The extinction of the human race

[guineapig]

Delicious!!!

[Omnimorph]

Nothing we do to this planet is something it hasn't had before.

Take the oil leak for example, oil deposits from over millions of years then seismic movement would cause these to release at some point ( I imagine this must have happened ) and you'd have practically the same situation we have now.
Carbon monoxide in the atmosphere, look at various volcanic eruptions throughout history.

It'll all work out [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Stickyfingers]

Overpopulation due to technology will probably get us. By this, I mean nanotechnology (or even smaller in the future) and the ability to artificially produce white blood cells and tons of other different cells. If WBC's are continually available and there is never a shortage, people could begin living 400-500 years longer. I have even heard that the life expectancy could be live 900 in the next 60 years or so.

http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/tim-fonseca.htm

Of course, this tech is still being worked on and isn't really a reality yet, but I could see it becoming huge eventually....maybe the first step into seemlessly integrating humans with computers? Who knows.

[pickled_heretic]

Ironically, almost every nation who would have access to technology like this has a declining population and a birth rate at below replacement levels.

[Omnimorph]

Originally Posted by pickled_heretic [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Ironically, almost every nation who would have access to technology like this has a declining population and a birth rate at below replacement levels.

I offer my services to solve this situation. My only condition... no fat chicks.

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[Stickyfingers]

Originally Posted by pickled_heretic [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Ironically, almost every nation who would have access to technology like this has a declining population and a birth rate at below replacement levels.

This is true. However, that doesn't mean the immigration rates to these countries is going down, or the while population for that matter. If the U.S. or Japan (U.S. has the largest # of immigrants in the world, U.S. gains more immigrants than all of the other countries in the world combined....Japan has a negative birthrate) were the only countries to obtain this technology, I think people from all over the world would probably immigrate to get it.

[pickled_heretic]

Originally Posted by Stickyfingers [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

This is true. However, that doesn't mean the immigration to these countries is going down, or the while population for that matter. If the U.S. or Japan (negative birthrate for Japan) were the only countries to obtain this technology, I think people from all over the world would probably immigrate to get it.

I'm sure this hypothetical therapy would become exorbitantly expensive, even if it didn't start out like that. The gross uneven distribution of capital in these two countries would guarantee that only a select few would have access to the treatment. Human rights issues would obviously develop which could easily result in violent class struggle (thus reducing the population).

[Stickyfingers]

Originally Posted by pickled_heretic [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'm sure this hypothetical therapy would become exorbitantly expensive, even if it didn't start out like that. The gross uneven distribution of capital in these two countries would guarantee that only a select few would have access to the treatment. Human rights issues would obviously develop which could easily result in violent class struggle (thus reducing the population).

Well, I don't forsee it being a "Therapy" as much as it would become a way of life. I could see nanochips being implanted into every newborn that could monitor heartrate, BP, cell count, etc. and instantly upload it for access every second of the day 24/7.

Imagine perfect preventative medicine because you no longer have to go to the doctor to see whats wrong, your doctor already knows what is wrong, because the exact instant there was a problem, it was already available for him to see and could be cured by other bots within your body.

The ability to identify and zap cancer cells at any moment in time and if its uncurable by bots, at least you know what you have before its too late.

[Omnimorph]

These nanobots would violate your privacy rights. Keep your commiebots to yourself!

[Omnimorph]

As i like to steer every topic to mass effect, i'll say look at the quarians from that game [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] their immune systems are shot from leaving their home planet. They have to move around in bio-containment suits.