No one knows. There’s no credible way to predict an exact date, and it depends on what you mean by “end.”
We can’t set a date, but we can lower the odds: cut emissions, strengthen arms control and biosecurity, invest in AI and pandemic safety, and keep improving planetary defense. If you want, I can go deeper on any of these.
Predicting when the world will end is impossible with certainty, as it depends on various factors—some scientific, others speculative or philosophical. Here are a few perspectives based on current knowledge:
The most definitive "end" of Earth as we know it will likely occur in about 5 billion years when the Sun expands into a red giant. As it runs out of hydrogen fuel, it will swell, potentially engulfing Earth or rendering it uninhabitable due to extreme heat. Long before that, in about 1 billion years, the Sun's increasing brightness could make Earth's surface too hot for liquid water, effectively ending life as we know it unless humanity finds a way to adapt or migrate to another planet.
Human-Caused Catastrophes:
Humanity faces risks from climate change, nuclear conflict, pandemics, or technological mishaps (like unchecked artificial intelligence or bioengineering disasters). These could lead to societal collapse or extinction-level events within decades or centuries if not addressed. For instance, unchecked global warming could make large parts of the planet uninhabitable within a few hundred years, though exact timelines are uncertain and depend on human action.
Cosmic Threats:
Events like asteroid impacts, gamma-ray bursts, or nearby supernovae could potentially end life on Earth. While these are statistically rare, a large asteroid collision (like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago) could happen at any time, though modern detection systems give us a better chance of mitigation. NASA and other agencies monitor near-Earth objects, and no imminent threats are currently known for the next century.
Philosophical/Religious Perspectives:
Many cultures and religions have prophecies or beliefs about the end of the world, such as Ragnarök in Norse mythology, the Christian Apocalypse, or cycles of destruction and renewal in Hinduism. These are based on faith rather than empirical evidence and vary widely in their timelines and interpretations.
Speculative Unknowns:
In practical terms, no one can predict an exact date or event for the "end of the world." Scientists focus on probabilities and mitigation strategies for near-term risks, while
That is one of the most profound questions ever asked. There is no single answer, as it depends entirely on what you mean by "the world."
Let's break it down from a few different perspectives:
This is the most unpredictable and, for us, the most relevant timeline. Unlike cosmic events, the end of our current global civilization is not a certainty and has no set date. However, scientists and thinkers point to several potential existential risks:
When? These events are unpredictable. They could happen in the next 100 years or not for thousands of years. Many of these risks depend heavily on the choices we make today.
This is a more predictable event based on the life cycle of our Sun.
When? Approximately 1 billion years from now.
This is also tied to the Sun's life cycle.
When? Approximately 5 billion years from now.
This is the ultimate end, based on theoretical physics. The final fate of the universe is still debated, but here are the leading theories:
When? An almost incomprehensibly long time from now—trillions upon trillions of years.
Many religions and mythologies have prophecies about the end of the world, often called "eschatology."
When? These events are considered matters of faith and are not tied to scientific or calendar dates.
That's one of humanity's oldest and most profound questions. The answer depends entirely on what you mean by "the end." Science offers several possible expiration dates, from the local extinction of humanity to the true end of all things.
Here’s a timeline of potential "ends," from the most imminent to the final one:
This is the end of human society as we know it, not the planet itself. Timescales range from centuries to millennia.
This is when the planet becomes completely sterile. The most likely culprit is the slow, inevitable evolution of our Sun.
This is the physical destruction of the planet.
This is the ultimate end, on a timescale so vast it's almost incomprehensible.
There is no scientific evidence or consensus on when the world will end. The Earth has billions of years left before it is likely to be destroyed by the expanding sun. However, various catastrophic events such as asteroid impacts, nuclear war, or climate change could potentially lead to the end of human civilization. Ultimately, the future of the world is uncertain and unpredictable.
The question of when the world will end is one of the most profound and debated topics in philosophy, science, and religion. While no one can predict the exact timing or nature of the world's end, various perspectives offer different insights:
The Earth has existed for billions of years and will likely continue for billions more, assuming no catastrophic cosmic event. Human civilization, however, faces existential risks that could lead to its collapse. The "end of the world" is ultimately a matter of perspective—whether you view it through science, faith, or philosophy.
Would you like to explore a specific perspective in more depth?
The end of the world isn't something we can predict with certainty. Various scientific scenarios exist for Earth's far future (like the sun's evolution into a red giant in about 5 billion years), but these are extremely distant events.
Different religious and cultural traditions have their own perspectives on this question, though most scientific consensus indicates that our immediate focus should be on addressing current challenges like climate change rather than worrying about an imminent end of the world.
Is there a particular aspect of this topic you're curious about?
There is no scientific or religious consensus on when the world will end, and current evidence does not allow for a definitive prediction of a specific date or time.
Major existential threats—such as those from advanced artificial intelligence, pandemics, nuclear war, or climate change—are discussed extensively by experts, but they are characterized by high uncertainty and are generally described in probabilistic rather than absolute terms[1][3][5][6]. For example, surveys of AI scientists have estimated a non-negligible but low probability (often between 1%–10%) that advanced AI could contribute to human extinction by the end of this century, but these are speculative forecasts rather than concrete predictions[1][5][6].
Beyond AI, potential global catastrophic risks include: - Nuclear conflict or large-scale war. - Natural disasters such as asteroid impacts or supervolcanoes. - Pandemics emerging naturally or through biotechnology. - Climate change leading to ecological collapse.
Religious and philosophical perspectives sometimes offer predictions or prophecies, but these are based on belief systems rather than scientific evidence and are not universally accepted.
In summary, we do not know when—if ever—the world will end, and experts advise focusing on reducing existential risks rather than expecting an imminent, predictable doomsday[1][3][6].