Dinosaurs lived for 100+ m years. How long will the human race survive considering current population growth?

Answer 1

Population growth isn't necessarily the problem. The psychological problems will cause problems with population before population is curtailed by nature. The idea that the species will completely destroy itself has more to do with competitiveness than with the carrying capacity of the planet or the species' ability to adapt to changing environments.
If you can't feed everyone well, then why do we insist on making more of us?
More importantly, what are we all DOING with ourselves? What is the end result? What do we intend to contribute as a species to the universe besides a lot of empty holes in the ground where we dug up stuff? When future alien archeologists investigate the planet, and the see the pyramids, and they figure out how long we lived afterwards, will they wonder what we did with all that energy and time?

Answer 2

I do not think to entire human race will die out any time soon. We will probably survive until some meteor strikes the earth, or until some sort of natural climatic upheaval comes along. However, civilisation as we know it will probably last between 75 and 150 years, if we (the human race) do not radically change our actions, policies, and ways of life. Many people argue that this idea is absurd--that modern humans have been around for the past 130 000 years, and that civilisations have existed for roughly 10 000 years. The question is, "Why is the human race suddenly in danger now?"

One major difference between civilisation then and civilisation now is the fact that we now have the ability to destroy ourselves. In the past century alone, the world's population has grown by a multiple of four; mass starvation is now a considerable possibility, if a particularly bad season for crops worldwide should occur. Also in the last century, the effects of global warming have been witnessed; the average temperature of the earth's surface rose nearly 1 degree Celsius. While that may not seem like a large number, it is important to keep in mind that the rate of global warming is accelerating, and that in terms of sea levels, even a few degrees can make a considerable difference. Finally, there is the invention of nuclear explosives, which occurred not much more than 60 years ago. Today, it is entirely possible to blow up our own world using weapons of mass destruction. The Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War, during which widespread nuclear conflict was narrowly avoided, could have been catastrophic. Although we have so far been able to suppress the nuclear arms race, recent events involving North Korea have shown that it is far from over. Given the growing trend of warfare on a global scale, I believe that the threat of a nuclear cataclysm is perhaps of the foremost danger to the human race.

Here, I have listed three ways in which the human race can destroy itself, all of which are escalating in probability and which have all occurred within the past century. I hope I have answered your question sufficiently, as well as provided a reasonable argument to the surprisingly popular idea that we are in no immediate danger, simply because we have survived for several thousand years thus far. I also must say that I highly enjoyed answering your question; it is a very thoughtful one. Thank you.

Answer 3

If overpopulation becomes a dire problem, we'll start dying off of famine until there's a more sustainable number of us. It happens with animal populations all the time.

A bigger problem is the environmental damage we're doing. Theoretically, we could survive overpopulation-induced famine or any number of things. We're a very adaptable species with a huge diet range. It'd take some real damage to completely do us in, but it's possible that it will happen. If we do enough damage to the planet, we may render it uninhabitable for most creatures, ourselves included. We are a fairly large mammal, so we do need a lot of resources to survive. Of course, all the terrible things we worry about could hit at once, from virulent diseases to nuclear warfare to environmental destruction, and then we'd really be screwed. But I think there's a good chance that at least a handful of people would survive all but the most terrible disasters.

Answer 4

This is an easy one. If the world gets too hot, we've proven that we can survive it because the "Cradles of Civilization" were in hot, dry areas. If the world gets cold, then we've already proven that we can withstand ice ages, and that's without any "high" technology. If the world gets overpopulated, it will, out of necessity, balance itself out. I don't think we need to worry about surviving the next 100 years. The real question is how to we keep the next 100 years from becoming the next Dark Age.

Answer 5

Unfortunately less than fifty years and in twenty over fifty percent of the current species on earth will be extinct! Sorry to be grim but without awareness there is no hope so keep asking questions but do something with the answers!!! CHANGE THE WORLD

Answer 6

All things will eventually come to an end.

The other person mentioned a lot of assumptions. I don't think so.

The dinosaurs went extinct following a huge natural disaster.

We too will probably follow in their footsteps, either a natural or man-made disaster doing us in.

Answer 7

The human race will most likely meet it's demise as a result of pollution and nuclear warfare and the radioactive fallout.

Answer 8

Some disease will come along and thin out the crowd. It happens ever so often in time. That will slow down growth. Between that and war, I doubt we will ever run out of space.

Answer 9

Probably longer than the dinosaurs...

Answer 10

If the government gave NASA the money it needs for R&D.... quite possibly until the universe itself flys apart. AKA the end of time.