The lead up to the new year always happens so fast and then everything in the first month feels so slow. But sometimes we still spend January thinking about the world and the way we live in it.
Well, if you’ve ever wondered when the world might end or what could be the reason behind our eventual extinction, scientists have given the exact time of when it might happen.
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We still have some time
A study by the University of Bristol found that we’ve still got a few million years before it all ends.
Using calculations from computer simulations that looked into the ways all mammals will die, the researchers found that humans are likely to go extinct in 250 million years.
The Earth would be too hot
The research suggests that all mammal inhabitants who cannot adjust to living in temperatures of between 104°F to 158°F (40°C to 70°C) will go extinct.
However, it’s not like it’s completely out of our hands, actually, the opposite is true.
We can slow down the process
The reason it would get too hot to be livable for most mammals is because of the fossil fuel burning and greenhouse gas emissions coming from our living patterns, which the researchers say need to change as soon as possible.
Reducing these gas emissions will help slow down the end of times, if not, then it’s only approaching faster.
An extinction event would be our fault
Such an extinction event where most mammals cease to exist will, frankly, be totally our fault.
Because while the Earth has faced multiple extinction events, we haven’t had one in 66 million years, and the next one coming might just be of our own doing.
A supercontinent would emerge
Earth’s tectonic plates move a little each year which eventually creates a supercontinent every 400 to 600 million years, and that concentration of land may cause some natural disasters.
Lead author Dr Alexander Farnsworth, Senior Research Associate with the Cabot Institute for the Environment at University of Bristol explained that the supercontinent would essentially add to the issue.
Greenhouse emissions would get worse
“The newly-emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet,” says Dr Farnsworth.
“The result is a mostly hostile environment devoid of food and water sources for mammals,” he added.
Temperatures would be too high
Dr Farnsworth also added, “Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high levels of humidity would ultimately seal our fate. Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies.”
We need to reduce fossil fuel burning
Co-author Dr Eunice Lo, Caboteer and Research Fellow in Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol added to the conversation, saying, “It is vitally important not to lose sight of our current Climate Crisis, which is a result of human emissions of greenhouse gases.”
It’s not just a future problem
Dr Lo stated that it’s not a future problem, but something we need to start handling immediately.
“While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health. This is why it is crucial to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible,” Dr Lo added.
We’re headed towards a hotter Earth
“The outlook in the distant future appears very bleak. Carbon dioxide levels could be double current levels,” said Dr Farnsworth.
While the study predicts that the Earth will be inhabitable for us in 250 million years, it’s resulting from our actions today, and greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced as soon as we possible to avoid this, or at least slow it down.
Last Updated on January 22, 2025 by Nour Morsy
