Will we make it to the year 2100? Reasons and Predictions.

[verbster]

I guess there are only two choices here, we'll make it or we won't. I suppose a sort of third choice is what most Sci-Fi films depict--a ravaged earth and the survivors trying to stay alive.

If you think we'll make it another 80-90 years, I'm curious about what difficulties we'll need to overcome and decisions we'll have to make. Finally, maybe attempt to predict what we'll have then (dark matter energy, global network with brain implant access, disease cures, world cooperation, wormhole travel, living on another planet, etc.) or will it be complete chaos. . . might-makes-right, stuff.

And if you think we won't make it, why? What will end humanity and when?

Here's a doom and gloom scenario that may play out:

The earth will not be able to support the population expected by 2100.

We reached 1 billion around 1804. 123 years later in 1927 we hit 2billion. 33 years later in 1960 we hit 3 billion, and we've stayed at about a 13 year average for next billion, reaching the 7 billlion mark within the last year. The good news is the population rate is slowing. (The bad news is many people fighting to make birth control [of all sorts] illegal, so that anyime sex occurs, there is the possibility of pregnancy. If that tenet of religious go-forth-and-multiply actually applies to the world, it will change the growth dynanics to the equivalent of the penny-doubling savings plan: Save one penny today, save two pennies day two, save four pennies day 3, 8 pennies day 4 and so on. By day 31, you'll have deposit far more than $1 million in pennies. The same thing will happen to people.

Many scientists say 10 billion is our limit of sustainability. Some say it's up to 15 billion, but it's generally accepted that by around 2050, and 9 - 10 billion people, Things are going to get tough. Countries will be demanding resources for energy, manufacturing, and they will be competing for food and water. These conflicts will lead to war or wars at some global areas. probably in some NATO countries, which will involve us, if for no other reason than which country would we rather have around.

I predict by 2050 unless there is some way to create more food, clean water and unlimited energy, that we won't make it to 2100.

 

[snowbird]

The question asked here was "Will we make it to the year 2100." I would like to predect most of us posting in this thread will not make it to the year 2100. Many of us posting in this thread will die of old age before making it to the year 2100 to even know what happens. hahaha.

 

[verbster]

The question asked here was "Will we make it to the year 2100." I would like to predect most of us posting in this thread will not make it to the year 2100. Many of us posting in this thread will die of old age before making it to the year 2100 to even know what happens. hahaha.

It's true that most of us on this forum won't live to see 2100, but many will see 2050 and get a taste of what's coming. That said, by "we" I meant Humankind.

 

[officevalue]

YES, I think we will make it to 2100... and well beyond.

Throughout the course of evolution, limited resources and population overflow has driven species expansion and environmental adaptation.

From the oceans onto land, then across all temperate zones of the planet. When push literally comes-to-shove on Earth, we will colonize space; where there is no shortage of energy, or space to grow food.

Truth is, when I look at the vastness of the universe, and consider its unlimited energy and mineral resources, I say to myself...
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE!

Interesting discussion.

I believe this is a common misconception about space travel and space colonization. There is, however, no known place apart from Earth and the lower atmosphere that is even remotely hospitable to human life and outside of Earth, it can only exist in resource-intensive artificial environments.

Within the solar system, where else could life exist? The sun? Out of the question. Venus? Mercury? Still far too hot and Mercury's atmosphere is non-existant and Venus's is 90 times as dense as our own. Floating cities around Venus sounds like science fiction or at best, centuries away from reality, not a 2100 possibility.

Similarly, outer planets, and even Mars are far from habitable without considerable resources to make a human-inhabitable biosphere. So essentially, all we have is just spaceships, space stations, space hotels, whatever you want to call them, either in Earth orbit or on another world, very hard to make habitable for large numbers of people for an entire lifetime and not able to generate enough food to sustain themselves. Everything would have to be imported.

Outside the solar system, inhabitable planets almost certainly exist, though it is not possible to find and prove such a place is inhabitable and it would take centuries (or millenia) with current technology to reach it.

Even if by chance other worlds within reach would be habitable, the population of Earth increases by about 250,000 each day. To use colonization of space as a means of preventing overpopulation of Earth would mean sending about the equivalent of 400 747s into space each day. Where would the materials (ex. iron or aluminum to build the ships) and energy (ex. hydrogen or other fuel) to do such come from?