- Various predictions and theories about the possible end of the world, from cultural narratives to scientific studies.
- Most likely scenarios that could trigger the apocalypse according to current science.
- The role of manga, literature, and video games in the collective perception of the apocalypse.
The end of the world is a question that has intrigued both science and popular culture. for centuries. While some imagine catastrophic scenarios based on beliefs or prophecies, others seek answers in mathematical models or in the analysis of cosmic and earthly risks. Recently, social unrest over health crises, conflicts, and environmental threats has revived the debate about what could truly trigger the disappearance of human life on Earth, or even the extinction of the planet as we know it.
Beyond speculation and fictional stories, contemporary science has begun to identify the most plausible scenarios for a global collapse. Alongside these studies, culture, from Japanese manga to Western video games, has not missed the opportunity to reflect, amplify, and sometimes fuel these collective concerns.
Predictions and popular culture: when fiction fuels fear
In Japan, Stories about disasters and apocalypses have been part of the collective imagination for decades.Recently, author Ryo Tatsuki has rekindled the fear of a great cataclysm with her manga The future that I saw, which describes a supposed rift under the seabed between Japan and the Philippines that would unleash a devastating tsunami in July. This story has generated such concern that the Japanese Meteorological Agency has openly urged the public to rely on scientific data, and the author has been forced to clarify that she is not a prophet.
The influence of this type of work goes far beyond the anecdotal: Episodes of collective fear, a decline in tourism, and a strong viral impact on social media show how the line between reality and fiction can become very blurred. It's no coincidence, then, that other forms of cultural expression, such as literature and video games, leverage the apocalypse as a genre to channel anxieties and reflect on the threats facing humanity.
What does science say about the end of the world?
Far from sensationalism, The international scientific community has identified several scenarios of real risk to human destiny and the planet. Among the most discussed by experts are:
- Asteroid impact: Large celestial bodies have caused mass extinctions in the past. The short-term odds are lowBut the danger hasn't disappeared. Technological advances have made it possible to develop missions to change the trajectory of threatening asteroids.
- Supervolcanoes: Every 100.000 years or so, can cause volcanic winters by blocking sunlight, threatening human survival. The last major super-eruption occurred 74.000 years ago.
- Extreme solar storms: A powerful solar flare could cause massive damage to electrical infrastructure and satellites., with unforeseeable social and economic consequences.
- Nuclear War and Biotechnology: El use of nuclear weapons or the possible escape of lethal pathogens from laboratories pose growing threats. Some studies estimate that a nuclear war between powers could cause the deaths of billions of people.
- Climate collapse and ineffective antibiotics: Although the Climate change does not wipe out humanity immediately, Its effects can trigger secondary disasters such as faminesThe abandonment of the effectiveness of antibiotics would represent a huge setback for health.
- Artificial intelligence out of control: Both the misuse by humans such as the hypothetical rebellion of a superintelligence could trigger unimaginable global crises.
Scientists stress that, barring extreme events, human life is most likely to end due to natural causes linked to the solar life cycle.The Sun is expected to exhaust its hydrogen in about a billion years, becoming hostile to life on Earth long before its final collapse.
The Future of the Universe: Cosmic Cycles and the Big Crunch
In addition to the specific risks to Earth, Cosmology studies the scenarios in which the universe itself could come to an end.An international team has recently proposed the hypothesis of the "Big Crunch": after expanding for billions of years, The universe could begin to contract in about 7.000 billion years., eventually collapsing into a singularity. These cycles, driven by dark energy, would alternate phases of expansion and contraction over 33.000 billion years.
More closely, Changes in planetary orbits due to the passage of stars could shorten the stability of the Solar System.Recent simulations have shown that even distant encounters with other stars can alter trajectories and eject planets from their orbits, although the likelihood of Earth being severely affected in the next billion years remains low.
Apocalyptic culture: manga, literature, and video games as a mirror of society
The obsession with the end of time is not only reflected in scientific studies, but also permeates the entire cultural fabric. In Japan, apocalyptic manga has managed to make part of the population fear fictional scenarios as if they were real.. Works such as the sinking of japan o Dragon Head They have even been used for educational purposes, teaching the population how to act in the event of a real disaster.
In the west, Video games have grown to dominate the storytelling of dystopian futures. titles like Death Stranding, Fallout o The Last of Us They explore everything from global pandemics to nuclear wars, allowing players to confront and process the fears of their time. These interactive experiences demonstrate that apocalyptic scenarios, far from being just a form of entertainment, also function as a collective way to channel and reflect on current dangers.
The desire to anticipate the end has always been present, as demonstrated by Isaac Newton's speculations about the coded messages in Scripture or the latest theories about the cosmic future. The truth is that, while the Earth—and life as we know it—has an expiration date determined by astronomical and physical processes, what is truly fascinating is how humanity continues to search for answers, both in science and culture, to confront the possibility—remote or not—of the end of the world.
