Top Ten Ways to ........

[stubeeef]

DESTROY THE EARTH (http://www.livescience.com/technology/10ways_destroyearth.html) .

[barneygumble]

I like number three, smashed by a blunt object possibly mars :)

[dmw007]

I like number three, smashed by a blunt object possibly mars :)

Yes, that one and the one on the earth being hurled into the sun. Stock up on sun tan lotion boys and girls ;)

[ham_man]

Good find Stubeef. Some of those were mind boggleling to say the least... :rolleyes:

[runninmac]

That is really interesting on what could happen. I thought the mini black hole was the weirdest way to destroy earth. But my favorite line of that whole thing would have to be:

The result: an absolutely spectacular collision, resulting hopefully in Earth (and, most likely, our "cue ball" too) being pulverized out of existence

[MongoTheGeek]

i bumped into that last week and spent a good half hour laughing my butt off.

I loved #10.

Any moment now...

[Militar]

Could research and design a real Death Star. Blow it to bits in no time.

[Jaffa Cake]

The von Neumann machines caught my eye...

A von Neumann machine is any device that is capable of creating an exact copy of itself given nothing but the necessary raw materials.

...and reminded me of this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=126216&highlight=robots) thread...

We're doomed! :eek:

[dmw007]

That is really interesting on what could happen. I thought the mini black hole was the weirdest way to destroy earth. But my favorite line of that whole thing would have to be:

I liked that line too- "Cue ball" :p

[MongoTheGeek]

I liked that line too- "Cue ball" :p

That one was inspired by Red Dwarf: Eternity Welcomes Careful Drivers. That was the term Lister used when he overrode Holly's commands. He said they would end up snookered with the cue ball behind the black hole.

[Sharewaredemon]

Building a Dyson sphere ain't gonna cut it here. (Note: Actually, it would. But if you have the technology to build a Dyson sphere, why are you reading this?) See No. 6 for a possible s

That was my favourite line. Of course I have no idea what a Dyson sphere is.

[MongoTheGeek]

That was my favourite line. Of course I have no idea what a Dyson sphere is.

Its a Sphere surrounding the sun at ~1 au. You live on the inside of it. You need all sorts of magic technology to build it and keep it from crashing into the sun etc.

Its like a Ringworld (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345333926/) but more so

[millar876]

if i remember my star trek - TNG, a dyson sphere is basicly an outsise in artifical planet built arround a small sun. Kinda like the ring world halo, but a sphere.

[millar876]

darn it i should refresh more often, or stop reading multiple posts in tabs at any rate.

[dubbz]

This one (http://www.exitmundi.nl/exitmundi.htm) is better.

"Look mom, we're all airplanes!"

All that said, the prospect of humanity ending up totally wacko is actually very likely. You read that right: very likely! It doesn’t have anything to do with shrinks – but with basic biology..

[Sharewaredemon]

if i remember my star trek - TNG, a dyson sphere is basicly an outsise in artifical planet built arround a small sun. Kinda like the ring world halo, but a sphere.


So a giant Halo surrounding the sun? (but a sphere not a ring)

So how could you use this to destroy the earth?

[MongoTheGeek]

So a giant Halo surrounding the sun? (but a sphere not a ring)

So how could you use this to destroy the earth?

The idea is you tear apart the earth to build the thing.

The ancient chinese started it with the great wall of china. They gave up before they got it finished. :)

[Sharewaredemon]

The idea is you tear apart the earth to build the thing.

The ancient chinese started it with the great wall of china. They gave up before they got it finished. :)


pfffffft hahahahaha
That's hilarious!

Thanks I get it now.

It's great when it takes forever for someone to explain a joke to you, and when you get it, you still actually think it's funny.

[_bnkr612]

Number 11:

Elect Jeb Bush as the next President.

[Sharewaredemon]

Number 11:

Elect Jeb Bush as the next President.


Who would name their kid Jeb anyway?

[dmw007]

Number 11:

Elect Jeb Bush as the next President.

lol :p

[MongoTheGeek]

Who would name their kid Jeb anyway?

Its his initials. Birth Name John Ellis Bush.

As for being El Presidente I doubt he will be nominated. He has said before he isn't actively seeking the nomination.

Condi Rice perhaps. The usual suspects will probably also give it a shot.

Edwards and Hillary are going to duke it out for the Dems.

[quackattack]

The von Neumann machines caught my eye...

A von Neumann machine is any device that is capable of creating an exact copy of itself given nothing but the necessary raw materials.

...and reminded me of this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=126216&highlight=robots) thread...

We're doomed! :eek:

My favorite as well. Seems like those guys would have to be resourceful to mine all the raw materials....

I also liked the bit about including rocket propulsion in the design. ;)

[Apple Hobo]

I was hoping for interactive graphical simulations of each scenario. :)

[SpaceMagic]

Ok, I know the site is called Live Science and I'm not a terrorist looking for ways to destroy the world... but don't you think they were a little too scientific. Jokingly ones like the sling Mars into Earth is light-hearted and funny, but some of the others... well.. perhaps you've got to be a scientist to find them funny...

[jared_kipe]

Ok, I know the site is called Live Science and I'm not a terrorist looking for ways to destroy the world... but don't you think they were a little too scientific. Jokingly ones like the sling Mars into Earth is light-hearted and funny, but some of the others... well.. perhaps you've got to be a scientist to find them funny...
As a physicist, and I found the lightbulb one to be the most ridiculous. Its just because he doesn't know what he's talking about. It would violate conservation of energy, which is what the vacuum particle annihilations are all about. There is no Free Lunch.

[MongoTheGeek]

As a physicist, and I found the lightbulb one to be the most ridiculous. Its just because he doesn't know what he's talking about. It would violate conservation of energy, which is what the vacuum particle annihilations are all about. There is no Free Lunch.

The whole idea of 0 point energy though is that what we think of as 0 is actually a whole bunch of energy. There have been attempts to measure it have shown that it does exist but there doesn't seem to be much of it.

The big problem with it is not conservation of energy, the problem is entropy. You have to expend a tremendous amount of effort to get an excruciatingly small amount of force.

Google the Casimir Effect for more information.

The Vacuum energy is how black holes evaporate and that might be the only way to make useful energy from it.

[jared_kipe]

The whole idea of 0 point energy though is that what we think of as 0 is actually a whole bunch of energy. There have been attempts to measure it have shown that it does exist but there doesn't seem to be much of it.

The big problem with it is not conservation of energy, the problem is entropy. You have to expend a tremendous amount of effort to get an excruciatingly small amount of force.

Google the Casimir Effect for more information.

The Vacuum energy is how black holes evaporate and that might be the only way to make useful energy from it.
Exactly. The point is that the closer to 0 energy, the more of what we call zero point oscillation happens. In quantum mechanics conservation of energy in long periods of time is correct, but in a short time interval all kinds of wacky things can happen. A quantum fluctuation exists because virtual particles are created and annihilate quickly. For black hole evaporation, one of the pair is lost into the black hole.

[dmw007]

I was hoping for interactive graphical simulations of each scenario. :)

That would have been nice. Oh well, the explanations were sufficient enough for me to draw some great mental pictures of the possible doomsday events.

[JonMaker]

This calls for.....

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/endofworld.html

[possibly nsfw]

Edit: Did I mention that I honestly believe this is how it will happen?

[dubbz]

^^^

Actually, we should be more worried about Fluffy (http://www.selune.net/macrumors/fluffy_dow.jpg)!

[GFLPraxis]

There's a TON of Hitchhiker's Guide references in there. Total existence failure, for example :D

[stubeeef]

^^^

Actually, we should be more worried about Fluffy (http://www.selune.net/macrumors/fluffy_dow.jpg)!

Anything you ask, I promise, just please, please, PLEEZE! No Fluffy! :p