Stephen Hawking on human extinction

Lornz · Jan 9, 2012

Quote from futurecurrents:

No, I do agree with him. I was trying to post correct. I had left out the "know" in the above post and could not edit it. I should have just let it be.

I also use sarcasm too much.

I got it.

I'm not really sure why anyone would want the human race to continue its existence, though?

pspr · Jan 9, 2012

Quote from futurecurrents:

Wow, that's so incredibly and totally wrong I don't know where to begin. Let me guess...Fox News watcher?

You obviously don't know the science.

Ricter · Jan 9, 2012

Quote from pspr:

You obviously don't know the science.

Aren't you the guy that started the "scientists are biased" thread?

Trader666 · Jan 9, 2012

Hawking's even come up with some bone-headed ideas in physics that he's had to retract, e.g., that if the universe started contracting the "arrow of time" would reverse.

Quote from pspr:

Sometimes people are brilliant in one area of thought and complete neophites in others.

pspr · Jan 9, 2012

Quote from Trader666:

Hawking's even come up with some bone-headed ideas in physics that he's had to retract, e.g., that if the universe started contracting the "arrow of time" would reverse.

That would be bad. It would mean 4 more years of Obama. Or would that just undo everything he's done?

Trader666 · Jan 9, 2012

Both -- first the latter, then the former but interspersed in exact reverse order. Like playing "Revolution 9" (Beatles) backwards

Quote from pspr:

That would be bad. It would mean 4 more years of Obama. Or would that just undo everything he's done?

futurecurrents · Jan 9, 2012

Wow. So if 98 out of 100 doctors tell you need surgery you would just ignore them? Are you a climatologist? Can you understand the simple fact that CO2 is 36% higher than it was two hundred years ago? Do you know what greenhouse gas means? I have a degree in Environmental Science so don't try to tell me I don't know about the science. Ice age? Iceball earth? Ha! Gimme a break ! Talk about ignorance! Maybe you should read this....
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html

Quote from 377OHMS:

Excellent post. Yes, the real worry is an ice age which can occur relatively rapidly and for which there is direct evidence that they have occurred in the past.

Dickheads like futurecurrents are driven by a combination of gullibility, ignorance and the overwhelming desire to force others to behave as they want. Its really just a very pure form of liberalism.

When Obama is reelected he'll clearly just implement Cap and Trade regardless of what the people of the United States want. I can see it coming. Fuel emission and fuel economy rules for vehicles will be made so stringent and draconion that many will be forced to give up private transporation. Additional evidence of this can be found in the boneheaded and unsound high-speed rail initiatives that the Obama regime is attempting to push onto many parts of the country. So far only California has been stupid (read: liberal) enough to buy into the farce but even they are having serious second thoughts...the expenses are unsustainable and unjustified by any estimate of utilization.

Again, great post. Its iceball Earth that we should fear.

futurecurrents · Jan 9, 2012

Given the abject stupidity displayed here it makes me wonder.

Quote from Lornz:

I got it.

I'm not really sure why anyone would want the human race to continue its existence, though?

pspr · Jan 9, 2012

Quote from futurecurrents:

Wow. So if 98 out of 100 doctors tell you need surgery you would just ignore them? Are you a climatologist? Can you understand the simple fact that CO2 is 36% higher than it was two hundred years ago? Do you know what greenhouse gas means? I have a degree in Environmental Science so don't try to tell me I don't know about the science. Ice age? Iceball earth? Ha! Gimme a break ! Talk about ignorance! Maybe you should read this....
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html

Do you know that CO2 is a trace gas in the atmosphere and it has been shown to be a result of natural warming not a precursor?

We have been in an interglacial warm period which is near if not at the end of it's cycle in geologic terms.

Ricter · Jan 9, 2012

Quote from futurecurrents:

What sort of events could destroy the human race if it stays on one planet?
Hawking mentioned the possibility of nuclear war or climate change as being the cause of human extinction.

http://news.yahoo.com/stephen-hawking-colonize-space-end-human-race-192615409.html

ââ¦One of the most serious consequences of our actions is global warming brought about by rising levels of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. The danger is that the temperature increase may become self-sustaining, if it hasnât done so already. Drought and deforestation are reducing the amount of carbon dioxide recycled into the atmosphere and the warming of the seas may trigger the release of large quantities of carbon dioxide trapped on the ocean floor. In addition the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets will reduce the amount of solar energy reflected back into space and so increase the temperature further. We donât know where global warming will stop but the worst case scenario is that the earth will become like its sister planet Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees C and rain sulphuric acid. The human race could not survive in those conditions.â

What a dope ! Doesn't he global warming is all big scam perpetrated by Al Gore?

I used to wonder myself if a runaway greenhouse effect, like Venus's, was possible here, ala the positive feedback loop you mention. But, do you think there is enough CO2 on Earth, in any entrapment that could realistically be released by us, to reach a comparable equilibrium? I realize that that much warming is not at all necessary for general crop failure.

Edit: I did find this, just poking around google... it appears the answer is, "no".

http://mc-computing.com/qs/Global_Warming/Venus.html