10 Crazy Ways the World Could End (According to Scientists)
From rogue black holes to runaway nanobots, scientists have imagined mind-bending ways the world could end—and some are more plausible than you'd think.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
The apocalypse may not arrive in the form of a bang, but rather as the quiet glide of a marauding black hole or a secret explosion of lethal gamma radiation. From uncontrollable pandemics to out-of-control AI, researchers have delved into some hair-raising plausible ways humans on Earth can face extinction. Although these instances are not probably going to occur, they alert us to the sheer extent to which our world is chaotic and unpredictable.
1. Asteroid Impact
Bryan Goff from Unsplash
An enormous asteroid, similar to the one that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction 66 million years ago, might collide with Earth. NASA is scanning for near-Earth objects but could still be unaware of an unfriendly asteroid on its way. A direct hit by a big enough boulder might result in giant firestorms, tsunamis, and a “nuclear winter,” making the earth go dark for a long time.
2. Supervolcano Eruption
Alain Bonnardeaux from Unsplash
Supervolcanoes like the one beneath Yellowstone National Park have the potential to erupt thousands of times more massive than an ordinary volcano. The cloud of ash would envelop continents, shut out the sun, and lower worldwide temperatures for years, causing widespread agricultural failure and famine. Scientists believe such eruptions occur approximately every 100,000 years.
3. Gamma-Ray Burst
NASA Hubble Space Telescope from Unsplash
A gamma-ray burst (GRB) from a distant star might engulf Earth in lethal radiation. While uncommon, if one were to happen within 6,000 light-years, it might destroy our ozone layer, leaving the planet vulnerable to lethal solar radiation and triggering a mass extinction. The frightening thing? We’d never know it’s coming—it would strike us at the speed of light.
4. Artificial Intelligence Takeover
Possessed Photography from Unsplash
Other experts worry that unchecked artificial intelligence might become more powerful than human control and work against the best interests of humanity. A misaligned AI might hack into global systems or use technologies in disastrous manners. Although this is hypothetical, leaders in AI development emphasize the need for ethical development to prevent disastrous consequences.
5. Runaway Climate Change
Matt Palmer from Unsplash
Unchecked greenhouse gas emissions may initiate a feedback loop, propelling Earth into an irreversible “hothouse” condition. Thawing permafrost may unleash enormous quantities of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, fueling global warming beyond our ability to control it. The consequence? Collapsing ecosystems, rising seas, and a planet inhospitable to human life.
6. Global Pandemic
Fusion Medical Animation from Unsplash
A very contagious, lethal pathogen, worse than any we’ve encountered, may move around the world. Scientists worry that illnesses with extended incubation periods and high transmissibility may be able to evade detection until it’s too late. The COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated how exposed global systems are, and future outbreaks might be even more deadly.
7. Nanotechnology Catastrophe
Image from Packaging Digest
Picture microscopic robots (nanobots) that can self-replicate getting out of hand—a situation referred to as “grey goo.” Such machines would theoretically be able to devour all organic material to continue building more of themselves, causing ecological disaster. Though purely hypothetical, this is a warning about developing technology without adequate safety measures.
8. Rogue Black Hole
Jeremy Perkins from Unsplash
A rogue black hole might quietly wander into our solar system, warping planetary orbits and ultimately devouring the Earth. Black holes are all but invisible until they’re consuming something, so we may not see one until it’s too close for comfort. Although the chances are infinitesimal, space is enormous, and black holes are on the loose.
9. Magnetic Pole Reversal
Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz from Unsplash
Earth’s magnetic field, which shields us from lethal solar radiation, reverses its poles every few hundred thousand years. While in the process of reversing, the field diminishes, exposing the surface to higher radiation, disrupting electronics, and destroying power grids. Scientists are convinced we’re due for such a flip, but its timing is unknown.
10. Vacuum Decay
Graham Holtshausen from Unsplash
Quantum physics has it that our universe may be in a state of “false vacuum,” potentially collapsing at any time. Once triggered, such a collapse would spread out at the speed of light, annihilating anything along the way with no warning whatsoever. It’s a disorienting thought, but fortunately, calculations imply that it’s a very remote chance.