No Thank You, Mr. Roboto

Many artificial intelligence experts argue that by 2040, machines will match human intelligence. Hans Moravec, one of the founders of the robotics department of Carnegie Mellon University believes that robots may even match human consciousness. Our civilization is growing more dependent on technology and machines with the amount of memory a small chip can hold multiplying every minute.The use of robots around the home to perform menial tasks such as mowing the lawn increased sevenfold by 2007 according to the International Federation of Robotics. There are currently over 21,000 "service robots" in use that perform tasks such as milking cows and operating theatres. The study states that by 2010, service robots will be able to carry out surgery, fight fires and assist handicapped people. As Isaac Asimov predicted, scientists are up against a paradox, “The more sophisticated an organism becomes, the more difficult it is to legislate rules to govern its behavior”. In order to be extremely useful, robots must be able to make their own decisions but once you give them this ability is when you give them the power to disobey.

Black Hole Sun...Please Don't Come

The validity of this end to our times is credited to Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose. A black hole is a region of space that has so much mass concentrated in it that nothing can escape its gravitational pull, not even light. If someone were to fall into a black hole they would be shredded to pieces, or as Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History wrote, "the most spectacular way to die in space". The most frightening fact is that the galaxy is full of collapsing stars waiting to turn into black holes, estimated close to 10 million. Although black holes are currently orbiting other astronomical masses, they are nearly impossible to see. It would not take very much space for a black hole to come close to earth and wreak havoc. If this day of doom did arise, it would be noticeable. Our climate would change drastically and our planetary alignments would be in a complete disarray.

Everyone's Gone Mad

Did you ever think that you may be just a tad off kilter today? Feeling a little loopy? Don’t we all go a little mad sometimes? Apparently, this is something that could actually happen…mass insanity. The World Health Organization estimates that 500 million people around the world suffer from some psychological disorder. They predict that by 2020, depression will be the leading cause of death, right behind cardiovascular disease. People are living longer and having more time to think about how pointless and meaningless it can all get. Gregory Stock, a biophysicist from the University of California, believes that with new medical science, people may live to be 200! That is a long time to recollect and think of the days when all was swell and you were still in your prime, say 150 years ago. Although apocalyptic only in our minds, mass insanity may be the end to our civilization.

Organize Before They Rise

For those of you who have never had an experience with a zombie you may not know that this is one of the deadliest and most horrifying apocalyptic events our civilization faces. Whether in reality or fantasy, zombies have the power to kill and infect anyone in their path. The way they infect their prey is by biting them or if you are lucky enough, eating them whole. Once a human is infected, little can be done to save them. Although they are slow, there are several different various strands that have the ability to allow zombies to run depending on the severity of the virus. The only way to kill a zombie is to shoot them in the head. If infected in any way, even by the smallest bite, the person should be disposed of immediately. The undead are said to posses superhuman powers such as telepathy and unusual strength. If an outbreak were to occur the results would be devastating. Zombies can grow to the thousands and even the millions encompassing an area of several hundred miles. There would be widespread panic, looting and riots. If this apocalyptic event were to occur we would all be at the mercy of the undead.

So that you can further get protection from the living dead, I have provided for you one of the greatest survival guides of all time. The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks will inform, educate and let you get to know your enemy. Until then here are ten things to keep in mind in case of a zombie attack.

1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer.
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.