• Question: How do scientists predict the End Of The World?!

    Asked by BethanyGSAWRUS to Heather, Helen, Hugh, Jane, Julian on 14 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by DaisyB123.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      The end of the world is probably about 5 billion years away, when our sun will swell up into a red giant and burn the Earth to a cinder.
      The sun will get hotter gradually with age, so the Earth will probably be inhabitable before then, say a couple of billion years.
      After that things will go on, and we may be around to see it if we’re moved to a different star. Eventually though the universe will wind down, or may rip itself apart.
      After that, we don’t know.

    • Photo: Hugh Osborn

      Hugh Osborn answered on 16 Nov 2014:

      By looking at the evidence! For example we can use the historical evidence of asteroid impacts and giant volcanic eruptions to tell us how frequent these events might be, and whether we should be worried about them. Dont worry though – we shouldnt be – Any natural event that might cause an extinction happens only once every few million years!

      As for the *real* end of Earth – we know that the Sun is gradually burning through it’s fuel of Hydrogen and call use physics to work out how it will evolve over time. Eventually it will run out of fuel, swell, and probably engulf our planet entirely. Not for 5 billion years though!

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