The new movie from Netflix known as Don’t Look Up stars a lot of A-list actors & actresses. In fact, Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are among them. The reason Netflix seemed to gather so much interest from actors seems to be due to how real the story is. Most claimed they came away feeling how unbelievably real the script came across, which you’d think is crazy. How could a script like this actually seem so realistic? The synopsis of the film is that two astronomers find out that a giant comet is heading toward Earth and will likely destroy the planet.
To warn the public, the duo decides to go on a huge media tour where they find people to be seemingly oblivious to the obvious danger coming. The reaction from interviewers and anchors seems to mirror that of the public in the movie. How could this be real? The response to this is easy: have you ever lived among mankind? In this article, we break down why humanity is like this and what Don’t Look Up explained about us that we often do not see. We’ll discuss potential world-ending events or crises, and explain how issues like this happen all the time. In fact, some obvious issues YOU might have direct involvement in.
Man puts head in the sand. Photo Credit: James Steidl/Shutterstock
Why Do People Put Their Head In The Sand?
Before we get into some potential world-ending events and how people might react, the Don’t Look Up film finds that people are putting their heads in the sand. It is almost as if they are subconsciously ignoring the threats to their life around them. Why is this? There are a few reasons. The human brain is actually unable to process its own destruction. Go ahead, try to think of how you’d respond to being dead. You cannot because there is really no way to process something like that.
While people can understand the science behind a potential world-ending event… they’d rather not believe it. In fact, it is far easier to do this. That is especially true if the threat to their existence will take several months to years. We’re able to process a possible threat when it’s immediate. Like if someone is trying to assassinate you, it is likely you’ll respond to stop that threat because of its immediacy. However, that is not so with things that will take time to happen.
Accuracy targeting with dart. Photo Credit: Sutadimages/Shutterstock
Accuracy Is Still Suspect, Until It Isn’t
Most would state that while science can likely be right about a potential threat, it also might not be. To be fair, a lot of things in science are predictive based on data. It is unlikely science can give something a 100% chance of taking place unless it is a slow-moving process that can be seen and experienced. Climate change is like this, for example. We have data to show that all but one year in the last 20 to 30 years has been hotter than the previous years before it.
That is directly due to human impact. That is now proven science that is only ever disputed by those working for industries that will be impacted monetarily if we completely blame fossil fuels. Think the oil and coal industries here. Climate change won’t kill us overnight and will take many years to make the Earth uninhabitable. Therefore, people always want to look on the bright side of things and will “hope” science is wrong in spite of the obvious proof around them.
Politician with long nose; liar man concept. Photo Credit: Alexander_P/Shutterstock
The Politics Of It All
Politically speaking, if we look at only climate change, you’ll see a huge political connection. Chances are, if you’re on the side of the conservatives or Republicans in America, you might believe climate change is a hoax. At the very least, you might believe it is not as bad as predicted. That same side will also, sometimes, try to use science to fight science. They will claim that the Earth has been warming up often for millions of years. Therefore, what we’re experiencing now is normal.
Yet that is misleading. While it is true that the Earth warms up before it cools down, the process typically goes slowly. It’ll take several hundred to one thousand years just to move a degree. Human impact has taken the degree movement down to a mere one hundred years. Actually, we’ve moved up several degrees too. Why will conservatives not like this? The Republican party has brainwashed them into believing this is wrong. Yet those same people are often paid off by the oil and coal industries.
Multiple exposure with man and woman silhouette; Concept of control and manipulation. Photo Credit: SvetaZi/Shutterstock
Once You Cut Down Science Once, It Can Be Done Again
While the political side of it all can be difficult, it serves to hurt the social process too. With conservative Americans alone, you’ll find a distrust in science. That has been built up over decades of Republicans pushing against science to fit their own paid-off narrative. Yet people bought into this idiocy, leading to distrust. Just look at the recent COVID-19 Pandemic alone for proof of this.
People wanted to despise science and anyone who stood for it because the Pandemic forced people to stay home. Life was interrupted, and people do not like that type of issue. Not only that but many were forced to stay home without pay. America, for its part, did not really help its citizens all that much. The nations that DID help their people financially during those home-based weeks to months had far fewer cases of people bashing or distrusting science. America happened to have a Republican President during the start of the COVID Pandemic too. Coincidence?
People are puppets of the Government. Photo Credit: Nosyrevy/Shutterstock
The Conspiracies
Don’t Look Up showed us just how much people put their heads in the sand. As we referenced, there are several cultural reasons this takes place. However, one of the most common problems the world is experiencing has to be the era of mainstream conspiracy theories. It used to be that just your crazy aunt or uncle had them. Now, the power of social media has led to several conspiracies that might pop up in meme form or use biased language to make people buy into nonsense.
You’re likely going to see older people fall for this more often than not. Mostly because they are the type to not check sources and love things that fit their beliefs. Whether it is Facebook, WhatsApp, or what have you…these conspiracies can deal with numerous issues. Yet one of the most common now seems to push directly against science. The Pandemic and Climate Change are two big topics connected to this, but you’ll also see several others from time to time. Those conspiracies can lead people into not believing scientists when they warn them of potential dangers.
Dinosaurs were frozen into the ice block during Ice Age. Photo Credit: slexp880/Shutterstock
Looking To The Past
While Don’t Look Up does use a few examples of potential world-ending problems, we actually know of several extinction events in world history. In fact, there are two versions of extinction-level events. First is regional, which has to do with life in a specific region of the world. The causes for those can be numerous, but it tend to be due to viruses. The second is a worldwide extinction event. Usually, the most dominant species of the time will often go completely or nearly extinct.
We’ve had 5 worldwide extinction-level events: The Ordovician-Silurian, Devonian, Permian-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, Cretaceous-Tertiary. The latter happens to be the last worldwide version and took place 65 million years ago. You know it best for being the death of the dinosaurs and the start of the last major Ice Age. Three-quarters of the world’s plant and animal species died from it. We know these potential extinction events can happen again because the data shows that it’s possible.
Primitive man in the ice cave. Photo Credit: Iurii/Shutterstock
Potential Extinction Level Events
Now comes the fun part that “Don’t Look Up” highlighted a little bit. They chose to focus on only a few potential extinction-level events, but we felt it would be good to go over more of them. Not only will we tell you how and possibly when they could happen, but we’ll also tell you the possible response people will have when learning about them. You’d assume that scientific evidence would force people to find ways to stop these problems from happening.
Yet the response to climate change proves that the world has more than enough technology to stop man-made issues from taking place, but chooses not to. The response to science, in general, over the past few decades proves people would rather just not believe something is happening rather than find a way to stop something. We’ll also explain how some extinction-level events could be stopped too, just to show you that it can be done yet likely won’t be in spite of that. Other stuff, however, could not be stopped no matter what we do.
Hydraulic fracking in Vaca Muerta, Argentina. Photo Credit: Sobrevolando Patagonia/Shutterstock
Fracking
Most earthquakes, for a time, were caused by natural issues that simply could not be avoided. To be fair to this, earthquakes will happen naturally without any human involvement. Yet today, many earthquakes are caused by fracking. Of course, fracking is the process of drilling into the Earth with the hope of extracting oil/gas. Mines used to offer a similar issue, but they were pretty well-regulated and only seemed to cause earthquake issues when they were blowing through something.
Fracking is not well regulated nationwide and is known to poison groundwater and surface water as well as threaten wildlife local to those areas. Oklahoma, for example, tends to see the most fracking-induced earthquakes. The data proves fracking is a huge issue yet states nationwide allow it. Earthquakes are happening from them, and those will only continue to get worse the more we do it. That could obviously one day lead to something catastrophic, but many will not care as much. They’ll simply ignore the problem until it causes something horrific, which seems backward, right?
Nuclear bomb impact creates a nuke mushroom. Photo Credit: Bucyfon/Shutterstock
Nuclear War
In the political world, there are things referred to as “game theories.” One of them happens to be the “Prisoner’s Dilemma.” You imagine two countries with a large wall in between them. The other side cannot see what you’re doing, nor can you see what they are doing. You have two choices: develop a nuclear arsenal or grow your nation economically. You then remove the wall to see what the other side has done. Statistically, people will more often than not ignore economic growth in favor of nukes. Why? Because if one side has nukes and the other does not, then they are now unprepared for potential war.
All it takes is one nuke to blow through some small countries. Of course, you’ll also note from the Chernobyl incident that even small sections of nuclear power plants can make a town uninhabitable. Now imagine if we broke out into nuclear war. The Earth would be too radioactive for humans to survive, as well as most plants and animals. The world would become just like Chernobyl. Yet that has not stopped most developed nations from making newer and more powerful nukes. America alone has over 4,000 nuclear weapons, enough to end all life on Earth. Sadly, hundreds of others are held by several nations too.
Colorful northern light in Iceland. Photo Credit: Simon’s Passion 4 Travel/Shutterstock
Geomagnetic Storm
While it is unlikely that a geomagnetic storm will happen any time soon, there is always a potential risk. Otherwise known as simply a “magnetic storm,” this is a temporary period when the Earth’s magnetosphere is disturbed by a solar wind shock wave. It can also happen if a magnetic field cloud interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field. The potential for this to take place is there, and the chances for it will increase or decrease based on the sunspot cycle. We’ve actually had more of these storms than you might realize.
The most powerful geomagnetic storm on record took place in September 1859 and ended up taking down large chunks of the newer telegraph network the United States had just put up. If one happened today, it would disrupt entire regions, cost billions of dollars to repair, and might even shut down communication there for months. This could end up leading to hundreds to thousands of deaths too. If several popped up worldwide, it would take several years to repair the damage. Most jobs would come to a halt, the stock markets would crash, and possibly millions would die.
Gamma rays burst. Photo Credit: Sakkmesterke/Shutterstock
Lethal Gamma-Ray Burst
While Don’t Look Up did not discuss this, there is actually a huge potential for the Earth to be hit by gamma-ray bursts. Some might question whether or not it would be able to hit our surface with enough intensity to harm us. Yet we know that gamma-ray bursts cause the most powerful explosions in the universe. If one took place in the Milky Way, it would completely rip through the galaxy. It would do this to Earth even from as far as one thousand lightyears away! Thus, it is not possible to question it. If one comes close to the Earth, we’re all dead.
In fact, the Earth may have actually been hit by one over a billion years ago and led to one of our mass extinction events. Gamma-ray bursts are intense explosions of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. They give off as much energy as our Sun during its ENTIRE ten billion year lifetime, all within seconds to minutes. Some believe that if one of our mass extinction events was caused by one, it would explain why there is no local alien life. They would have gone extinct just like life on Earth, but many might not have a newly evolved sentient species to come afterward as we did.
Isolated man wearing a mask due to pandemic. Photo Credit: Deliris/Shutterstock
Global Pandemic
It is likely that the Don’t Look Up movie hit home so hard with people due to how the world responded to COVID-19. Some nations took it seriously and completely shut down to cut the spread. Others, like the United States, never really could shut down for long. In spite of scientists saying we needed to be careful, people still went out without their masks and would complain whenever having to wear one indoors. People then complained about having to be vaccinated. People saw masks and vaccines as “control” by the government.
Many did not take the clear and obvious threat seriously, leading to now millions of deaths and hospitalizations. Yet there are many other pandemics in world history from the Spanish Flu to the Black Plague. As well as long-term viruses that affected the world negatively like polio and smallpox. It is so simple to avoid most pandemics, but many humans are selfish and only think about their own comfort. Don’t Look Up showed this, but also showed how we lie to ourselves and ignore obvious problems in spite of clear evidence displaying a huge problem.
Robots working in a warehouse. Photo Credit: Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock
Artificial Intelligence War
Don’t Look Up is mostly referring to a natural disaster or natural phenomenon, but there is one potential world-ending event that could take place. With the power of future artificial intelligence, we will eventually be using robotic AI in war rather than risking the lives of human beings. We already use tech in this way, such as the use of drones that can drop nukes or simply shoot regular machine gun rounds. Eventually, more humanoid AI will be present and work as “boots on the ground” while being controlled hundreds to thousands of miles away.
Yet AI can be hacked, so there could be a war between hacked and unhacked AI. Yet there might also be a situation when AI turns on mankind. Though not likely, it is a potential issue. Both problems would potentially lead to several thousand deaths. If deployed in several regions, millions could die or be harmed. The way to stop this would be to never make deadly AI that can be hacked. However, inventors seldom think about the ramifications of their inventions. Most assume its use will be for a positive, not negative reason. Sadly, technology is often perverted by governments if it can be exploited for war.
San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico’s Pompeii active volcano. Photo Credit: Pixabay
Supervolcanic Eruption
There was a time in our past when volcanoes erupted and caused all life near them to die. No, we’re not just referring to places like Pompei. We are referring to volcanoes, both above ground and in the water, that have erupted and caused entire regions to go completely black. The last major supervolcanic eruption took place in New Zealand with one of its volcanoes beneath Lake Taupo. This took place in 26,500 BCE, which means not only were humans alive in this time but so were wooly mammoths. The eruption led to roughly six billion tons of sulfur dioxide being released into the atmosphere.
It was such an extreme amount that it led to global temperatures dropping by 59 degrees Fahrenheit. That drop lasted for around three years. Now, imagine if Yellowstone saw such an issue or another major supervolcano. The entire world would be affected, satellites would be obsolete, and it would be difficult to breathe outdoors. The saddest part is that we’re due for another eruption at any time, and we have no way of actually stopping this. What’s worse is that we have no plans, shelters, or anything of the sort to save humanity should it take place. Shouldn’t this be something worth forming right now?!?
Nanoparticle removing virus. Photo Credit: K_E_N/Shutterstock
Nanotechnology
Again, Don’t Look Up is more about natural issues or phenomena. Yet that does not mean that our own technology won’t end life as we know it. Nanotechnology is still relatively new and will one day become a massive industry. However, the moment nanotech becomes widely available, people will be able to form their own tech much easier. Sadly, this also means they’ll be able to make weapons and even potential explosive devices. It’ll also be nearly impossible to trace or check someone for.
Due to this, people will have access to potential weapons they have no idea how to control or use. Thereby leading to a worldwide problem that could result in explosions or kamikaze-like situations. Leading to thousands or possibly millions of deaths from devices built exclusively with nanotechnology. Does this sound hyperbolic or something? Potentially. However, the reality is that nanotechnology will not have many barriers. For all the good it will do, a lot of bad can come from it as well.
Big asteroid crashing on the surface of an Earth planet. Photo Credit: Hideto999/Shutterstock
Asteroid Hitting Earth
There was an asteroid that was on course to barely miss the Earth in early 2022. NASA and other space agencies are still watching it to know its future. As of this writing, we’re all good. However, our luck will eventually run out and an asteroid or even a comet could very well make landfall. While the size of these rocks will be important, anything coming from space and entering our atmosphere without burning up will hit the Earth with a massive force. Even a rock the size of a small car could make a crater that would be wider than 20 Wal-Mart Supercenters. In fact, the dinosaurs died off due to an asteroid hitting.
It destroyed most stuff around it but also helped to start our last great Ice Age, which led to a mass extinction event. Any rock at that same size would cause an extinction-level event too. Right now, NASA (among others) is in the process of making weaponry and tech that can either destroy or redirect possible asteroids or comets that could hit us. Thus far, nothing has been formed completely and it is uncertain when it will be made. Upon hearing about this, it is very likely people will react almost exactly as displayed in Don’t Look Up. Most would not want to believe it and would be unable to process the issue.
Supernova explosion at the center of the Galaxy. Photo Credit: muratart/Shutterstock
Supernova
A supernova is almost impossible to avoid and if close enough, it would possibly destroy the Earth. Forget destroying just life, we’re talking about the whole rock itself being blown into nothingness! A supernova happens during the last evolutionary stage of a massive star or when a white dwarf star is somehow forced into runaway nuclear fusion. The explosion that takes place upon a supernova will differ depending on which star is exploding.
A dwarf star could explode with enough force to destroy nearby solar systems. Meanwhile, a massive star could destroy far more. Right now, our Sun is a long way from going into a supernova stage and most nearby stars are not at that stage yet either. However, this will change one day and once it does, our solar system and especially Earth will be gone. Don’t Look Up discussed stuff that we could likely do something about, but a supernova is a universal constant and cannot be stopped.
Solar flare. Photo Credit: Muratart/Shutterstock
Solar Flares
Interestingly, the Earth is hit with solar flares all the time. Both the Northern and Southern Lights with their beautiful auroras show this taking place. Those lights come from solar flares and our Earth stopping them from harming us. We just see the result of that stoppage with the cool light shows. The Earth is able to stop flares from harming us due to its impressively strong magnetic field. That is why life is possible on Earth but could not be on the Moon and potentially Mars. They do not have strong magnetic fields, so flares would bypass whatever atmosphere is present and hit with powerful radiation.
Of course, there is a fix for that in the case of Mars. As one would just make domes that could handle being hit with strong radioactivity. We do not need to worry about this on Earth right now, but one day our magnetic field will not be as strong. In fact, certain sections are actually relatively weak. The most infamous place is around Bermuda, where a lot of planes and ships have gone down. The reason they did was due to potential flares interfering with machines. That is especially true of small planes. Even the International Space Station goes dark when it reaches this section each day for about 15 minutes.
Imitating see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil concept. Photo Credit: Pathdoc/Shutterstock
We Ignore What Could Happen and What Happens
Climate change is responsible for a lot of the major natural disasters like the huge rise in tornadoes and hurricanes. In fact, it is also responsible for the rate of storms we’re seeing too. Yet in spite of this, the response to natural disasters is often poor at least when it comes to the United States. For example, after Hurricane Katrina just destroyed large sections of Louisiana, it took three days to get any real help sent to the state from the federal government. During the most recent winter storm in Texas, a lot of issues were exposed that had been a huge problem in the state for many years.
Their power grid was horrible and the storm made it known nationally. Yet the state knew of the problem well before this but did nothing. That resulted in the winter storm causing people to pretty much freeze to death. Don’t Look Up highlighted how people ignored the obvious to save their own sanity, it seems. However, it also exposed that many problems can be solved by us and we’re failing to act. Just like the winter storm in Texas or the response to disasters, not only do we ignore what is happening but also was happened too.
Minimum to maximum level of mortality button. Photo Credit: AlexLMX/Shutterstock
A Fresh Look At Our Own Mortality
Don’t Look Up accurately showed how humans take information in, yet process it wildly different. You have scientists who studied and explained a problem. They understood it and knew there was an issue that the world needed to know. However, talk show hosts among others needed to process the news of their own mortality by ignoring potential demise. Again, our brains cannot process their own nonexistence.
The scientists do reference things like asteroids or climate change. Both of which can be handled if we act now. We just need to actually get off of our collective butts and work to solve anything we can. Some people are able to do this while others look at their demise as something predestined. If it happens, it happens. To know what type a person tends to be, just bring them information like the possible death of their species. Do they want to act or will they just sit down and accept fate?