One day, the world will end. When that happens, the Sun will essentially explode outward, destroying many of the planets around it as it “dies” and reaches another cycle of its life. But, before that happens, scientists say we can likely expect humanity’s end to arrive.
Climate change is, of course, an ongoing concern that many scientists are trying to solve. And they’ve come up with some really cool and impressive ideas — including sending bubbles into space to help block solar radiation. However, no solution has actually been put into play just yet.
As a result, climate change continues to progress onward, threatening the melting of the ice caps, which would send hundreds of thousands of miles of shoreline under the ocean. And according to a new simulation, humanity’s end could come in as little as 250 million years if climate change continues the way it has.
The simulation was completed by a supercomputer using various pieces of data relating to Earth’s ongoing climate and ocean chemistry, as well as the state of the tectonic plates and biology. That simulation found that within 250 million years, the Earth’s atmosphere will be so full of CO2. That, coupled with the heat of the Sun, will make the Earth no longer able to sustain many forms of life, including humanity.
This means that humanity’s end will likely come because of a climate where it is almost impossible to grow food. Where the planet becomes devoid of water and food sources for mammals, pushing us all to extinction. It’s a terrifying thought and one that scientists will no doubt continue to try to find ways to fight.
It also isn’t an insane idea. The simulation suggests that we’d see widespread temperatures between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, roughly 104 – 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Those temperatures would only be compounded by high levels of humidity, making Earth even more uninhabitable.
A study was published in Nature Geoscience detailing these findings, and it offers a unique insight into the future that could await humanity and hundreds of other species of mammals.
