Is the End of the World Near?: From Crackpot Predictions to Scientific ScenariosAt one time or another, just about everyone has talked about the end of the world. But what does this phrase really mean? Does it mean the end of the human race? The end of planet Earth? The end of our Sun and solar system? And if the world were to actually end, how and when would it happen? People have been asking these questions for thousands of years. Many religious prophets have predicted the end of the world. Science-fiction writers have created lots of end-of-the-world stories. Scientists, too, talk about natural events that could destroy human life or planet Earth. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 27
... called Ragnarok. One by one, the gods would fall in battle. When the last one died, the Sun, the Moon, Earth, and everyone living on The study of the ways in which the world might end is called eschatology. The Earth would die too. The ...
... called Kalki. He will ride a white horse and carry a sword. Kalki will destroy all evil on Earth. The existing world will end, but a new Golden Age will begin. Buddhism is another major modern religion. Founded in India in about 500 ...
... called the Bible. According to the Book of Revelation, part of the New Testament (the second section of the Christian Bible), a great battle between God and Satan (the devil) will occur at a place called Armageddon. After the triumph of ...
... called the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. The Book of Revelation is not part of Jewish tradition, nor is the story of Armageddon and the Apocalypse. But the Hebrew Bible does mention a Day of the Lord, on which God causes death and ...
... called The End of the World (Verdens undergang in Danish). In this story, a comet flies extremely close to Earth, causing vast storms, giant ocean waves, and other destruction. A 1934 French film was also called The End of the World (La ...
Contents
5 | |
9 | |
21 | |
Pseudoscience | 29 |
Knockout From Space | 41 |
Our Own Worst Enemy | 59 |
The End Of The Human Species? | 75 |
The End Of Earth | 89 |
Timeline | 108 |
Glossary | 110 |
Source NotesSelected Bibliography | 112 |
Further Reading Films And Websites | 113 |
Index | 118 |
About The AuthorPhoto Acknowledgments | 120 |
Back Flap | 121 |
Back Cover | 122 |