Assuming there is an extinction level event at some point in the future, what do you think is the most likely scenario?

If you chose other, what do you think it will most likely be outside of this list?

Also, if you were alive during the event, which scenarios would you attempt to survive through? Which would you just say fuck it and just kill yourself if you survived the main event but had a post-apocalyptic world to look forward to?

I’m going with stupidity/entitlement

posted by Ironman92

I’m going with stupidity/entitlement

Idiocracy-style?

Write in for "Browns winning the Super Bowl."

Zombies would be cool. At the least, I'd be able to see if the dozens of zombie flicks I've watched have prepared me. Preferably the shambling Romero-style version and not the sprinting "rage plague" version -- I'd give myself about 20 seconds against them.

Environmental/natural disaster - wasn’t sure the difference. But one of those.

And I am 100% trying to survive. I am too weak (strong??) to kill myself. I’d probably die in it, but if I was one of the lucky ones, I’m trying my best to survive. 

Bad bad bad day when that supervolcano under Yellowstone goes...

I'd probably ATTEMPT to survive just about anything, even trying to get to remote Montana if there was nuclear fallout.  But I don't have much food or water, or guns, or motorcycles or pack animals.  So I'm dead in a few weeks, either way.

posted by Heretic

Zombies would be cool. At the least, I'd be able to see if the dozens of zombie flicks I've watched have prepared me. Preferably the shambling Romero-style version and not the sprinting "rage plague" version -- I'd give myself about 20 seconds against them.

Walking Dead zombies? I'd give it my best effort and probably do pretty well.

Zombieland zombies? See you on the other side.

I am going with a huge asteroid

I chose Other

The other is "Kardshians". This is similar to the Idiocracy once, except that more and more people are influenced by that family and slowly our society simply stops trying to get better and we all die. 

I think your poll is missing the religious aspect, besides the "other" option.  I'd choose a "biblical" option if there were one, but for the sake of the options given (besides other), I'm choosing an astronomical event.

posted by ernest_t_bass

I think your poll is missing the religious aspect, besides the "other" option.  I'd choose a "biblical" option if there were one, but for the sake of the options given (besides other), I'm choosing an astronomical event.

Yeah, that's a good one. I pulled my list from an article about apocalyptic fiction, and I'm also a heathen, so the biblical option didn't cross my mind. 

What are some earthly natural disasters that could wipe our the entire human race?

gut mentioned the Yellowstone super volcano, which is probably the most likely to happen. 

I'm not sure of anything else that would make that huge of an impact.

posted by justincredible

gut mentioned the Yellowstone super volcano, which is probably the most likely to happen. 

I'm not sure of anything else that would make that huge of an impact.

I can definitely see that wreaking havoc on the United States.  Would it have much global impact?  I could see rising ocean tides having an effect, but not to the point of extinction.  Ice age?  Acid rain?  Biden gets re-elected? 

posted by ernest_t_bass

I think your poll is missing the religious aspect, besides the "other" option.  I'd choose a "biblical" option if there were one, but for the sake of the options given (besides other), I'm choosing an astronomical event.

Shit, if we're going that way, might as well add: "Unicorns and dragons return. And they are pissed."

I'll go with other and that nothing will happen. 

All throughout human history, there has been talk of the end times, and yet here we are.

My money is on nothing will happen. 

posted by ptown_trojans_1

I'll go with other and that nothing will happen. 

All throughout human history, there has been talk of the end times, and yet here we are.

My money is on nothing will happen. 

Human history is but a blip. Earth has already seen at least one extinction level event. 

posted by ernest_t_bass

I can definitely see that wreaking havoc on the United States.  Would it have much global impact?  I could see rising ocean tides having an effect, but not to the point of extinction.  Ice age?  Acid rain?  Biden gets re-elected? 

It's been a while since I've looked into the potential results, but I'm pretty sure it would wreak havoc word wide.

posted by Heretic

Shit, if we're going that way, might as well add: "Unicorns and dragons return. And they are pissed."

Yeah dude, totally.

posted by justincredible

It's been a while since I've looked into the potential results, but I'm pretty sure it would wreak havoc word wide.

Well it would kill our crops which would affect the world. at the very least.

posted by justincredible

Human history is but a blip. Earth has already seen at least one extinction level event. 

posted by Laley23

Well it would kill our crops which would affect the world. at the very least.

What I remember seeing, was it would be absolutely devastating to the Western US (not unlike a bunch of nukes hitting the west coast).  And, obviously, would probably affect large parts of Canada and Mexico.

Food & supply chain issues would have significant follow on impacts on the east coast, as well.  But, supposedly, most of the rest of the world would do ok (relatively speaking).

While it's probably not close to a global extinction event, you wipe out a few hundred million people and ~20% global GDP it probably throws the world into a new Dark Ages for a few hundred years.  That's best-cast, the worst-case is WW3 being triggered as a result due to lack of resources and food.

posted by justincredible

Human history is but a blip. Earth has already seen at least one extinction level event. 

I think there have been 6 global extinction events (Dinosaurs are one, but also several others) in Earth history.

posted by gut

I think there have been 6 global extinction events (Dinosaurs are one, but also several others) in Earth history.

There you go. Humanity has to become a multiplanetary species or it will go extinct eventually.