NASA predicts the end of the world

[Milchshake]

Researchers aimed to create a useful mathematical model that could help analyze how any society might fall — including our current global, technically advanced, interconnected society. They argue, the rise and fall of great social structures is so common a theme in human civilization — recurrent throughout history and worldwide in scope — that it's more the rule than the exception.

"The scenarios most closely reflecting the reality of our world today are found in the third group of experiments, where we introduced economic stratification," the researchers wrote, referring to uneven wealth distribution. "Under such conditions, we find that collapse is difficult to avoid."

Not all is lost, however: Societies can moderate the two factors that contribute most to social meltdown: the exploitation of natural resources and the uneven distribution of wealth, the researchers said.

Ironically, there's a political party that supports economical inequality AND no environmental regulation. It also likes to ignore science.

[wontonheroe]

So, our society falling = end of the world? wat....

[Garnier Fructis]

I came here for the meteors, and I'm disappointed.

[Rukentuts]

Ironically, there's a political party that supports economical inequality AND no environmental regulation. It also likes to ignore science.

You had a great premise of an article, and you just undermined the potential of perhaps an interesting thread into nothing more than political bashing and inevitable lock with this.

Oh, and NASA has distanced themselves from what is called a farce of a study.

[NuLogic]

Well time to start rioting and pillaging.

[Gheld]

Well time to start rioting and pillaging.

I haven't read the article Ruk linked, but I agree with you. You work on the grocery stores and I'll go to the sporting good stores for expensive golf clubs.

[alturic]

I came here because of NASA. I then got confused with how a space agency predicts the end of the world based on NOTHING related to space? I mean... what?

[Wells]

There's no link, but if this is the same article that's been circulating, its not NASA. Its a group that got a little bit of money from them.

[OneSent]

This is pretty interesting. I've actually pondered about such situations myself, and I would definitely agree that the exploitation of finite resources and the horrible imbalance of wealth are major contributing factors in the slow degradation of our way of life on this planet.

This isn't new, of course. It has happened to many civilizations in the past many, many times before. The only difference being, is that for the first time in our history, we are all connected in one way or another. If one link in the chain fails, the whole thing is liable to fall apart.

And with our perpetual obsession with "progress" and expansion, I find it highly unlikely that we will be able to moderate those two factors at an appropriate rate. We have grown arrogant, and it can most definitely contribute to our downfall.

Do you have a link to the rest of the article by any chance?

[zolok2.0]

Ironically, there's a political party that supports economical inequality AND no environmental regulation. It also likes to ignore science.

If the liberals are so worried about the end of the world, then why isn't Al Gore president?

[Rukentuts]

then why isn't Al Gore president?

Because he wasn't appointed by the Supreme Court.

[belfpala]

Because he wasn't appointed by the Supreme Court.

Wasn't appointed by Scalia, if I remember correctly.

[Mummbles]

It's funny how people keep wanting to ignore science after the last 100 years.

[IllidariCouncil]

Thread needs to be locked, misleading.. it wasn't even Nasa that made this statement and the statement itself isn't predicting nothing.

[arandomuser]

Rome collapsed because the patricians used their power to persuade politicians to go on neverending conquests so they could use slave labor rather than employ skilled romans, and made it so most laws didnt allow poor romans to own land, vote, or participate in the army. Ended up in civil war that destroyed the republic and brought in brutal emperors were more efficient than the aristocracy at first but ended up abusing their power-however if the original problem was solved in the first place that may of never happened

Hopefully people in the modern day will be smart enough to not elect a conservative who thinks that the definition of capitalism is giving 0.01% 99% of wealth, which also equates into power, which we all know has no good track record for being morale what so ever.

Not every solution is socialism. the far right saying that obama is a socialist is just redicilous most of his proposals to curve wealth inequality have failed to pass and as far as i know none of the proposals included siezing assets and imprisoning wealthy people.....

((http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/l...nited%20States 2013 billionaire list))
((http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/05/ric...llie_land.html)) 2008 BEFORE obama every single billionaire was LESS wealthier than today.(ok except buffet because hes gave his money to lazy plebs over the years how dumb to give billions of dollars to multiple charities) to re iterate BEFORE OBAMA BILLIONAIRE LESS WEALTHY who would have known if you persecute wealthy people and tax them 99% like fox news says-billionaires would get wealthier! what a oxymoron. obviously the democrats need to revise their communist agenda /sarcasm off

[IllidariCouncil]

It's funny how people keep wanting to ignore science after the last 100 years.

I ignore shit Theory's, if something is fact you cant ignore it, kinda like Hawking said their wasn't no afterlife as a fact when clearly he does not know.

People that clam to be "Scientist" are clamming things to be fact when they aren't turns people off.

[Mummbles]

I ignore shit Theory's, if something is fact you cant ignore it, kinda like Hawking said their wasn't no afterlife as a fact when clearly he does not know.

People that clam to be "Scientist" are clamming things to be fact when they aren't turns people off.

Assumptions have no place in science, either find the answer or don't, never guess. Also I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Hawking says. Sure he went to Harvard, but he graduated at the bottom of his class. The ONLY reason he's famous is because he's the crippled guy.

[DEATHETERNAL]

It's funny how people keep wanting to ignore science after the last 100 years.

It's funny how anyone thinks this study is science.

[belfpala]

Assumptions have no place in science, either find the answer or don't, never guess. Also I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Hawking says. Sure he went to Harvard, but he graduated at the bottom of his class. The ONLY reason he's famous is because he's the crippled guy.

You mean Oxford and Cambridge?

[Mummbles]

Something like that. Point is he's wrong a lot.

Also I didn't actually read the study, just forgot to quote the political party comment.