There's 150 years until the end of the world. What happens?

This was inspire by a thread I saw on Reddit. I think it's a very intersting topic and a great debate.


The situation:

All life on earth is going to be wiped out by 2163. This has been proven and can be observed. The planet will become a lifeless rock. What will humanity do with the time it has?

Here's what I think.

Priority one would be to preserve the human race, likely on Mars. Priority two would be to make sure you come out ahead. Initially, we would see massive funding boosts to space programs. To prevent eventual information leaks and then mass rioting, governments would likely have to disclose the situation to the public. Ship and prefabricated housing designs would be immediately tested and put into use ferrying the first few individuals over. Preference would be given to ships that either could be converted to sealed habitats or would be capable of making multiple trips. The first waves would likely be the world's wealthier people, who secured their seats with monetary contributions. This would only be a small fraction of the total. The second waves would be those who were chosen based on genetics, skills and viability, but they would also be a minority. Almost 90% of people would be chosen based on lottery, and these would likely begin t about the 75-year mark. Some countries would likely limit these to people of a certain faith. Given that the last few presidents of the United States would become increasingly religious zealots, they would probably enforce his policy. Hence, us Canadians (with a largely atheist population) would likely throw in with China. Or Europe, since the Chinese and Americans would no doubt be plotting to kill each other before they it off the planet.

We would see massive leaps in both defensive and space-based technology because of this. Mining companies would begin to make a killing in the fission material market, and oil companies would see a huge buisness boost to fuel an enormous manufacturing frenzy. Canada and Russia would have a stronger influence based on the sheer amount of untapped resources.

Initially, crime would likely drop because of the incredibly bleak prospect of bein used as forced labor until the end of the world, but would pick up exponentially in the last decade or so as people begin to lose the fear of their consequences. The power of religious groups would steadily rise, an much of the world's population would stay begin voluntarily believing it to be the rapture. Although most people would be pacified by the hope of a way out, the social structure of the world would completely collapse as those who remain would slowly realize that they would likely be left behind. And the last view that those lucky enough to escape would have of their home would be of a world consumed by chaos, before it was completely and utterly destroyed.

All in all, I think we could save maybe 1,000,000,000 people assuming that competing nations didn't sabotage each other too badly.

This was written quickly on my phone. I might clean it up tonight.

Tl;dr


Give money to space people and make them build ship for their country and GTFO of or solar system

Still worth reading the whole thing and posting your own

@ arln That would cost a lot more money, and I am not sure we could come up with that technology in 150 years, but there is a chance we could, but this would mean saving so many less people, only a few would make it out, but then after you do, your kind of screwed.

Also, what are you gonna do when you get to Mars? You would have to bring livestock or seeds to grow once you get there. The atmosphere is so different than Earth's. I just don't see Mars as a permanent or even semi-permanent solution. What natural resources are on Mars? Unless we find that it used to be rich with plant life millions of years ago and has vast oil, and the materials to build larger spaceships, and we stay 100% efficient at research (impossible), how would we stay there? Eventually we would have to leave our solar system. Higgs boson will take care of that.

We actually have a simulation about if your world was going to be destroyed, we have plans to "accidentally" lose a Yttrium portal and have your kind find it and teleport to the next dimension over, which has platforms over a chlorine atmosphere, which you will inhabit, the Yttrium portal, being prefixed between two dimensions, will be useless. Eventually, your kind will clear the chlorine out and cover the planet anew.

Avenger_7 wrote:

Still worth reading the whole thing and posting your own

After reading the whole thing I completely agree with you. and Canada has a largely atheist population? ... I know where I'm moving.

I think we would see technology begin to go through the roof with new funding... and the fact that instead of finding ways to improve the iphone ,slightly, scientist would be trying to develop massively different ways to save humanity and a 150 year cushion would help.

Also, SPACE!
I would sign on with anyone to go...

Quote :

The first waves would likely be the world's wealthier people, who secured their seats with monetary contributions.

And just like that, nothing was achieved at all.

I think money would have no value, only resources.

People get so freaked out over who's gonna survive that we start a nuclear war over spaceflight capabilities and end up all dying, instead of just most.

Fallout 3 happens, or Rage. Whichever post apocalyptic global wasteland story you prefer.

Fallout 3.

The last part of 2012, except with space-arks instead of sea-Arks. And THEN Fallout.

I thought of 2012 when I thought about this scenario and rich people too, how they had big cabins, which were unnecessary, and could fit many more people in them, but instead they were left behind. Any who let's say that we know there will be inevitable nuclear fire like in fallout in 150 years, what would we do then? And don't say nuke them first, no nukes or wars until 150 years.

hyperlite wrote:

I thought of 2012 when I thought about this scenario and rich people too, how they had big cabins, which were unnecessary, and could fit many more people in them, but instead they were left behind. Any who let's say that we know there will be inevitable nuclear fire like in fallout in 150 years, what would we do then? And don't say nuke them first, no nukes or wars until 150 years.

Don't have children and enjoy the rest of your life.

Alternatively, you could try to unite humanity in a massive effort to save the entire world.

Which one actually sounds more plausible between the two?

or 3, dig a fallout bunker and live there with your friends, family, neighbors, etc.

Where is this reddit post?

Keon wrote:

or 3, dig a fallout bunker and live there with your friends, family, neighbors, etc.

Where is this reddit post?

Right and where are you going to find the resources and land to build a nuclear bunker large enough to accommodate yourself, your relatives, your friends and neighbors? All of which will be dead by then since the rain of fire is set 150 years in the future, which means they've all had children and families and more friends so your bunker needs to be much larger than previously anticipated.
Then you need to actually feed these people as the world burns above. You'd need some sort of massive underground farm complex with an infinite water supply for both the people and the food being grown.

The uniting humanity to save the world plan sounded like a better idea than that.

Pat Best wrote:

Keon wrote:

or 3, dig a fallout bunker and live there with your friends, family, neighbors, etc.

Where is this reddit post?

Right and where are you going to find the resources and land to build a nuclear bunker large enough to accommodate yourself, your relatives, your friends and neighbors? All of which will be dead by then since the rain of fire is set 150 years in the future, which means they've all had children and families and more friends so your bunker needs to be much larger than previously anticipated.
Then you need to actually feed these people as the world burns above. You'd need some sort of massive underground farm complex with an infinite water supply for both the people and the food being grown.

The uniting humanity to save the world plan sounded like a better idea than that.

Fallout 3 solved that problem, FOOD FABRICATORS AND DISPENSERS. It makes food and water from thin air and distributes it. It is so convenient. All vaults are equipped with them, even the ones with social experiments.

hyperlite wrote:

Pat Best wrote:

Keon wrote:

or 3, dig a fallout bunker and live there with your friends, family, neighbors, etc.

Where is this reddit post?

Right and where are you going to find the resources and land to build a nuclear bunker large enough to accommodate yourself, your relatives, your friends and neighbors? All of which will be dead by then since the rain of fire is set 150 years in the future, which means they've all had children and families and more friends so your bunker needs to be much larger than previously anticipated.
Then you need to actually feed these people as the world burns above. You'd need some sort of massive underground farm complex with an infinite water supply for both the people and the food being grown.

The uniting humanity to save the world plan sounded like a better idea than that.

Fallout 3 solved that problem, FOOD FABRICATORS AND DISPENSERS. It makes food and water from thin air and distributes it. It is so convenient. All vaults are equipped with them, even the ones with social experiments.

That's great. I'll take one, don't care about the price. I'll just fabricate myself food out of thin air and sell it half the price of grocery stores, make huge profit and pay you back for it.

Nope, it is invented right before everyone goes into vaults, and not for sale, it is very expensive, so very few were made. Everything works ideally in the Fallout universe according to me.

I'd throw my hat in with Canada, Europe, and maybe Japan. It seems like they would try to solve the problem instead of just bickering themselves into total destruction. Money, I would hope, would be completely worthless and all energy would go into research and development of large self-sustaining spacecraft to colonize other planetary systems (because mars sucks), but honestly something like this would probably happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isTi-V5R7fw

...so who actually read my post?

To answer a few questions:

We already have an algae capable of producing oxygen from the rust that covers Mars' surface.

We also have several plants that can survive there.

Livestock would likely have to be cloned from samples in the future. Bacterial protein tanks are much more efficient.

Reddit post: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ydnlm/the_world_is_ending_in_150_years_whats_the/

I think we would start to produce technology to produce food, water and oxygen to start with. Then we would make emergency bunkers all over the world, with these "Survival machines" and a bunch of protection suits in them.
Then we would start a war to make sure new technology would be produced.
When technology enough to transport humans and resources to another planet had been developed, mankind would move to another planet.
Where we would kill any creature we saw and start war with each other again, because that's how humans are.

150 years is plenty of time to divert an asteroid. Especially when you consider the effect a guaranteed apocalypse would have on NASA's budget.
I would focus on that.

fr0stbyte124 wrote:

150 years is plenty of time to divert an asteroid. Especially when you consider the effect a guaranteed apocalypse would have on NASA's budget.
I would focus on that.

Why are you talking about NASA?
NASA propably holds the world record for most inefficient use of money.
Give them 100% more money and they produce 10% more technology.