Earth's beginning or Earth's ending.

[the game]

If you had the opportunity to see either Earth's beginning or its ending which would you choose?

[Rukh]

Well I have no idea about the ending but the beginning would be soooooooooooo boooooooooo rrrrriiiiiinnnng.

[Deleted]

the end of earth is likely to be in 5 billion years when our sun becomes a red giant spanning over 200 million miles and literally eating up mercury venus earth and maybe even mars, reason i know this is cos i watched a stephen hawking documentary on it. if not in 5 billion years it could be in 2029 when that huge meteor apophis comes towards earth, so expect lots of doomsaying around in 13 years time

[Dug]

Beginning would be pretty damn boring unless we're talking some time lapse type deal but even then we're talking 4ever and a day of just molten rock and then water for another eternity.

[Rudkobing]

Neither, because you wouldn't survive either.

[May90]

Ending would be pretty boring: our Sun would turn into a Red Giant and pull the Earth into it, or just burn everything on its surface.

The beginning, on the other hand... We still aren't absolutely sure how Earth was formed, so it would be interesting to find out by observing it in real life! So, yes, I would choose the beginning.

[Dellis0991]

Neither, because you wouldn't survive either.

I assume you would be somewhere safe is what the op is saying.

- - - Updated - - -

I would love to see the beginning, would be cool.

[Deleted]

i assume at a sped up time scale, because waiting couple billions years in real time before something interesting happens might not be the best way to spend your time

[May90]

I assume you would be somewhere safe is what the op is saying.

Chances are though, you wouldn't be able to see much. At the time of primordial Earth, Solar system was likely full of overheated gas; no known material would survive it. As for the Earth dying, Red Giant would be VERY hot, and radiation would be immense. To survive either, you would need to be far away beyond the borders of the Solar system, and then the best telescope possible would only let you see a very small and fuzzy image.

[Dellis0991]

Chances are though, you wouldn't be able to see much. At the time of primordial Earth, Solar system was likely full of overheated gas; no known material would survive it. As for the Earth dying, Red Giant would be VERY hot, and radiation would be immense. To survive either, you would need to be far away beyond the borders of the Solar system, and then the best telescope possible would only let you see a very small and fuzzy image.

No imagination huh?

[Ifeanychukwu]

End, beginning, end and beginning again... Futurama style. Fuck yeah.

[Garnier Fructis]

Wouldn't both take an insufferably long time to watch?

[May90]

No imagination huh?

Well, I was talking about more or less realistic options. Of course, no one knows what kind of tech we will have billions years later...

[Ciddy]

I think the beginning would be more interesting to see (assuming we have a fast-forward button).

[Kronik85]

Depends how it ends but for something visually dramatic I'd like to sit by the seaside or at the top of hill during the sunset with as much alcohol and narcotics as I can get my hands on and welcome sweet oblivion.

[Independent voter]

Ending cause a billion years from now humans will have some pretty cool tech.

[Aggrophobic]

I doubt I'd survive any of thoes two events so I'll stay right here and now if thats ok.

[Deleted]

Well, I was talking about more or less realistic options. Of course, no one knows what kind of tech we will have billions years later...

call of duty black ops 5000 and xbox 9000 and ps9100 you can buy all this for 500,000 credits

[Deleted]

Define it's beginning. As the matter starts to accrue and a planet begins to take shape? For how long would we witness this, and would we be looking at it from space, or be on the surface? Or, do you mean when Theia crashes into Earth and gets mostly pulverized, scooping up a bunch of matter from Earth and becoming the Moon later? Again, would it just be the moment of impact, or a longer period?

What about Earth's end? The only thing that's plausible, that would really, truly destroy Earth, would be the Sun swallowing it up when it becomes a red giant. But, again, would we watch it happen over a longer period, or what? Sure, a stray planet might hit Earth, or a black hole might appear out of nowhere and swallow Earth...but those events aren't exactly very likely.

[Poopymonster]

Ending.

I'd just hope I'd get good seats near the window for that nights show. And a cute waitress.