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Human race 'will be extinct within 100 years', claims leading scientist

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As the scientist who helped eradicate smallpox he certainly know a thing or two about extinction.

And now Professor Frank Fenner, emeritus professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, has predicted that the human race will be extinct within the next 100 years.

Human race 'will be extinct 'within 100 years due to population explosion' | Mail Online

This is all very interesting, but I find it highly unlikely that the human race could possibly become extinct within such a short time frame-- especially if the supposed causes of this extinction event are global warming and overpopulation. A catastrophic depopulation, certainly, but nothing that would threaten the existence of the entire species.
 
Yeah - that seems to contradict itself.

If he said in 1,000 years maybe so - that's several generations - but for us to actually die off we'd have to 100% bite the bullet - if food-shortage and environmental issues is the reason for massive death then, at some point, the herd would have been culled to where the remaining portion will be able to more than adequately survive. (by culling the herd I mean we dying - not a 'food source' being waned)

Just because a scientist or DR fully grasps one concept and solves a serious problem (in his case, eradicating small pox) does not mean that they are correct, on target or grasping of other issues.
 
i'm a bit skeptical, i can understand a dip in the human population, but i can't see it leading to extinction, simply because human population is too spread out for a calamity to effect it all.
 
i'm a bit skeptical, i can understand a dip in the human population, but i can't see it leading to extinction, simply because human population is too spread out for a calamity to effect it all.

That too - there are places like the Polynesians where such a thing would likely have no effect.

I can see it being a problem for places like the US where most people depend on grocery-supply for food sources. but even then, quite a few would still manage because htey're not dependent on such breakable chains.
 
Oh, well, if the Daily Mail says so :)

Short of global nuclear war or massive asteroid impact, we'll live.
 
The overpopulation argument drives me nuts. There's no shortage of living space, arable land, or fresh water on this planet. All of the regional shortages of these commodities are caused by inefficient distribution systems-- problems with feasible long-term solutions.
 
The overpopulation argument drives me nuts. There's no shortage of living space, arable land, or fresh water on this planet. All of the regional shortages of these commodities are caused by inefficient distribution systems-- problems with feasible long-term solutions.

You've got a brain!!
This is SO TRUE!

It's not that the entire world isn't capable or actually does *not* produce enough food - I agree - it's the system of harvesting, production and distribution that makes it so screwy.
 
You've got a brain!!
This is SO TRUE!

It's not that the entire world isn't capable or actually does *not* produce enough food - I agree - it's the system of harvesting, production and distribution that makes it so screwy.

Yeah. Although the concern with the global warming thing is that if temperature rises too fast, our main food crops will have trouble adapting and the crop yields will drop, compounding the distribution problems.

But extinct? That's silly. Even if the earth jumped 100 degrees, killing off every plant species, we could survive in nuclear-powered air-conditioned bubbles that grow our food. Obviously we're down to probably 1% or less of our current in such an outrageous scenario, but we're still not extinct.
 
Our long term survival is still dependent on getting off this planet, though. Shouldn't keep all our eggs in one basket.
 
YES WERE ALL GOING TO DIE finally Ive been waiting for this
 
Of course the human race will be extinct in 100 years. We'll be extinct in 3 years. Just ask the Mayans. :mrgreen:
 
"getting off this planet"
:rofl

Bright side! (there's always a bright side) - we won't be knocking off in 2012!! I mean - if he felt that 2012 was the end then sure he would have said "2 years" - and, well, I won't be here in 100 years anyway so I'll pass this issue onto the next generation and just enjoy my time here.
 
I'm planning on living for at least another century. Next month I'm not so certain about, but next century certainly.
 
"We'll deny them the crown and live forever!"
 
Our long term survival is still dependent on getting off this planet, though. Shouldn't keep all our eggs in one basket.

Whoa! Something I agree with you on...

Yeah, I've always liked the Peter Wiggin (Ender's Game) theory that we should spread ourselves out so that no single event could wipe us out.
 
Human race 'will be extinct 'within 100 years due to population explosion' | Mail Online

This is all very interesting, but I find it highly unlikely that the human race could possibly become extinct within such a short time frame-- especially if the supposed causes of this extinction event are global warming and overpopulation. A catastrophic depopulation, certainly, but nothing that would threaten the existence of the entire species.
he's only 212 years late with such an original prediction
when thomas malthus made his prediction that the world could not support the teeming population at the time (1798) it was four more years until the world's population first reached the one billion mark
we are now at 6.8 billion
just as malthus was wrong, your prognosticator will be found in error, too ... but like the rest of us he will be dead and forgotten by the time that 100 year period ends
Malthusian catastrophe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
worldpopulationgraph.png
 
Pah!

Mad scientist he is.
 
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