Working with researchers at Toho University in Japan, NASA researchers used supercomputers to model and determine how long life will remain possible on Earth. The end date calculated for all life on Earth is still far away, but researchers warn that the potential end date of humans is sooner than we previously thought.
According to the study, the end of the potential for life on Earth depends on the lifespan of the sun. In the billions of years to come, our sun will continue to grow and heat the Earth so much that life will no longer be possible. Researchers estimate that this will happen in 1,000,002,021, when conditions on Earth’s surface become so extreme that life becomes impossible for even the most resilient organisms.
And for human life?
For us humans, things will get serious even sooner. As the sun gets hotter and hotter, the Earth’s atmosphere will change significantly. This will lead to a drop in oxygen content, poor air quality and a sharp increase in temperatures. These changes were predicted using a detailed model of climate change and solar radiation.
Signs of these changes are already being felt. Coronal mass ejections and solar storms have increased in intensity and are affecting the Earth’s magnetic field, which is already reducing the oxygen content of the atmosphere, giving researchers insight into the long-term effects. Human-induced climate change is also accelerating towards the end, with the world already facing rising global temperatures and melting polar ice.
No specific end date has been given for human life. However, according to the researchers, it is quite possible that environmental conditions would become too harsh for humans well before the billion years mark.
Potential solutions for the distant future
Life on Earth will not stop suddenly: it will die out with a slow and irreversible decline. But despite the long time frame, researchers emphasize the importance of preparation and adaptation now for humanity’s future.
Some scientists are proposing technological interventions, including closed life support systems and artificial habitats, to preserve habitable environments for as long as possible.
Others, for their part, even look towards other planets in our solar system. Long-term space colonization projects, including missions to Mars by NASA and SpaceX, are being explored as potential strategies for sustaining human life once Earth itself becomes uninhabitable.
Further reading: NASA plans to use nuclear weapons against a lunar asteroid
