Scientists have made a particularly grim prediction about how the world might end after a NASA supercomputer predicted exactly when it might happen.
Although some folks seem to predict the apocalypse every few months, which to be fair, might actually be justified given the overhanging threat of World War Three and the risk of artificial intelligence enslaving the human race, a NASA supercomputer recently suggested it might not be something we, or even our kids or grandkids really have to worry about.
When did the NASA supercomputer suggest that the world might end?
All the science boffins at NASA seem convinced that the Earth's future is tied to that of the Sun, and thankfully I don't mean the newspaper.
The results from 400,000 computer simulations predict that our planet will become uninhabitable in the year 1,000,002,021.
Advert
However, considering the severe threat that climate change poses, as the Sun continues to emit dangerous radiation, it's also unlikely that humanity makes it anywhere near that far.
As we progress far into the future, conditions on Earth are only likely to get worse, with rising temperatures, decreasing air quality and declining oxygen levels combining for a particularly cheery cocktail.
How do scientists think the world might end?
If we don't already manage to destroy it ourselves, then scientists once again seem to think that our demise will be connected with the big red star in the sky which gives us our heat.
Advert
Astronomers from University College London and the University of Warwick are confident that the Sun will either swallow the Earth whole, or simply tear it to pieces, which doesn't exactly sound like a fun way to go.
While Elon Musk is already planning to build a new future for humanity on Mars, it's unlikely that anyone but his billionaire buddies will be invited, so I suppose it's just a problem that our long-distance ancestors will have to deal with, which frankly, works for me.
According to the researchers, humanity won't survive when powerful gravitational effects, known as tidal forces, first start to impact the Earth.
Lead author, Dr Edward Bryant said: "Just like the Moon pulls on Earth's oceans to create tides, the planet pulls on the star.
Advert
"As the star evolves and expands, this interaction becomes stronger.
"These interactions slow the planet down and cause its orbit to shrink, making it spiral inwards until it either breaks apart or falls into the star."
When a star starts running out of hydrogen to burn, it can collapse on itself and grow in size, which makes it more likely to pull in things that are closer to it, such as a sweet unsuspecting planet like Earth.
Hey, at least it's the weekend soon.
James Moorhouse