View comments by: Most Recent - first / last | Most Popular - first / last | Replies - hide / show

Climate evolution and the future of mankind

Since it's beginning the earth's physical and atmospheric makeup has been in a constant state of evolution. There have been ice ages and periods of warming, as well periods of higher and/or lower oxygen content. There have been volcano's and earthquakes(far exceeding anything we experience today),as well asteroids impacting the earth, and this all has served to change earths makeup allowing for the existence of differing life forums, and when they have reached their potential, send them into extinction, paving the way for a species more suitable for the changing environment. What we have over looked is that the earth itself has a lifespan, does that mean the end of mankind as we know it ,opening the door for a more advanced species? Is earth just a starting point for the human race, is man's future out amongst the stars living in self sustainable colonies??? According to a study published in September, the earth can support life for another 1.75 billion years providing nuclear holocaust, an asteroid ,or some other disaster doesn't intervene. Stephen Hawkins(a noted theoretical physicist) said in a a lecture on black holes for BBC such a disaster is imminent ,that it is but a matter of time and we must tread lightly for it will be at least a hundred years before we have advanced to such capabilities technologically. Even if there appears no disasters the earth will in the next 1.75 -3.25 billion years travel out of the solar systems habitable zone into the hot zone. Is colonizing space the first stage to extinction of mankind as we know it, allowing for a human species more suitable for life amongst the cosmos???


Created By on 30/01/2016

Not a member?

You need to be a member to interact with Silversurfers. Joining is free and simple to do. Click the button below to join today!

[deleted]
9th May 2017 17:19:37 (Last activity: 10th May 2017 19:58:24)
0
Thanks for voting!
[deleted]
Response from Wilf made on 9th May 2017 21:35:23
I read Elon Musks book recently which really portrays him as a genius-Tesla, Space X etc. I do believe as I have written on here before that we will develop into "Man-Machines" and from that into machines and after that---who knows? We are starting already with mechanical body parts and implants. We are on the cusp of an AI revolution as soon as we get to the "Singularity" where machines become self aware and "conscious" which Ray Keizweil the chief engineer of Google estimates as 2029 the world will change rapidly as what takes us week/months/years to consider & develop will take machines seconds. In seconds more they will develop even more p[powerful software and where we go from there is anyones guess!
Response from ThePrimate made on 10th May 2017 19:08:36
I worry that whatever advancements there are they will be for the benefit of the few rather than the many. In addition, you can see that we are losing that 'human' touch with each other. Communicating via an electronic device is not always the same as face to face eye to eye contact. You can't hug an iPad 🙂
Response from ThePrimate made on 10th May 2017 19:58:24
or, Barons and Serfs, the Barons up in their Castles and us down in the village and the mud. What we need is a revolution-some anarchy and more hugs, definitely more hugs.
Hateehc
16th Oct 2016 16:35:19 (Last activity: 9th May 2017 21:38:10)
0
Thanks for voting!
At some future point this universe will comprise dust and no light.. The end.
Response from Wilf made on 9th May 2017 21:38:10
From what I have read the universe will probably cease to exist at some point about 100 billion years in the future when the last brown dwarfs stars will at last burn out and there will be total blackness...unless the universe goes into a "big crunch" and then another big bang forms another universe again etc etc
[deleted]
25th Apr 2017 14:55:44 (Last activity: 25th Apr 2017 15:18:12)
0
Thanks for voting!
[deleted]
Response from Wilf made on 25th Apr 2017 15:18:12
I have read a lot about this Yodama and totally believe in it...The Anthropocene is a proposed epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on the Earth's geology and ecosystems. ...we are making a huge impact and the worst of it is climate change which is very rapid...I also think in the next 1,000 years (a very short span for the earth) we will evolve into "man/machines" and then live for thousands of years in these new shells.
[deleted]
12th Jan 2017 17:19:44 (Last activity: 12th Jan 2017 19:17:43)
0
Thanks for voting!
[deleted]
Response from Wilf made on 12th Jan 2017 19:17:43
AI...very interesting in this weeks economist a statement by Terry Winograd Prof at Stanford University..and a riddle for computers & AI..."The city councilmen refused the demonstrators a permit because they feared violence.....Who feared violence?"...easy for humans ...crushingly difficult for a computer unless it had true AI
[deleted]
19th Dec 2016 00:58:28 (Last activity: 19th Dec 2016 22:14:43)
0
Thanks for voting!
[deleted]
Response from Wilf made on 19th Dec 2016 11:15:53
By the middle part of this century the "Singularity" will have been reached whereby machines become self aware. At this state technology will go exponential and humans and knowledge will as well. I think in about 200 years we will have escaped the solar system and be exploring other star systems. To understand where we are going one only has to read Arthur C Clarkes brilliant book...2011 A Space Odessy...where humans are in contact with Aliens "first they started to replace parts of their bodies with metal and plastic, then they moved into the machines and started exploring the stars...eventually they put their minds into latices of light and moved freely between galaxies"....it will all come to pass!
Response from [deleted] made on 19th Dec 2016 22:14:43
[deleted]
MorrisandDoris
19th Jun 2016 14:56:17 (Last activity: 19th Aug 2016 07:41:43)
2
Thanks for voting!
I believe mankind will become extinct on Earth through self destruction brought on by our various failings, but in time the Earth as a planet will recover and survive but only without us on it !
Response from Wilf made on 19th Jun 2016 21:05:40
earth has been here for 4.5 billion years. We as intelligent beings for about 5,000. We only really damage the earth in last 100 years. Will be be around is say 1 million years? Not sure but we need to get through the next few hundred first
Response from MorrisandDoris made on 19th Jun 2016 23:59:22
It could come sooner than that, and I'm not talking about the results of global warming on our planet either !
Response from happyhacker made on 19th Aug 2016 07:41:43
You've got it in one there mate!
celtwitch
30th Jan 2016 10:51:53 (Last activity: 30th Jan 2016 22:13:18)
2
Thanks for voting!
Deep and imponderable questions, from someone claiming to be 'senile!' I can't help but wonder, 'what are these 'differing life forums' and who sits on them?'
The earth has to be our 'starting point' as there is nowhere else we can be at this point in our history, but where we go from here depends on our ability to conquer space, time, gravity and whether, or not, we can produce breathable air on another planet, and will it support human life indefinitely?
I don't understand how anyone, even Stephen Hawking ((a noted theoretical physicist and anti-Semite) can predict what might happen in billions of years from now. I much prefer the predictions of Prof Brian Cox, who has explained, how over billions of trillions of years the universe will slowly and gradually die, as stars burn out, one by one until the universe is plunged into a cold, dark nothingness.
On the plus side, we won't be here, so why worry, just enjoy the years we have left.
Response from senile Original Poster made on 30th Jan 2016 22:13:18
"Forums" was a typo, it was meant to be "life forms".

Anytime one looks into the future(or anything there is no existing proof of) ,one can but theorize that which may occur, which alludes to the fact that Stephen Hawkins is a "theoretical physicist', and his theories are but one amongst many, including Prof Brian Cox's theories.
Having said such, man's history of evolution and adaptation is factual and speaks for itself as well as his intellectual evolution, which has led to his technological advances. Evolution of environment,both natural and technical, forces evolution of life forms; this is historical fact.
As man is forced out into the cosmos ,his technology will evolve to create an environment ,as well his physical being, to adapt to environmental changes. Now if one were to suggest this is all theoretical, one would be absolutely correct. Then again, prediction of anything past this existing moment; is theoretical.

Community Terms & Conditions

Content standards

These content standards apply to any and all material which you contribute to our site (contributions), and to any interactive services associated with it.

You must comply with the spirit of the following standards as well as the letter. The standards apply to each part of any contribution as well as to its whole.

Contributions must:

be accurate (where they state facts); be genuinely held (where they state opinions); and comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.

Contributions must not:

contain any material which is defamatory of any person; or contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory; or promote sexually explicit material; or promote violence; promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; or infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person; or be likely to deceive any person; or be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence; or promote any illegal activity; or be threatening, abuse or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety; or be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person; or be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person; or give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case; or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.

Nurturing a safe environment

Our Silversurfers community is designed to foster friendships, based on trust, honesty, integrity and loyalty and is underpinned by these values.

We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!