Predicting The End of the World With Science | KXLY Hypothetically speaking, if a nearby star were to go supernova, it could eventually reach our blue planet and rip apart our atmosphere. Complex life would cease to exist. That scenario is unlikely says Dr. Dirk Schulze-Makuch, professor of astrobiology at Washington State University. That’s one of nine of possible ways Earth could meet its doom, and there’s only so much we can do about it. As my story was sent into the copy-edit process, I asked the editor if they were a hypochondriac. Those who were might feel the slight sense of paranoia this doomsday story brings. The professor did stress, however, that paranoia is not the solution - awareness is.  The professors last name, Schulze-Makuch, is pronounced like “Schuuuulze-Makoof”. I had to call back and ask really quick because we were going to tease this story on broadcast and well - you need to know these kind of things on TV. From what I gathered from my conversation with Schulze-Makuch, here are some ways you can save yourself from impending doom: Stop using antibiotics, especially antibacterial soap. Find a remote island and live there. Be careful what nanotechnology you choose to put into your body, which lacks the natural defense mechanisms to battle any of it if it goes wrong. Explore space, start with Mars. The sooner the human race spreads out, the better.
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Predicting The End of the World With Science | KXLY

Hypothetically speaking, if a nearby star were to go supernova, it could eventually reach our blue planet and rip apart our atmosphere. Complex life would cease to exist. That scenario is unlikely says Dr. Dirk Schulze-Makuch, professor of astrobiology at Washington State University. That’s one of nine of possible ways Earth could meet its doom, and there’s only so much we can do about it.

As my story was sent into the copy-edit process, I asked the editor if they were a hypochondriac. Those who were might feel the slight sense of paranoia this doomsday story brings. The professor did stress, however, that paranoia is not the solution - awareness is. 

The professors last name, Schulze-Makuch, is pronounced like “Schuuuulze-Makoof”. I had to call back and ask really quick because we were going to tease this story on broadcast and well - you need to know these kind of things on TV.

From what I gathered from my conversation with Schulze-Makuch, here are some ways you can save yourself from impending doom:

  • Stop using antibiotics, especially antibacterial soap.
  • Find a remote island and live there.
  • Be careful what nanotechnology you choose to put into your body, which lacks the natural defense mechanisms to battle any of it if it goes wrong.
  • Explore space, start with Mars. The sooner the human race spreads out, the better.


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