Astronaut: 'Single-Planet Species Don't Last' 921
An anonymous reader writes "Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle astronaut John Young, due to retire in two weeks, says that the human species is in danger of becoming extinct: 'The statistical risk of humans getting wiped out in the next 100 years due to a super volcano or asteroid or comet impact is 1 in 455. How does that relate? You're 10 times more likely to get wiped out by a civilization-ending event in the next 100 years than you are getting killed in a commercial airline crash.' He says that the technologies needed to colonize the solar system will help people survive through disasters on Earth. Young has written about this topic before in an essay called 'The Big Picture'." In related news, the Shuttle overhaul program is on track for a May 2005 launch.
Odds are off (Score:4, Funny)
I've heard of numerous commercial airline fatalities in the news. Can't say I've heard of any civilization-ending events in my lifetime.
Sounds like FUD to me.
Look positive (Score:3, Funny)
Why always look at the negative side of things? It would reduce the problem of slashdotting websites...
Obligatory beowulf reference... (Score:3, Funny)
Kewl!
Re:Odds are off (Score:5, Funny)
Well, duh.
and... (Score:5, Funny)
- Jack, Fight Club
Sometime you hear people talk like they're going to live forever. Well I got news for you.
NOT!
In A World Where... (Score:5, Funny)
What he really meant to say is this:
The statistical risk of humans getting wiped out in the next 100 years due to a super volcano or asteroid or comet impact would be 1 in 455--were it not for the heroic actions of one man, his wise-cracking, non-WASP sidekick, and a plucky band of researcher/rock star/mercenaries...
I agree (Score:5, Funny)
Re:One Planet ... (Score:5, Funny)
Hello - the title of this /. article is misleading...
You must be new here.
Re:Prove it (Score:5, Funny)
You don't work in the PR department for the dinosaur government do you?
Old quote, but good: (Score:5, Funny)
Says everything, really.
Great Old Ones (Score:4, Funny)
"What other higher order species that has multi planet colonization did he do his evaluation against?"
The Great Old Ones [cthulhu.org] and their minions? Those Mi-Go are pretty hardy buggers.
On the specifics of this report's premise, it seems to me to be a hell of a lot cheaper (and more realistic at the present) to ensure humanity's survival by being able to "Go Deep". If the we could harness geothermal power down deep, we could power lights that could grow plants in our subterranean cities, etc. and keep ourselves going.
Sure we'd end up living on glowing fungus in the end, and evolve big giant eyes and go all pasty-white pale, but then when we travel back in time to visit Earth in the 1960s-80s we'll look like we're supposed to.
Must be Friday. I need a drink.
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Cthulhu holiday songs [cthulhulives.org], for the gift that keeps on loathing.
Re:Hyperspace (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Hyperspace (Score:5, Funny)
Level 4: masters of the universe
Level 5: All power put in one place and given to one man for justice - He-man.
Level 2 is only permanent if you don't piss off any of the higher leveled species so much that they wipe you out.
Re:Old quote, but good: (Score:5, Funny)
Oh yeah? How do we know that the impact off of the Yucatan that wiped out the dinosaurs wasn't due to the crash of some attempt to launch a crew of brontosaurs into orbit? Do you know how much energy a rocket full of brontos would pack? The Truth That They Don't Want You To Know (this week) is that the dinosaurs went extinct because they had a space program!
Look for my amazing new book on this subject "Really Friggin' Ancient Astronauts: T Minus for T-Rex" at a bookstore near you, soon.
Re:1 in 455? (Score:5, Funny)
First of all, it's a 1 in 455 chance of being wiped out by asteroids, volcanic activity, comets, vampires, dark elves, zombies, or McDonald's, but he seemed to convenienly leave off the end of the list.
Secondly, he forgot to mention that this takes into account the fact that all humans who have not broken the code of the Greblor (roughly 96.3%) will be delivered by the benevolent lizard Godzilla back unto our home planet - a place of safety and prosperity in another dimension. Only the evil, self-destructive humans will remain.
Further, it is predicted that 97.1% of those who stay will be delivered in the second coming of Godzilla after having repented of their evil ways.
So as you can see, most of us have nothing to worry about. They neglected to mention the other parts of the report, which actually explain why the numbers are obviously true.
Re:Prove it (Score:1, Funny)
Re:1 in 455? (Score:5, Funny)
To all the naysayers.... (Score:5, Funny)
Statistics were only recently discovered, hence they didn't apply back then.
Stupids.
Dinosaurs extinction (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Prove it (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Prove it (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Prove it (Score:3, Funny)
Paging Fred Saberhagen. Dr. Saberhagen, phone 322.
Re:Hyperspace (Score:3, Funny)
Training Simulation... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I agree (Score:3, Funny)
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Re:Prove it (Score:1, Funny)
The evil U.S. would never try to feed the hungry. If fact. GWB himself likes to go to third world countries and steal food. He then puts it in a secret bunker under the White House, where it sits there and rots. He would never eat it himself, because he maintains a steady diet of puppies and kittens.
Re:Prove it (Score:1, Funny)
Re:What about one-star species? (Score:2, Funny)
Look. The universe isn't going to make it. This thermodynamics we've got is whacked. In the real long run, we're all dead because of it. Build all the hyperspace drives and Dyson spheres you want, you won't stop entropy. Heat death of the universe. Game over, man. Game over.
If we don't get out of this reality soon, it's all over.
Re:Why Airliners? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Prove it (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Prove it (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Prove it (Score:2, Funny)
Hell, I'll buy them a full-page ad in the New York Times. "Joe Treehugger killed himself to end overpopulation in America. Thanks, Joe!"
What a bunch of morons.