How would you react if the world ended?

[HoloYolo]

I'm creating this to "study" how people would react to the end of the world. I would try to leave Earth or try to survive. I would try to save myself and my family first and work to good friends, friends, and just normal strangers. I would do anything to survive with everyone I know.

By the way, the world could be ending in anyway, may it be asteroid or neutron star.

Edited April 11, 2015 by HoloYolo

[Hcube]

You have to define "end of the world" better. It just means nothing to me and i can't choose an answer in the poll... The end of the world would probably mean that i'd be dead like everyone else, so this question is a bit weird...

[HoloYolo]

You have to define "end of the world" better. It just means nothing to me and i can't choose an answer in the poll... The end of the world would probably mean that i'd be dead like everyone else, so this question is a bit weird...

Fixed it.

[Pixel of Life]

It depends on what kind of event we're talking about. I'd try to survive as long as my survival was based on skill, not luck - things like a global EMP disaster that fries nearly all electronics, or some sort of zombie outbreak. But if it's a giant asteroid that will almost certainly melt the whole planet, I'd rather spend the last seconds of my life hanging out with my friends at some place with a nice view.

[FishInferno]

Yeah, It depends on what exactly we are trying to survive. Plague? Yes. Zombies? Maybe. Black Hole? Good Luck.

[Nibb31]

If it's the end of the World, then there no survival on Earth, by definition. If there is a hypothesis where people survive, then it isn't the end of the World. And since there is no practical way to leave the Earth today, then it's a bit of a moot question, isn't it?

[lajoswinkler]

Yeah, It depends on what exactly we are trying to survive. Plague? Yes. Zombies? Maybe. Black Hole? Good Luck.

Premise: the world is ending. There's nothing you can do to stop it. The logical thing is to try to accept it and perish as peacefully as you can.

[Tw1]

It depends on a lot of things. I'd like to think I'd be partying, singing End of the world songs,

(I do this most time an apocalypse hoax pops up, I love mockingly adding them to my year planner.)

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But in reality, I'd probably will end up weeping for friends and family who've been lost.

I doubt I'd have access to the resources needed to get to space, let alone establish a sustainable habitat beyond Earth.

If the end was quick, inevitable, and obvious- like a wall of fire consuming the Earth- and it reached me in the right mood, I'd probably leap straight in.

Otherwise, I'd attempt to survive in the internetless/computerless horror that the 'end of the world' left behind.

[HoloYolo]

If it's the end of the World, then there no survival on Earth, by definition. If there is a hypothesis where people survive, then it isn't the end of the World. And since there is no practical way to leave the Earth today, then it's a bit of a moot question, isn't it?

Notice as I said try for the 2 survival choices. Also, there are many ways of leaving Earth, and many places to go.

[Nibb31]

Notice as I said try for the 2 survival choices. Also, there are many ways of leaving Earth, and many places to go.

If survival is possible, then it's not the end of the World.

And what options of leaving the Earth are there exactly if the world ends tomorrow.

[Bill Phil]

Depends. Apocalypse? I'll do good. Asteroid? Maybe. . Neutron star? We're doomed.

[Frozen_Heart]

Well as I rely on civilisation to survive due to medical reasons, I'd have no choice but to simply accept my demise.

[WestAir]

Conditions:

1. Large rock will impact Earth in 30 days.

2. No survival is possible.

3. Everyone knows about it.

My reaction:

I will do absolutely anything I want. I don't have to restrict my actions based on "well, future generations..." or "we only have finite resources." - I might just get a group of friends, steal a plane and try to fly it around the globe. I might try to sky-dive with ski's onto a slope. I might set my car on fire for all the pain it's given me. Maybe I'll steal a Ferrarri and go down the Vegas Strip at 150 mph. What I won't do is pretend life is GTA and start committing violent crimes like I assume 30% of people will.

Not a lot of people are honest in these types of polls. I'll be honest here: I will be absolutely reckless and I might not live the full 30 days until impact, but I'll tell you what, the end of the world will be the beginning of my most exciting week.

[adsii1970]

If survival is possible, then it's not the end of the World.

And what options of leaving the Earth are there exactly if the world ends tomorrow.

I think that too many people equate the collapse of our modern, advanced human civilization with the end of the world. The collapse of civilization simply means that humankind reverts back to a per-industrialized state, which would effectively mean the demise of nearly 1/3 of the world's population within a matter of three to nine months. No air conditioning and refrigeration would mean that many of the health conditions that require medicines that must stay between 40 to 70 degrees would no longer be available, nor would the food supply available be able to support the large populations within most of the large cities around the world.

Best hope for survival in this case would be to survive as either a hunter-gatherer or in a state of subsistence farming.

Not a lot of people are honest in these types of polls. I'll be honest here: I will be absolutely reckless and I might not live the full 30 days until impact, but I'll tell you what, the end of the world will be the beginning of my most exciting week.

Actually, I was quite honest - for a reason. In the scenario you list, there would be no way to absolutely avoid the end of the world as you describe. However, after seven years of military service and being deployed in a few less-than-friendly places, the survival instinct becomes nearly unquenchable. Knowing myself the way that I do, I would still (irrationally, I might add) prepare to survive anyway - even if it was an ELE that were to occur in the next thirty days. Yup, much like Captain Kirk (or Admiral Kirk when he said this..." "I don't believe in no-win scenarios..."

Edited April 11, 2015 by adsii1970

[LABHOUSE]

I would die, if I tried to or not, I would.

[Scotius]

End of the world, huh? Well, since i don't have a handy Stargate in my backyard, nor a fully functional spaceship in a garage...i would find an open space with best view at the fireworks, drag my favorite chair there, open the bottle of best wine i could find and enjoy my last seconds of life.

[YNM]

End of the world ? It's basically the same as own death. What does one do when death approaches ? Nobody knows when and where...

[WestAir]

End of the world ? It's basically the same as own death. What does one do when death approaches ? Nobody knows when and where...

Despite the fact that a person will die tomorrow, because they are not aware of this, they live like they'll live another 40-50 years.

Once you tell everyone the world will end in 30 days, people will live like they'll die in 30 days. (I.E., no investments will be made)

[ZetaX]

If survival is possible, then it's not the end of the World.

a) That phrase is often meant as shortcut for "end of the world as we know it".

"World" likely stands for "earth"; so possibly survival can be found somewhere else.

[Karriz]

If the society collapsed I'd just try to survive and find a safe place away from the zombies or whatever threat is out there.

Getting off the planet would be kinda impossible, I mean, what exactly are the options?

[Beowolf]

[snip]

But seriously, I don't understand OP's scenario. If it's even remotely possible for people to leave Earth and independently survive, it's set in a fictional universe. We're decades from even being able to list all the stuff that's required, much less being able to do it.

If it's a matter of emigrating to an established self-sufficient off-world colony, I'd encourage our son to go. But if it's a more primitive scenario, like a Mars One where we send a few people off to die horribly as soon as they run out of multivitamins or a critical piece of hardware fails, I don't see the point.

- - - Updated - - -

The collapse of civilization simply means that humankind reverts back to a per-industrialized state, which would effectively mean the demise of nearly 1/3 of the world's population within a matter of three to nine months.

I think you made a math goof here, friend. Earth's "carrying capacity" in pre-industrial days was only a billion or so. If we can hang onto Norman Borlaug's pest-resistant and weather-tolerant GMO grains that changed Asia from "Think of the poor starving children in Asia" into a major food exporter, I can believe 2 billion, maybe even 3 billion after there were stable regional governments to safely distribute food again, but no more.

I agree with everything else you said, though. Back when I was younger and healthier, I'd be stocking the bomb shelter next door to yours. Nothing's wrong with going down swinging!

Edited April 12, 2015 by Vanamonde

[tater]

This poll is pretty rediculous without a very specific scenario and timeframe. An asteroid is hitting the earth in a year and is a planet killer size/velocity. Leaving is not an option, likely. A Herculean global effort might get a handful of people away... Unless you are one of the top 0.0001% of people on earth ranked by influence or power, you have no say.

So as others have said, you need a reasonable scenario.

[Slam_Jones]

Without any sort of specifics beyond "the world is ending" there's really no way I can even begin to guess what I'd do.

Chances are, I'd be one of the skeptics saying "yeah, right" right up until it's over. I don't think I'd be inclined to violence and destruction... because what if it didn't end? What if I'm one of the few that survive? I'd rather come back to a sorta-messed up world than a fully messed up world.

[ChrisSpace]

Yeah, It depends on what exactly we are trying to survive. Plague? Yes. Zombies? Maybe. Black Hole? Good Luck.

here would be my plans for different scenarios:

global warming/overpopulation/food shortages - live somewhere remote, preferably underground

plague/zombies - gather food and water, then fortify house

ASI/rouge nanotech/gamma ray burst - nothing I can do, just sit and wait

nuclear war - be glad nobody would bother nuking Australia

chixulub-sized asteroid/comet impact - http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Super-Comet-Hitting-Earth

palas-sized asteroid impact/neutron star/black hole - evacuate earth, move to mars in the asteroid scenario, move to another star system in the other scenarios

alien attack - evacuate to space, or if that is not an option, underground