Five possible ways the world could end

In 2012, a tiny part of us believed that the world was going to end thanks to a fault in the Mayan calendar. Subsequently, religious leaders “scheduled” the next apocalypse for 2015, based on the appearance of a blood moon.

We’ve been through enough “apocalypses” to know that the world is not ending any time soon. So, here are some ways how the world might actually end.

1. Humans, humans everywhere

With a global population of 7 billion and counting, overpopulation is slowly becoming a real problem. Energy sources such as wood and oil are becoming scarcer and harder to obtain by the day.

Called the Malthusian catastrophe, English economist Thomas Malthus once said: “The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man”.

We are all essentially part of a ticking time bomb.

2. A super volcanic eruption that trumps Hiroshima bombs

A super volcano has been dormant in US’s Yellowstone Park for 64,000 years. Scientists believe there is a one in 700,000 chance of the volcano erupting annually. When it does, the ash will blanket Earth’s atmosphere, lowering temperatures and causing a “nuclear winter”.

Experts believe that the Yellowstone super volcano, which might generate an eruption 1.6 million times more powerful than the Hiroshima bombs, could cause an estimated 90 thousand deaths.

3. Speaking of Trump…

If Trump gets elected as president, another world war could be on the cards. With the recent increase in terrorism and Trump’s openly racist views, another world war might not be out of the question.

4. A man-made black hole might “eat” us all

The large hadron collider at CERN smashes atoms together at speeds close to that of light. This essentially squeezes a lot of matter into a tiny space, which is how black holes are formed.

If the scientists at CERN make a mistake, a tiny black hole could be formed, potentially growing rapidly and devouring our planet.

5. Artificial intelligence might soon overtake humans (as if they haven’t already)

The possibility that robots will, one day, be smarter than humans and taking over the world has been done to death by films and fiction novels alike. But, is that idea really so far-fetched?

British physicist Stephen Hawking himself believes that it will happen in the next 100 years. If you think about it, technology is slowly replacing humans everywhere.

Self-driving cars, televisions that watch the watcher, even robot waiters. The Internet was created barely 50 years ago, and look how far we have come. Who is to know what is going to come in the next 50 years?

How do you think the world will end? Let us know in the comments below!