People Talk About How Humans Will Become Extinct

It’s kind of scary, but you’ve probably considered it at one point or another.

How will human beings become extinct?

What will be the final catalyst that wipes us off the planet for good?

Are you ready to do a little thinking about our existence?

Here’s what folks on AskReddit had to say about it.

1. Oh, boy…

“A highly contagious virus designed to make its host infertile without presenting any other symptoms escapes from a lab and infects everyone.”

2. A hot take.

“As a long term optimist, my favorite is evolution.

As we expand out into space through the eons eventually we diverge and evolve into new species, and what we consider human is extinct.

You can also view AI as a version of evolution and count that as well, but I personally think we can coexist with an AI we create.”

3. WAR.

“It’s got to be war.

We literally have a weapon that can wipe out an entire country, now multiply the amount of that weapon by thousands.

One day countries and leaders will face a breaking point through clashing ideologies and before we even knew it, we already fucked ourselves over.”

4. Irreparable damage.

“By irreparably damaging our biosphere.

Takes a biosphere to evolve and sustain a complex living organism like us, destroy that and we probably won’t last long.”

5. That’s not pleasant.

“Slow and painful.

Slowly losing clean water until we’re a desert planet and we die.”

6. That’s not good.

“I’d say we’ll either kill each other for resources due to overpopulation or (which by now I think is more likely) a pandemic worse than the coronavirus will collapse health and economic systems throughout the world which will lead to supply shortages then maybe to war.”

7. Something to think about…

“Humans will biologically die out. I think at we could maybe reach a point where sentimental value of being a human is slowly gone in favour of something else, like being a machine, uploading consciousness.

We may be our real selves but digital, or just a program with personality effectively killing the host and stealing their memory, while retaining their information, soulless.

Either way, it won’t be human.”

8. Human error.

“I think we will make a mistake. Something like, we send the majority of the population to another planet, but they crash. Or, we couldn’t get to another planet in time.

Humans make mistakes. It’s about time we make a big one.”

9. Or maybe a machine?

“It could even be machine error. In 1983, at the height of the Cold War (during Reagan’s era), the USSR detected multiple incoming ICBM missiles allegedly launched by the US.

Turns out the system mistook a particular alignment of sunlight for nukes. Had it not been for Stanislav Petrov, a USSR officer who decided against retaliation despite all evidence pointing towards an attack, we would have had full blown nuclear war and humanity may very well be extinct today.”

10. This is scary.

“Honestly, a massive asteroid. (I’m talking miles in diameter).

I mean nuclear war is devastating but just think about the colossal amount of energy released during such an impact event (billions of nukes).

The worst part? There’s pretty much nothing we can do about it with our current technology.”

11. Our fault.

“We’ll probably damage the environment to a point where we can no longer live in it.

In the last 100 years we’ve been burning through Earth’s resources like we have another planet to move to.”

12. Two theories.

“Two likely options:

Climate collapse.

Might not be the direct cause of human extinction, but it would certainly prompt a lot of candidates for human extinction.

Nations going to war with each other as their land goes underwater or becomes otherwise uninhabitable, wars over the last remaining resources, increased temperatures across the globe result in more heatstroke deaths and tropical diseases spreading across the globe.

In that scenario, either nuclear war or uncontrolled disease kills us all.

Massive collapse of technology.

A coronal mass ejection cripples all technology on Earth- life support systems, planes, power plants, anything more complex than a radio is rendered unusable. Within hours, millions are dead. As supply chains collapse across the globe, famine becomes a part of life for many.

With today’s level of dependence on technology, it would knock us back to being an agrarian species. And the more technologically advanced we get, the worse a coronal mass ejection becomes.

Imagine a time when most humans have complex cybernetics- a coronal mass ejection would literally kill billions as their body’s electronic components failed. It would deal us a blow we could never recover from.”

13. As simple as that.

“Stupidity.

Or I should say the rapidly increasing gulf between common and academic knowledge.

Science is moving faster than the average person’s intellect because we have coddled being fucking morons for decades now.

Look at how Covid has been handled in the scientific vs. common communities and imagine that level of dissonance in an even greater threat.”

14. I’m sorry I’ll miss this.

“An asteroid composed of dinosaurs will crash into the Earth and they’ll eat us all.”

People sure are creative, aren’t they?

Okay, now we want to hear from you!

If you had to guess, how do you think human beings will become extinct?

Let us know in the comments!

The post People Talk About How Humans Will Become Extinct appeared first on UberFacts.

Patagonia’s CEO Donated Company’s $10 Million Tax Cut to Fight Climate Change

As much as some people (and organizations) out there would like to bury their heads in the sand and pretend climate change doesn’t exist, it is very real, and its effects are growing more drastic.

Because of the 2018 rewrite of America’s tax laws – a tax code revision that greatly benefited corporations by lowering the corporate tax rate by almost a third for most companies – Patagonia paid $10 million less in taxes that year than it had anticipated. So the company’s CEO, Rose Marcario, decided to donate the $10 million to non-profit groups that are working to fight climate change and help the environment.

Marcario believed the corporate tax cut was not a good thing, and she wrote, “Based on last year’s irresponsible tax cut, Patagonia will owe less in taxes this year—$10 million less, in fact. Instead of putting the money back into our business, we’re responding by putting $10 million back into the planet. Our home planet needs it more than we do.”

Speaking about climate change deniers, including many in government, Marcario wrote, “Far too many have suffered the consequences of global warming in recent months, and the political response has so far been woefully inadequate—and the denial is just evil.”

Patagonia has been a friend of the environment for many years now and their website says the company has donated more than $89 million to environmental groups to fight climate change.

Let’s hope that more corporations and individuals make their voices heard about the extreme consequences of climate change that are occurring around us every day. This isn’t something that might happen in the future, this is taking place right now.

The post Patagonia’s CEO Donated Company’s $10 Million Tax Cut to Fight Climate Change appeared first on UberFacts.

A Melting Glacier Revealed 28 New Virus Groups and Scientists are Worried

There are a whole lot of reasons to lament the demise of glaciers around the world – for one, they are the visual proof that the earth is warming, no matter what the weather outside your window or the politicians in their offices want to claim.

For another, many of them have been around for millennia, and as they melt, things are thawing out of them that modern human beings have never encountered.

In 2015, researchers from China and the United States drilled a 164-foot hole into a Tibetan glacier, gathering 2 ice core samples to study in a lab. The 15,000-year-old glacier is melting, and the scientists have so far found 33 virus groups in their core sample.

28 of them are completely new to science.

These scientists and researchers are not alone; their peers around the world are desperately trying to identify potential microbial threats in the melting ice before they escape and put us on the spot.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The meltwater from glaciers and ice caps could release these potentially harmful pathogens into streams, rivers, and pretty much any other type of waterway…and once a previously unknown microbe finds its way into human beings, there’s no telling what might happen.

The permafrost around the world is melting, too, and presents similar microbial challenges. It’s also releasing an alarming amount of methane gas and carbon dioxide – it is estimated to hold twice as much carbon as currently resides in our atmosphere.

View this post on Instagram

For 141 years since its first ascent, mountaineers from around the world traveled to climb la Meije in the Massif des Ecrins of France. Meanwhile, the permafrost that held its stones together was melting. On August 7, 2018, rockfall destroyed much of the normal route. In this On Belay story from Alpinist 68—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—two locally based guides—Benjamin Ribeyre and Erin Smart—recount a search for a new way up the peak amid the uncertainties of the planet’s future. . You can now read the story at Alpinist.com. . Did you know—only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up Alpinist 68 for all the goodness: https://shop.holpublications.com/products/alpinist-magazine-issue-68 . The south face of la Meije (3983m) and the upper Etancons Valley is pictured here with the Glacier Carre covered in snow during spring, Massif des Ecrins, France. [Photo] Manu Rivaud . @benjaminribeyre @erinsmart_mountainguide #lameije #glaciercarré #frenchalps #snowmelt #rockfall #climatechange #meltingpermafrost #alpinistfeature #theclimbinglife #alpineclimbing #mountaineering

A post shared by Alpinist Magazine (@alpinistmag) on

Researchers have pulled samples of smallpox, Spanish flu, bubonic plague, and even anthrax from thawing permafrost, along with pollutants like mercury, all previously trapped inside permanently frozen ground.

There are important buildings in jeopardy, too, as thawing ground begins to result in more slumping or sagging of previously hardened earth. In Sweden, for example, there is a nuclear waste containment facility that could be in danger, and in Norway, the world’s global seed vault, built to safeguard seeds against exactly this kind of environmental impact, could itself be threatened.

View this post on Instagram

Humans are very good at self sabotaging ourselves, controlling and manipulating others, colonizing and dominating over other live and sentient beings. All these behaviours are driven by fear, anger, greed, hunger for power, status and control. ?? Would we still buy into all this nonsense if we fully realized that we are destroying ourselves, all living beings and our planet? What if we only have few years to live? Would we contemplate life and death? Seek reconciliations between peoples with different religions, nations, genders, classes, generations? ❤ Let's make universal love our compass. ❤ Let's live in present. ❤ Let's seek and adapt inner peace and love. ❤ Let's be human again. ❤ Let's share love and show compassion. ❤ Love, enjoy, live. Now. #love #behuman #awakeninghumanity #humanrights #climatecrisis #sixthmassextinction #climaterefugees #consumerismkills #foodshortages #heatwave #flooding #reducereuserecycle #circulareconomy #govegan #carbondrawdown #risingsealevel #meltingpermafrost #plasticfreelife #socialcollaps #noplanetb? #universalconsciousness

A post shared by sarkasakura (@sarkasakura) on

Basically, we’ve only encountered the tip of the iceberg (pun intended) when it comes to the potential disastrous effects of global warming – not only on the planet, but on humanity, too.

I don’t know about you, but the idea that I could get smallpox is one more reason I want to do my part.

The post A Melting Glacier Revealed 28 New Virus Groups and Scientists are Worried appeared first on UberFacts.

A Billion Dollar Solar Power Plant Flamed out, Costing Taxpayers Millions of Dollars

This billion-dollar solar plant has flamed out worse than a Kardashian relationship.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Crescent Dunes plant located outside of Las Vegas has generated far more controversy than power since it opened in 2015. Built with technology that was outdated even during its construction, the solar power plant has become a giant sore spot in the solar power industry.

Instead of providing a more efficient and environmentally safe fuel source, the plant has become a financial albatross. And SolarReserves Inc. and ACS Cobra, the two companies involved in the highly expensive Crescent Dunes project, received more than $700 million in government loan guarantees.

Unfortunately, the results simply didn’t measure up in comparison to modern solar power plants. The Bloomberg report pointed out that the plant cost about $135 per megawatt-hour compared to less than $30 per MWh at a new Nevada photovoltaic solar farm.

The $1 billion, 1,500-acre Crescent Dunes farm was supposed to provide 110 megawatts of power. However, that pales in comparison to other renewable power projects, including a plant recently approved by the Trump administration that will span 7,000 acres and provide 690 megawatts of solar energy.

There is certainly no shortage of interest or funding involved in solar technology. The Department of Energy’s portfolio includes $38 billion in projects similar to the Crescent Dunes project. Other entities such as the Department of Defense, NASA and the U.S. Air Force continue to fund university research in similar areas.

Of course, there is always risk involved in backing any new technology or large-scale infrastructure projects. Though Solyndra got a lot of heat for crashing and burning, a number of other non-renewable energy plants have had similar stories, or worse, like a $9 billion failed nuclear power plant in South Carolina. Plus, the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars of unrecoverable money on baked-in subsidies for oil and gas companies, so this question of where the public invests is really is a matter of social priority.

Yet, taxpayers do shoulder the burden when failed projects are partially backed by public funding. For example, Crescent Dunes relied on $737 million in taxpayer money – funds that will likely not be repaid.

The plant, which as we’ve mentioned was technologically out-of-date before it even opened, only ever operated at 20 percent efficiency – a far cry from its target of 50 percent. Moreover, the plant killed local wildlife due to its heat-focused mirrors before it was shut down in April 2019.

Ultimately, Crescent Dunes proved to be a billion-dollar mistake that, unfortunately, leaves a black cloud hanging over the solar power industry right at a critical time in the world’s fight against climate change.

The post A Billion Dollar Solar Power Plant Flamed out, Costing Taxpayers Millions of Dollars appeared first on UberFacts.

Nearly 200 People Have Been Arrested in Connection With the Devastating Brushfires in Australia

Australia’s bushfires have had an awful effect on the country’s landscape, residents, and the economy. Though a certain number of fires is normal, it turns out people have been making it a lot worse – and not just by contributing to climate change.

Authorities now reveal that nearly 200 people have been arrested for of bushfire-related misdeeds since November 2019.

Arrests have been made in the states of Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A total of 183 people have been arrested in relation to 205 offenses according to the latest data. Police in the Australian state of Queensland have found that 103 bushfires were set on purpose. 98 people have been detained in connection to these, and 67 of the perpetrators are underage.

In New South Wales, 53 people will deal with legal consequences because they reportedly ignored the total-fire bans in place. 24 people have been charged for setting bushfires on purpose.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Sydney Morning Herald also reports that 47 people allegedly discarded matches or lit cigarettes improperly, and they are facing charges as a result.

These fires are no joke. Thus far, they have scorched an area of land double the size of Maryland, or roughly 13 million acres.

Because fire in Australia is such a problem, persons caught lighting tobacco or related products near hay, corn, standing crop, or grain can be fined up to $5,500. Lighting a fire during the implementation of a total fire ban, on the other hand, could result in a fine of $5,500 or 12 months in prison.

Those who are formally charged with starting a bushfire could face jail time of up to 25 years.

In the meantime, it’s important to note that although humans may have started some – not all – of the bushfires that have torn through the Aussie countryside, climate change is widely believed to have significantly exacerbated their destructive power. The areas of Australia most affected have had years of drought, and the world is coming off the hottest decade ever recorded, both of which have combined to crisp Australian vegetation into the perfect kindling.

Though some in Australia have been blaming the fires on arson for political purposes – primarily to deny culpability for or the existence of climate change – these fires would not have been so destructive without the warming and drying effects of climate change, and if the world does not step back from the brink, it is possible that this fire season could become the new Australian normal.

The post Nearly 200 People Have Been Arrested in Connection With the Devastating Brushfires in Australia appeared first on UberFacts.

Before and After Photos Show the Horrific Effects of Australian Fires in Kangaroo Island

The world has been watching fires devastate Australia for months now. About one-third of Kangaroo Island has been decimated, in addition to significant damage in New South Wales and Victoria.

Located on the southern coast off of Australia, Kangaroo Island was until recently home to many koalas and wallabies. But since the fires began, approximately 20,000 koalas have died. The fires have also taken the lives of two people on the island and destroyed 50 homes.

The Guardian reports that Kangaroo Island was previously a haven for many endangered species endemic to Australian. Its fairy tale-esque settings were a quiet home for the many animals that lived there, and the natural beauty of the island attracted tourists from all over the world.

Photos show the extent of the damage. This is Flinders Chase National Park in 2017.

Sadly, this is a recent shot of the same area.

Posted by Kayne Davis on Monday, January 6, 2020

More from the burned-out forest:

It was a harrowing first day for our team on Kangaroo Island, words cannot describe the wildlife devastation we have…

Posted by Humane Society International Australia on Saturday, January 11, 2020

HSI Kangaroo Island koala rescue

Another non-stop day scouring Kangaroo Island for signs of life. As we were putting in a water station CEO Erica Martin spotted another survivor that would turn out to be our last rescue for the day.If you would like to donate and support ongoing recovery and rehabilitation efforts you can do so at www.hsi.org.au/bushfire.

Posted by Humane Society International Australia on Sunday, January 12, 2020

The island was also home to the Southern Ocean Lodge, a luxury resort in Kangaroo Island.

Many have done their part to rescue koalas and other animals who have lost their homes, food, and sources of water.

NASA has also shown sobering images of what the ecologically diverse island has lost.

Even if these fires eventually stop, which they presumably will, local channel 9News says new fires could start again because of the summer hot weather coupled with many years of drought.

The Australian government has set up a help page for those interested in assisting residents of Kangaroo Island. You can also help by donating to volunteer firefighters, who are the primary force fighting to control these fires.

No matter that the fires will eventually come under control, these pictures are a reminder of what humanity has lost.

Feel free to share your thoughts and wishes in the comments section below. Maybe sharing your opinion could inspire others to take action.

The post Before and After Photos Show the Horrific Effects of Australian Fires in Kangaroo Island appeared first on UberFacts.

These Tragic Photos Show the Apocalyptic Devastation of the Australian Bushfires

I visited Australia in 2001, and it truly is a remarkable country. It’s a beautiful place filled with friendly, hard-working, generous people, and weird animals that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

The devastating wildfires taking place in Australia are so enormous and have killed so many animals – scientists estimate nearly half a billion – that it is almost incomprehensible. Here are 15 moving photos to show you the hell on Earth that is occurring right now Down Under.

https://twitter.com/Sci_Phile/status/1213703245794693120/photo/1

Be sure to look through all the photos and scroll to the end of the article to find out how you can help!

1. Watching it burn.

2. Heroes.

This fire fighter (and all FF’s) saving the people, animals, and homes in Australia. from HumansBeingBros

3. All those poor animals.

4. Unbelievable.

5. These guys need a rest.

Exhausted firefighters in Australia from pics

6. World on fire.

Balmattum Hill is really glowing tonight, however not as much as all of our incredible & selfless emergency services. Thank you ?

Posted by Melissa Ericksen on Saturday, January 4, 2020

7. The numbers are staggering.

8. The eyes say a lot.

My uncle at the end of a 13 hour shift volunteering with NSW RFS from australia

9. The smoke is moving.

Caught the smoke as it was spreading over our suburb in Australia from pics

10. Hell opens up.

Hell opens up in Australia. Thoughts go out to our brave fire fighters. from pics

11. Scorched earth.

In Australia after a fire. from pics

12. All red.

No filters. Australia is red from wildfires. from pics

13. Raging inferno.

A picture one of the local postmen took from his front yard. This was in Forster. from australia

14. Looks like the Apocalypse.

This is a pyrocumulus cloud produced by smoke from the Australian bushfires. It’s 12km high. It produces its own thunderstorms, fire tornadoes and 100km/h winds. from WTF

15. No filter.

No filter. A motel in NSW Australia in middle of the day. from WTF

Click HERE to learn about how you can help out and organizations you can donate to help out during this terrible tragedy

The post These Tragic Photos Show the Apocalyptic Devastation of the Australian Bushfires appeared first on UberFacts.

10 Interesting Facts to Get You Thinking

We’re almost at the end of the year, and it has been a loooooooong twelve months.

But I’m gonna power through, and I know that you can, too!

So put aside all the worry, turn that frown upside down, and enjoy these 10 wonderful facts that we’ve selected out of our extensive archive.

Let’s see those pearly whites!

1. Kindness for a hero.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

2. A case of the Mondays.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

3. A great idea!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

4. That makes sense.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

5. This is amazing.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

6. Stressed out.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1

7. And they never forgot about it…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. Put on your dancing shoes!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

9. An end to slavery.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

10. The seas are rising.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Have a great day, happy holidays, and keep SMILING!

The post 10 Interesting Facts to Get You Thinking appeared first on UberFacts.

Man Creates Wintertime Shelters for Stray Cats out of Discarded Coolers

This is a great story.

Philip Rogich is a man we should all take a lesson from. The resident of Ogden, Utah, has taken it upon himself to look out for some of his town’s feral and stray critters this winter, which looks like it’s going to be a long and cold one.

Rogich takes discarded coolers that would have ended up in the trash and makes them into shelters for stray and feral kitties so they have a place to avoid the cold, harsh winter.

Posted by Batman of Ogden on Saturday, November 16, 2019

Rogich said, “Normally the cooler keeps things cold. We’re going to use it to keep animals warm. I actually have a 6-inch drill bit and then once you drill the hole you just use some pipe insulation to pad it. Everybody’s got a cooler in their garage that they’re not using.”

Rogich added that he uses straw inside the coolers because it dries relatively easily and that a regular cooler can hold up to three cats if they’re in the mood to snuggle.

Posted by Batman of Ogden on Saturday, November 16, 2019

Rogich said that he’s placed a few of the cat coolers around his town because “[Feral cats] just disappear, get overlooked. They get cold in the wintertime too. They’re living creatures…to me, living creatures, they deserve to have their basic needs met.”

Amen to that.

Productive Cat cooler day. Built 13 shelters all will be out by the end of the day. Took in 10 old coolers with 10…

Posted by Batman of Ogden on Thursday, November 14, 2019

Since the story of Rogich’s work gained popularity in the media, people have been donating old coolers and straw to him. If you want to get in touch with Rogich or donate supplies to him, you can reach out to him through his Facebook page.

Keep up the great work! Let’s do our best to help out all the cold and lonely animals that will be out on the streets this winter.

The post Man Creates Wintertime Shelters for Stray Cats out of Discarded Coolers appeared first on UberFacts.