Only a small percentage of all species that have ever existed have survived.
The similar tragedy will befall humanity at some point in the future.
It might take millennia. It could take a long time. Extinction, on the other hand, is inescapable. The future is unpredictable, and the catastrophe appears to be never far away.
A roughly 1-kilometer-wide asteroid crashed with Earth almost 800,000 years ago. The location of the crater is yet to be determined. However, impact fragments have been discovered all throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. A vast, scattered field that can cover up to 30% of the planet’s surface.
Not only were our forefathers and mothers alive to witness this tragedy, but they also managed to adapt and survive. Impacts of this size occur once every half million to two million years on average. Impacts that are more severe, such as the one that nearly wiped out the dinosaurs, are significantly less common.
It’s possible that it only happens once in a hundred million years. It’s debatable if a collision of this magnitude could be survived. The kinetic energy generated upon collision would be the same as detonating billions of atomic bombs all at once. Those who made it through the initial blow would be bombarded with earthquakes, firestorms, and tsunamis. The planet would swiftly be engulfed in a dense blanket of smoke and dust, obliterating the Sun. Winter has a big impact that might endure months or perhaps years. The planet would be thrown into disarray by darkness, bitter cold, and global starvation. Despite this, long-term survival is not ruled out. Small pockets of humanity could seek sanctuary underground, where they would have a chance to reconstruct civilisation.
But make no mistake, it would be a close call.
While writing this article, I was amazed at how tough it is to truly wipe out everyone. Many disasters have the potential to bring mankind to the edge of extinction, but they all struggle to reach the finish line. So it should give you some peace of mind. Even if mankind was reduced to a few hundred people, a full recovery could be achieved. It would surely take thousands of years to recover, but it is not impossible. And the further we grow beyond the bounds of Earth, the less likely it is that humanity will be wiped out by a single catastrophe. Perhaps the apocalypse will come in the form of a slow decline rather than a single conclusive blow.