us.

A degree or two warmer over the course of the next century? We'll adapt.
Reply

Daveinva was starred Daveinva was unstarred

Grey_Area
02/18/09

@Daveinva: "A degree or two warmer over the course of the next century? We'll adapt."

Sure, humans will come up with a way to continue and even thrive during all these changes. Many of our fellow species are not going to make it. Folks can recycle like crazy and wear all the hemp they can but it's the sad truth.

"Me? I'm far more worried about the things we DON'T know..."

Those would be the Pulse events these guys are talking about. The straw that breaks the ungulate's back. Together that's an extinction event.
Reply

Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred

OldDog1
02/18/09

@Daveinva: You mean like the Yellowstone shield going boom?
Reply

OldDog1 was starred OldDog1 was unstarred

Grand_Marquis
02/18/09

@Daveinva: I don't think you fully grasp how hopelessly dependent we are on having absolutely everything on Earth continue to exist as it is - something that climate change threatens to ruin. As a group of large-scale societies, we're weaker than we think.
Reply

Grand_Marquis was starred Grand_Marquis was unstarred

DaoKaioshin
02/18/09

@Grand_Marquis: you do realize massive climate change is part of the reason we're not so chimpy anymore, right? some of us may die, but in time large swathes of us will die to some thing or another. our children's children, if they are prepared, will become greater than we ever could be
Reply

DaoKaioshin was starred DaoKaioshin was unstarred

tamoko
02/18/09

@OldDog1: I keep thinking about Yellowstone popping it's cork... that would be something to see.... until we're smothered beneath the eventual hundreds of billions of tons of ash that would be falling towards the eastern portion of the US for possibly weeks, months, years, decades....? Scary, but still an interesting scenario, although statistically it might never happen for another ten million years or so, or it could be happening right now..."BOOM!"
Reply

tamoko was starred tamoko was unstarred

Slatz_Grobnik
02/18/09

@DaoKaioshin: That's a tad bit excessive optimism. Evolution is about survivability. "Survival" isn't necessarily "better," not in the way that I think you and I would normally use the term. If more survivable means atavistic morlock, well, I like culture, and the way we are now, even if something else survives.
Reply

Slatz_Grobnik was starred Slatz_Grobnik was unstarred

its_a_feature
02/19/09

@Slatz_Grobnik: Well, I happen to think the Eloi are a particularly tasty treat that I'm looking forward to!

"Eloi the other, other white meat!" Brought to you by the makers of Soylent Green.
Reply

its_a_feature was starred its_a_feature was unstarred

Smeagol92055
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
Bah, keep your volcanoes and your meteors, I can do it quicker and cheaper.

I'll just jet out to the moon and then slice the Earth in half with a laser. Once the two halves start drifting apart, extinction will come naturally.
Reply

Smeagol92055 was starred Smeagol92055 was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Smeagol92055: Please outline the power consumption as well as material lead times and costs in a RFP and submit to multiple vendors so we can determine the most cost effective way to destroy life as we know it.
Reply

shadownode
02/18/09

@Smeagol92055:

Crashing the moon into the Earth would be easier and more effective.
Reply

shadownode was starred shadownode was unstarred

Illogic
02/18/09

@shadownode: HARPOON THE MOON!
Reply

Illogic was starred Illogic was unstarred

Grey_Area
02/18/09

@Illogic: this could be the more cost-effective solution we at Yoyodyne are looking for. Our research tells us there are already whalers on the Moon and that they carry a harpoon.

Can I pencil you in for Tuesday at 2pm to go over your numbers? I'll have my assistant, Ms. Teschmacher contact you with the details.
Reply

Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred

Smeagol92055
02/18/09

@Illogic: You son of a bitch, you snagged the contract out from under me.

Have fun with your fucking harpoons, bitch.
Reply

Smeagol92055 was starred Smeagol92055 was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Grey_Area: Some of us have been working in engineering/business for waaaay too long.

@Smeagol92055: Too bad, competitive bidding and yours was too expensive and fancy, you greedy fancypants man.
Reply

Smeagol92055
02/18/09

@crashedpc: I'LL SHOW YOU I'LL SHOW YOU ALL MWAA HAA HA AHA HAAHH HAA HAAA AAHH HAAAA
Reply

Smeagol92055 was starred Smeagol92055 was unstarred

Grey_Area
02/18/09

@Smeagol92055: Well, you certainly seem like a happy fellow!
Reply

Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Grey_Area: My goodness, he has that kind of cheerfulness that makes you want to give him a hearty slap on the back and inject him with horse tranqs. Then sell his kidneys.
Reply

RRich
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
That whole relativistic bomb deal a la Charles Pellegrino used to keep me up at night. Now, it's far more micro than macro, so, yeah...
Reply

RRich was starred RRich was unstarred

shadownode
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
Can't a large impact cause long term volcanic activity?
Reply

shadownode was starred shadownode was unstarred

Grey_Area
02/18/09

@shadownode: I was just wondering that, if it was right on a fault zone.

Granted I don't know much geology like Mr. Reilly (hi, Michael!).

I was thinking of the Rod in Anathem. It wasn't an extinction event but it left one hell of a mark.
Reply

Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Grey_Area: The Rod reminded me how something doesn't need to actually 'splode to create horrible amounts of damage.
Reply

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

In reply to Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction
200,000 year long volcanic eruption??? Holy jeebus. Slow leaking gasses, or constantly exploding lava spewing madness?
Reply

Belabras: now with Kung Fu grip!
02/18/09

@crashedpc:

Probably more like some of the Hawaii eruptions - a constant stream of magma and such.

I don't think lava spewing madness is sustainable for that time period.
Reply

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@Belabras: I hope not. "What if the Earth runs out of, you know... material?"

I wish I could sustain a 200,000 year long eruption.
Reply

tetracycloide
02/18/09

@crashedpc: i'm fairly certain your sweat socks are glad you cannnot.
Reply

tetracycloide was starred tetracycloide was unstarred

NotArthurPDragon
02/18/09

@crashedpc: Geek scientist dirty talk, "Baby, get ready for two mega events: impact and an eruption."
Reply

NotArthurPDragon was starred NotArthurPDragon was unstarred

tetracycloide
02/18/09

@Belabras: why would you pass up a perfectly good opportunity to say Pāhoehoe instead of magma?
Reply

tetracycloide was starred tetracycloide was unstarred

goldfarb
02/18/09

@crashedpc: [en.wikipedia.org]
Reply

goldfarb was starred goldfarb was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@NotArthurPDragon: "How do you feel like creating some new life?"

Dropping the mass extinction line could be a turnoff.
Reply

crashedpc - Haifisch
02/18/09

@tetracycloide: Hurr hurr, he said probe.
Reply

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#massextinction

io9

SUBSCRIBE TO io9

Scientists Explain How to Cause a Mass Extinction

Incoming! Earth's Due for a Massive Comet Impact

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment