Earth, a unique and rare planet, was created by a serendipitous encounter with a Mars-sized impactor 4.5 billion years ago, resulting in the formation of the moon and leading to the development of a life-rich biosphere. However, in the last 300,000 years, Earth has seen the rise and fall of civilizations, and in the past century, weapons of mass destruction have been created that could potentially wipe out billions of years of biological evolution. Recent geopolitics raise the question of whether life could survive a full-scale nuclear war in the future.
Experts suggest that a nuclear Armageddon could be similar to the K/Pg impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago but on a smaller scale. The energy released in a nuclear war would be less than that of the impact, but the radiation and mutations caused by the fallout could still lead to the destruction of human civilization, with an estimated 99.9% of humans perishing. The future of humanity in such a scenario remains uncertain, with the potential for the few survivors to face a grim existence.
While the human race may face extinction in the event of a global nuclear war, Earth’s biosphere is likely to survive although it would take a significant hit. Animal species would likely survive, preventing the complete reset of evolution back to microbes. When comparing nuclear Armageddon to natural planet killers like asteroids, comets, and supernovae, it is noted that life rebounded after these events, but it took millions of years to reach former levels of diversity and complexity. A nuclear holocaust could result in a tremendous initial loss of biodiversity, impacting both land and ocean species.
The fate of our planet can change suddenly, and even heritage sites like the city of Antibes in France could be wiped out in an instant if a nuclear war were to occur. The potential for another intelligent species to evolve after human extinction remains uncertain, as it is unclear how many factors need to align for such a species to emerge. The proliferation of technological civilization was a result of human intelligence and the development of tools over thousands of years, highlighting the fragility of our existence and the consequences of our actions on the planet and its future. We must consider the impact our choices may have on the planet and the generations to come.
