Doomsday event

Encyclopedia : D : DO : DOO : Doomsday event

The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the hypocenter.

A doomsday event is an occurrence which has a catastrophic effect on the human race. The final outcomes of doomsday events may range from a major disruption of human civilization, to the extinction of human life, to the destruction of the planet Earth, to the annihilation of the entire universe. Doomsday events may include:

Natural occurrences such as a global plague, massive volcanism, a devastating blast of cosmic radiation, an abrupt reorientation of Earth's axis of rotation, a drastic increase or decrease in the Sun's energy output, an asteroid collision, or a universal Big Rip or Big Crunch
Supernatural occurrences such as a religious Last Judgment
Non-natural interventions such as nuclear warfare, biological warfare, cybernetic revolt, runaway grey goo technology, or an alien invasion

A common theory postulates that the extinction of the dinosaurs occurred approximately 65 million years ago as a result of the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event when a large asteroid struck the earth, producing atmospheric dust which blocked solar energy and caused a significant lowering of temperatures worldwide. Evidence for this theory includes a sedimentary layer of iridium in the geological record and a large crater in the area of Chicxulub, Mexico.

Many religions include beliefs pertaining to the end of time. The Norsemen believed that the world would end in a tremendous battle of the gods known as Ragnarok. In the Christian Bible, the Book of Revelation describes Armageddon, a final battle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan.

In recent human history, the Tunguska event (1908), the Spanish Flu pandemic (1918-19), and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) stand out as stark reminders that larger-scale events of these kinds are real possibilities.

Doomsday event

See also