Even if I thought the world was going to end in 2012 (which I don't) there is no use worrying about it. Is there anything that can be done about it? When its time its time. But at least most apocalyptic theory that I hear about are relatively painless (y'know for dying and all). Like getting smacked with an asteroid or comet. Gamma Ray Burst (thats a fun one), or the universe collapsing on itself, etc etc etc...so don't worry about it. O yea I kinda lied gamma ray bursts would hurt a little.
Gamma Ray bursts are also directional and would likely only wipe out the population on whichever half of the planet was facing them.
Most of it wouldn't make it through the atmosphere however. Radiation would be a very small threat compared to our ozone layer being ionized and effectively burned off the planet. That would cause some problems.
Actually GRB's are a threat due to their intensity - essentially they are large enough to be considered galaxy sterilizing events, and yes that factors in the atmosphere. They're just that powerful.
Even if I thought the world was going to end in 2012 (which I don't) there is no use worrying about it. Is there anything that can be done about it? When its time its time. But at least most apocalyptic theory that I hear about are relatively painless (y'know for dying and all). Like getting smacked with an asteroid or comet. Gamma Ray Burst (thats a fun one), or the universe collapsing on itself, etc etc etc...so don't worry about it. O yea I kinda lied gamma ray bursts would hurt a little.
Gamma Ray bursts are also directional and would likely only wipe out the population on whichever half of the planet was facing them.
Even if I thought the world was going to end in 2012 (which I don't) there is no use worrying about it. Is there anything that can be done about it? When its time its time. But at least most apocalyptic theory that I hear about are relatively painless (y'know for dying and all). Like getting smacked with an asteroid or comet. Gamma Ray Burst (thats a fun one), or the universe collapsing on itself, etc etc etc...so don't worry about it. O yea I kinda lied gamma ray bursts would hurt a little.
Gamma Ray bursts are also directional and would likely only wipe out the population on whichever half of the planet was facing them.
Now that's a thought.
If half of the planet was suddenly empty.
Gamma Ray bursts would strip away our atmosphere too, so we'd all be gone.
Is it possible for one of the ridiculous doomsday scenarios like gamma rays or whatever absurdity to kill the entire planet but leave the 2 or 3 guys on the international space station or a team of astronauts on a shuttle mission unscathed? Because I've always thought that would be a great idea for a film.
I guess any number of silly non cosmic events doomsdays could work, like nuclear war or whatever.
Is it possible for one of the ridiculous doomsday scenarios like gamma rays or whatever absurdity to kill the entire planet but leave the 2 or 3 guys on the international space station or a team of astronauts on a shuttle mission unscathed? Because I've always thought that would be a great idea for a film.
I guess any number of silly non cosmic events doomsdays could work, like nuclear war or whatever.
Pretty sure a gamma ray strike just wipes out everything in its path. Space station walls are hardly tougher than our atmosphere.
Inorganic matter. The Earth would become a ghost-planet in a flash.
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AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
edited August 2007
Fun facts about Gamma Ray Bursts:
What Are GRBs?
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous events known in the universe since the Big Bang. They are flashes of gamma rays, coming from seemingly random places in the sky and at random times, that last from milliseconds to many minutes, and are often followed by "afterglow" emission at longer wavelengths (X-ray, UV, optical, IR, and radio). Gamma-ray bursts are currently detected by orbiting satellites about 2 to 3 times a week, though their actual rate of occurrence is much higher.
The majority of observed GRBs appear to be due to collimated emission from the core-collapse of a rapidly rotating high-mass star into a black hole.
Can GRBs Kill us All?
One line of research has investigated the consequences of Earth being hit by a beam of gamma rays from a nearby (about 500 light years) gamma ray burst. This is motivated by the efforts to explain mass extinctions on Earth and estimate the probability of extraterrestrial life. The consensus seems to be that the damage that a gamma ray burst could do would be limited by its very short duration, but that a sufficiently close gamma ray burst could do serious damage to the atmosphere, perhaps wiping out the ozone layer and triggering a mass extinction. The damage from a gamma ray burst would probably be significantly greater than a supernova at the same distance.
Comparative work in 2006 on galaxies in which GRBs have occurred suggests that metal-poor galaxies are the most likely candidates. The likelihood of the metal-rich Milky Way galaxy hosting a GRB was estimated at less than 0.15%, significantly reducing the likelihood that a burst has caused mass extinction events on this planet.
TL;DR: Gamma Ray Bursts have the potential to cause a mass extinction event on Earth. However, they are not powerful enough events to "sterilize a galaxy" and likely wouldn't wipe out all life on Earth. Further, the odds of a GRB event occurring close enough to Earth, and also pointed at Earth (the bursts are directional in nature) are infinitesimal at best.
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug store, but that's just peanuts to space.
Yeah there are huge things of doom hurling through space that could wipe out humanity in an instant.. but it's about as likely as an ant being struck by lighting while walking downtown. Space scale is just so unbelievably huge that a cloud of doom dust the size of the solar system is insignificantly tiny compared to it all.
Quiet you. Doom bringing things are the reason we must pour money into space exploration and FTL research. Also hydroponics. I demand hydroponic domes. Where the fuck are they?
Quiet you. Doom bringing things are the reason we must pour money into space exploration and FTL research. Also hydroponics. I demand hydroponic domes. Where the fuck are they?
I thought Commies were the reason we poured money int space exploration. :P
Quiet you. Doom bringing things are the reason we must pour money into space exploration and FTL research. Also hydroponics. I demand hydroponic domes. Where the fuck are they?
I thought Commies were the reason we poured money int space exploration. :P
This is why I'm happy China is doing it.
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AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
edited August 2007
Money is poured into space exploration because Earth will not be a viable habitat for humanity some day.
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Now that's a thought.
If half of the planet was suddenly empty.
Gamma Ray bursts would strip away our atmosphere too, so we'd all be gone.
I guess any number of silly non cosmic events doomsdays could work, like nuclear war or whatever.
Pretty sure a gamma ray strike just wipes out everything in its path. Space station walls are hardly tougher than our atmosphere.
Don't gamma ray strikes wipe out everything on every planet in every solar system within hundreds of light years of the burst as well?
Inorganic matter. The Earth would become a ghost-planet in a flash.
What Are GRBs?
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous events known in the universe since the Big Bang. They are flashes of gamma rays, coming from seemingly random places in the sky and at random times, that last from milliseconds to many minutes, and are often followed by "afterglow" emission at longer wavelengths (X-ray, UV, optical, IR, and radio). Gamma-ray bursts are currently detected by orbiting satellites about 2 to 3 times a week, though their actual rate of occurrence is much higher.
The majority of observed GRBs appear to be due to collimated emission from the core-collapse of a rapidly rotating high-mass star into a black hole.
Can GRBs Kill us All?
One line of research has investigated the consequences of Earth being hit by a beam of gamma rays from a nearby (about 500 light years) gamma ray burst. This is motivated by the efforts to explain mass extinctions on Earth and estimate the probability of extraterrestrial life. The consensus seems to be that the damage that a gamma ray burst could do would be limited by its very short duration, but that a sufficiently close gamma ray burst could do serious damage to the atmosphere, perhaps wiping out the ozone layer and triggering a mass extinction. The damage from a gamma ray burst would probably be significantly greater than a supernova at the same distance.
Comparative work in 2006 on galaxies in which GRBs have occurred suggests that metal-poor galaxies are the most likely candidates. The likelihood of the metal-rich Milky Way galaxy hosting a GRB was estimated at less than 0.15%, significantly reducing the likelihood that a burst has caused mass extinction events on this planet.
TL;DR: Gamma Ray Bursts have the potential to cause a mass extinction event on Earth. However, they are not powerful enough events to "sterilize a galaxy" and likely wouldn't wipe out all life on Earth. Further, the odds of a GRB event occurring close enough to Earth, and also pointed at Earth (the bursts are directional in nature) are infinitesimal at best.
By examining the emission spectrum of stars, or of the galaxy as a whole.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
More like half of the population will become the Hulk!
But yeah the odds of this happening are so slim you might as well forget it. People often forget.. well..
Yeah there are huge things of doom hurling through space that could wipe out humanity in an instant.. but it's about as likely as an ant being struck by lighting while walking downtown. Space scale is just so unbelievably huge that a cloud of doom dust the size of the solar system is insignificantly tiny compared to it all.
I never asked for this!
I thought Commies were the reason we poured money int space exploration. :P
I never asked for this!
Because of the communists?
I never asked for this!
Because of Americans!
Oh snap son!
I like to think that someday, somehow, people will be able to explore the stars.
Colonies all over the vast reaches of the Universe.
Then the intergalactic wars that will surely follow.
Maybe even aliens.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.