The world didn’t come to a cataclysmic end on December 21, 2012, as the Mayan calendar supposedly predicted, but at the rate we're burning fossil fuels, the end may be nearer than we think. A rather morbid but essential discussion about the ways life on Earth may potentially be wiped out is happening at the University of Sydney on October 30 (appropriately before the dark day of Halloween).
Rather than a bunch of kooky doomsday predictors, the panel will consist of a geoscientist, astrophysicist, biologist and infectious disease expert, who will each use their respective areas of expertise to predict various causes for Earth’s grisly demise. The scientist stars of the evening will be professor Tania Sorrell Marie from the Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity; professor Dale Dominey-Howes from the School of Geosciences; the Sydney Institute for Astronomy’s professor Geraint Lewis; and Dr Emily Remnant from the School of Life and Environmental Science. Good ol' Dr Karl, Triple J’s resident science guy, will also make a special appearance.
After hearing each informed pitch, the audience will vote on what they believe to be the most plausible outcome. Perhaps rising sea levels will claim us, or maybe we’ll go out in another big bang – you decide.
