Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Mar 11, 2015 19:41:41 GMT -5
If the government found out there was some kind of extinction level event about to occur I think our elected officials abandoning their jobs and pulling their kids from school would be the first sign something is up. I'd want to know because I would want to enjoy my time left rather than sit in front of a computer at work when the end comes. I'd spend the final moments surrounded by loved ones which is about the best you can hope for when your time is up. Or be asleep for it. If it's the end of the world, you don't want to miss it in bed. Who are you going to tell you saw it?
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Mar 11, 2015 19:45:04 GMT -5
I personally would want to know. But, sadly, I agree that a lot of people would panic, & chaos would result.
I like the idea of not working, & taking the kids on a REALLY nice vacation.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2015 20:00:51 GMT -5
How to take a nice vacation when everyone is home with their families doing whatever they want...
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Mar 11, 2015 20:07:44 GMT -5
It's a moot question anyway. People would know the world was coming to an end when the GOP suddenly dropped the Benghazi inquiry.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Mar 11, 2015 20:14:32 GMT -5
From the movie, Melancholia . Earth is the smaller object. Good movie by the way.
What the end of Earth looked like from space:
What it was like on Earth:
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ken a.k.a OMK
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on Mar 11, 2015 20:21:41 GMT -5
People committed suicide during this famous radio broadcast.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Mar 11, 2015 21:03:43 GMT -5
I would want to know. I wouldn't believe the government, but I'd like a heads up just in case. They can't predict the weather with any accuracy, write or administer tax or health care laws with any accuracy, what are the odds they could accurately predict or interpret events leading to the end of the world unless something huge was coming at us that was evident to a blind person? I doubt I'd change anything, maybe just make sure those closest to me know how much I cared about them. Beyond that....how many times have we already supposedly been on the brink of a major breakdown of society or the end of the world? Y2K, the end of the Mayan calendar, etc. That said, I'd probably be the one stupid person on this planet who went to work as normal on the day a predicted cataclysmic event did happen. It's tough being a pessimistic skeptic.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Mar 11, 2015 21:51:10 GMT -5
I would want to know. I wouldn't believe the government, but I'd like a heads up just in case. They can't predict the weather with any accuracy, write or administer tax or health care laws with any accuracy, what are the odds they could accurately predict or interpret events leading to the end of the world unless something huge was coming at us that was evident to a blind person? I doubt I'd change anything, maybe just make sure those closest to me know how much I cared about them. Beyond that....how many times have we already supposedly been on the brink of a major breakdown of society or the end of the world? Y2K, the end of the Mayan calendar, etc. That said , I'd probably be the one stupid person on this planet who went to work as normal on the day a predicted cataclysmic event did happen. It's tough being a pessimistic skeptic. I would not be surprised if hundreds of thousands went to work that day too. Continuity of daily routines bring balance and normalcy to lives.
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kent
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Post by kent on Mar 11, 2015 22:02:25 GMT -5
I sure as hell wouldn't commit suicide and miss all the action. I think I'd spend my final hours, days, weeks, months or whatever watching Maury.
I'm sure at some point the paternity episode I've always wanted to see would take place.
Maury opens the envelope, looks at Alice and says, "Alice, you are NOT the mother."
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Mar 11, 2015 22:16:38 GMT -5
First off, I doubt a single scientist/astronomer would be responsible for discovering the Impending End. This means the 'news' would most likely be difficult to be kept a secret. You know - the more people that know generally the harder it is to have something kept secret. OK, I'm not sure how deeply scientists and astronomers buy into the "Authority Rules All" thing... you know where people are loyal to their superior - sometimes to the point of stupidity. So, yeah, maybe if scientists/astronomers who discover this are that loyal that they tell the government and are willing to go along with whatever they are told to do (keep it quiet OR figure out what to say in a press release) maybe they wouldn't mention their discovery to their spouse - or in laws or their drinking buddies. This is an interesting thing to ponder. Generally, I'd look in the "Witch's Eye" to find out how I'd die... would certainly make planning stuff a lot easier So I guess I'm gonna have to go with-- Yes, I would want to know. I suspect life would get very odd once the news was out and if it seemed credible enough - so I think it's hard to say what I'd be doing. I think I'd like to be having a picnic and watching for the end -- at the end.
I think it will depend on what kind of fervor the news media whips up. Last summer, I had to contend with a friend and her elderly mother being TERRIFIED that a tornado was going to hit our city - the news media coverage of the storms was so intense AND the images of some down state areas that got leveled by a tornado were still fresh in their minds (from the non stop coverage of that disaster!) that they lost all rational thought. There's a couple of things about our city: a.) our news coverage area is nearly 50 miles and some of those distant areas NEED to know about storms. b.) we haven't ever had a tornado - down bursts yes, high winds yes, hail yes --- actual tornado that levels houses - never ever. Yes, it could happen but it's highly unlikely. C.) we're close to the Lake and it's nothing but concrete and asphalt for miles and miles not conduceive for spawning tornados. d.) much of the coverage of places that got leveled where hundreds of miles away - but since they were covering the disasters extensively it started to feel like it happened someplace local. It was nearly 3 days after the storms came thru before they both settled down. The never ending coverage - first of the impending storms, then the actual storms, and then the damage (more than 100 miles away!!!!), combined with some local trees being down (omg! a street is blocked!!! we're all gonna DIE!!!) kept their anxiety levels HIGH. I kept telling them to turn off the TV or put in a DVD. (But, how would they know if a tornado was bearing down on their house if they didn't watch TV!!!). Mind you... we got some rain - lasted about 40 minutes and then some overcast - the sun came out and we had a beautiful sunset. And that was it.
So, my answer is - if the news media coverage is non-stop - there will be some overwhelmed Anxious people out there who may become dangerous. If the general public discredits the media coverage and thinks it a joke (cause you know the sky is bright blue and the sun is out and everything looks exactly like it did when no one knew about the Impending End) then it will be mostly calm...
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Mar 12, 2015 3:12:01 GMT -5
I would hate to have everyone know it was coming, we would all starve before it happened. Farmers wouldn't farm, canneries would shut down, store employees wouldn't go to work so stores would be empty, gas stations shut down nobody delivering gasoline. If power went out nobody would be fixing it so we would be where we were starving with roving bands of people with guns killing to get scraps of food, I would be in the roving band since I have guns. If everyone was going to die next month who would be taking care of the people in nursing homes or the animals in zoos? Prisoners might be set free or left locked up without food or water to die. The people who always wanted to kill or rape might as well do it since no police or prison guards. Not even tv and radio stations would be on the air and the internet might be broken or not have electricity.
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MarleyKeezy78
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Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Mar 12, 2015 5:51:51 GMT -5
Why, what do you know that we don't Phoenix I am torn because it would be terrible to know it was going to happen but I would want to be with family when it did.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Mar 12, 2015 5:55:45 GMT -5
Sorry, but people should have the right to know. It's YOUR life. And, you should absolutely know if your demise is imminent. That shouldn't even be a question in regards to adults. Are there some people who won't handle it well? Yes, of course. But, adults face reality.
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Mar 12, 2015 13:13:50 GMT -5
Sorry, but people should have the right to know. It's YOUR life. And, you should absolutely know if your demise is imminent. That shouldn't even be a question in regards to adults. Are there some people who won't handle it well? Yes, of course. But, adults face reality. I couldn't disagree more. It would be folly to tell people. Absolutely no good would come of it. The planet would instantly erupt into chaos and atrocities on an unimaginable scale. Mankind would spend its final few days in violence, hopelessness, and suffering.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Mar 12, 2015 13:35:26 GMT -5
Just more of some "Authority" deciding they know what is best for Me. No.
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Mar 12, 2015 13:38:42 GMT -5
Just more of some "Authority" deciding they know what is best for Me. No. They'd be right in this case.
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Mar 12, 2015 16:23:45 GMT -5
So, basically the same way we've spent our whole history on the planet? Something like that. Although your neighbour who never liked you might hunt you for sport.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Mar 12, 2015 16:28:47 GMT -5
Although your neighbour who never liked you might hunt you for sport. Yep, when folks quickly figure out that there will be absolutely no consequences for their behavior, all hell will break loose.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Mar 12, 2015 16:38:08 GMT -5
I would want the world to know from the beginning.. Fear of panic and crime is going to happen anyway whether people are told when first discovered and confirmed or during the very last days. I would especially want families with young children to know early so they can plan ahead, whatever those plans may be. Young folks planning on starting a family may want to no longer consider it. For myself, I don't want to hang around for the final days. I would like a peaceful suicide of my choice and time. Many of you probably never read or heard of the movie, On The Beach. The last living humans were in Australia. The government provided medicine to all citizens for those who wished to end their lives rather than from nuclear poisoning. That is what I would wish for. Plan ahead for what? If the world is no longer going to exist, what's the point of any of this?
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milee
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Post by milee on Mar 12, 2015 16:42:16 GMT -5
People committed suicide during this famous radio broadcast. This was an appropriate form of Darwinian Selection. We should think about doing a fake broadcast like that more often to rid ourselves of the people that need to go before we turn into the country featured on Idiocracy.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Mar 12, 2015 16:47:35 GMT -5
I would want the world to know from the beginning.. Fear of panic and crime is going to happen anyway whether people are told when first discovered and confirmed or during the very last days. I would especially want families with young children to know early so they can plan ahead, whatever those plans may be. Young folks planning on starting a family may want to no longer consider it. For myself, I don't want to hang around for the final days. I would like a peaceful suicide of my choice and time. Many of you probably never read or heard of the movie, On The Beach. The last living humans were in Australia. The government provided medicine to all citizens for those who wished to end their lives rather than from nuclear poisoning. That is what I would wish for. Plan ahead for what? If the world is no longer going to exist, what's the point of any of this? Possibly helping them die before the traumatic end arrives. Life may not go out with a bang but with a long, drawn out whimper. People may greatly suffer for a period of time. It may be traumatic for little ones. I was trying to be gentle using the term 'plan ahead'. My opinion.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Mar 12, 2015 17:36:55 GMT -5
People committed suicide during this famous radio broadcast. This was an appropriate form of Darwinian Selection. We should think about doing a fake broadcast like that more often to rid ourselves of the people that need to go before we turn into the country featured on Idiocracy. That wasn't so much 'stupid people' as much as public Hysteria. It was also 1938. There was alot of stuff going on in the real world - all around the world. WWII was about to start in earnest. Here in America, the Great Depression had sort of ended but - the economy was falling back into recession. I suspect those topics were discussed daily (WWI wasn't a picnic and people still had vivid memories). I suspect that tensions were still running high. I'm not sure you can attribute the upset this radio program caused purely to 'stupidity'... an unfortunate set of circumstances... AS for suicides or murders that resulted - there are always people on the edge.
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Mar 12, 2015 17:51:41 GMT -5
This was an appropriate form of Darwinian Selection. We should think about doing a fake broadcast like that more often to rid ourselves of the people that need to go before we turn into the country featured on Idiocracy. That wasn't so much 'stupid people' as much as public Hysteria. It was also 1938. There was alot of stuff going on in the real world - all around the world. WWII was about to start in earnest. Here in America, the Great Depression had sort of ended but - the economy was falling back into recession. I suspect those topics were discussed daily (WWI wasn't a picnic and people still had vivid memories). I suspect that tensions were still running high. I'm not sure you can attribute the upset this radio program caused purely to 'stupidity'... an unfortunate set of circumstances... AS for suicides or murders that resulted - there are always people on the edge. Not long after the War of the Worlds incident, a similar panic started in Britain under similar circumstances. It was a radio program that people tuned into midway after a popular program on another station had ended. The premise of the satire was unchecked rioting and pandemonium in London, and a good many people didn't realize it was a fiction. They actually had their generals mobilize the army at one point.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Mar 12, 2015 17:53:43 GMT -5
Aside from not wanting to deal with the collapse of society and mass chaos, I'd probably have more regrets knowing than not.
Should I reach out to my father one last time? Who should I include in my end of days gathering? Why am I reading/watching this dreck? Shouldn't I be doing something more productive with my remaining time? Were my shopping choices sufficient? Does this wine taste like the end of the world? It'd be worse than planning a wedding.
Also, I'm selfish. I'd want all my oblivious joys as I go about my life. Watching the sunset, checking out the new bear cub at the zoo, anticipating the next Song of Ice and Fire book, having a fricking baby.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Mar 12, 2015 21:54:43 GMT -5
That wasn't so much 'stupid people' as much as public Hysteria. It was also 1938. There was alot of stuff going on in the real world - all around the world. WWII was about to start in earnest. Here in America, the Great Depression had sort of ended but - the economy was falling back into recession. I suspect those topics were discussed daily (WWI wasn't a picnic and people still had vivid memories). I suspect that tensions were still running high. I'm not sure you can attribute the upset this radio program caused purely to 'stupidity'... an unfortunate set of circumstances... AS for suicides or murders that resulted - there are always people on the edge. Not long after the War of the Worlds incident, a similar panic started in Britain under similar circumstances. It was a radio program that people tuned into midway after a popular program on another station had ended. The premise of the satire was unchecked rioting and pandemonium in London, and a good many people didn't realize it was a fiction. They actually had their generals mobilize the army at one point. On April 29, 1992, the verdicts were read on charges file against the 4 policeman indicted in the beating of Rodney King. The four officers were found not guilty. And so the Los Angeles riots began. On Friday May 1, 1992, the riots were srill going on in L.A. I was working in Manhattan NY and commuting by subway and PATH from my home in Newark, NJ. Around noon May 1st, rumors we're starting that rioting was going on in front of Macy's on 34th Street and Penn Station, a major station for subways and commuter trains. As the afternoon wore on, the rumors began to increase but no actual witneses or facts. Manhattan was emptying out on a Friday afternoon at record pace. By 4 PM, there was little traffic on the streets. To avoid having to travel through Penn Station by subway to catch our subway to the World Trade Center and then take the PATH train to Newark from there, several of us decided to skirt Penn Station and walk a few subway station south of Penn Station to catch our subway to the WTC. When I finally got home and turned on the TV to see what was happening in Manhattan, there was no mention of any trouble. Nothing happened. It was all unfounded rumor(s). Rumor and hysteria emptied Manhattan that day. It was an interesting experience.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Mar 13, 2015 17:45:59 GMT -5
Obviously, how it all played out would depend on the event itself, but in general, I see it going like this...
Scientists are very rarely 100% sure about these kinds of things. There are objects out there now that we know of that have a (very small) chance of hitting us. So any cosmological event discovered likely wouldn't be a done deal at first.
The other dimension is time, likely astronomer's would be more sure as the event got closer.
Anyway, unless it was very obvious, I think that the government would try to keep it a secret, but things would get leaked. The public would get confused. Some people would argue that it's all hogwash, citing Y2K and the like, and others would take it seriously. Some would deny to the end. But as the event got closer and more certain, more would accept it as real and some would panic. Chaos would likely result.
I suppose to, that it's probably more likely that an extinction level event probably wouldn't kill everyone all at once. An asteroid strike might kill everyone off from hunger and exposure over years, if not decades. A far less pleasant way to go if you ask me.
How would knowing that society would collapse first, and that likely everyone would have a slow, painful death affect your decision? Like, let's say, an asteroid strike would create a cloud that would block out the sun for 100 years.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Mar 13, 2015 17:52:19 GMT -5
I would want to know, but once I knew, I'd be breaking all kinds of laws and probably doing some fucked up stuff. So while I personally want to know, the government should definitely not tell me.
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