Atul: Well, yeah. The blogosphere is already choking with the number of reviews on Om Shanti Om and Saawariya. And some of them are so interesting that they were more entertaining that the movies itself. But most of them are totally biased and since I am an obsessed Shahrukh Khan fan, my review would have been a waste too. Web 2.0 garbage is already a reality. So you should be glad because I saved you from a torture.
Blog: Thanks a lot! So whats this Morbid top - 5?
Atul: These are the top 5 reasons or ways that THIS WORLD WILL END, well according to me.
Blog: Oh, thats morbid! But do we need to know that?
Atul: Of course not! When you don't know how long you yourself are going to live how does it matter if you know that the human beings will be extinct in next 1000 years or so. But IT IS important to be reminded every now and then that ultimately every thing comes to an end. And IT IS important to constantly be aware of our innate powerlessness. This is the only way spirituality blossoms in you. Understanding of Death has the capacity to enlighten you to attain Buddha hood or Krishna consciousness. And only when you know that you might die another day, you feel silly living as a Hindu or a Sikh or a Muslim or living as an Indian or an American; only then you laugh at your prejudices and stop feeling sorry for yourself. By the way, when you are at it, why don't you check out the chapter on Death from the Prophet by Khalil Gibran; which I have told you so many times is my favorite book.
Blog: All right! Can we now please have the list? By the way this list contains the reasons why Human Population may get extinct or all the species on Earth or something. And whats the order?
Atul: Both. And its kind of same, isn't it? The order is based on the probability of occurring, ability to avert and the SCARE INDUCING index of that method.
Blog: Ok, got it. So whats the number 5.
Atul: On number 5 is WAR. Where War is a super set of any act of terrorism, genocide, a world war, a civil war or any accident involving a nuclear bomb intended for warfare.
I know I know, a cynic (read an optimist) will disagree and say 'We have been fighting since Stone Age and still the human race has grown' and stuff. But that's exactly why a WAR has the ability to completely annihilate us because we have never stopped fighting. And when we have nuclear bombs that have the capacity to totally wipe out nations in seconds, the fear seems more real.
And do you know that there is even a theory that Dinosaurs got extinct due to behavioral changes rather than climatic changes. According to this theory those dudes started killing and eating each other, eventually leading to their extinction. And hell, we are not smarter than Dinos; because they at least killed to satisfy their hunger, we kill to satisfy our ego!!
So that's number 5 for you, WAR; a suicide by an entire species.
Blog: hmm, I thought you were going to talk about Star wars aka aliens and stuff!! Ok, so whats number 4.
Atul: Number 4 is DISEASE. Yeah, we have made a considerable growth in medical sciences but still there are incurable diseases and still there are undiagnosed diseases and still there are new diseases coming up which have never been heard of. And more over we have a history of diseases like Plague or Cholera decimating entire civilizations. So a new disease may come from no where and if not instantaneously, gradually taking its toll. And if you add to it diseases to our food crops or our livestock leading to widespread famines; the fear factor really increases.
Blog: And yeah, if you add to it the prolificness of Indian doctors going on strikes and fubared Health Insurance systems around the world, even I would agree with you!
Atul: Number 3 is a Meteor strike. Is it possible? YES. Is it probable? Why Not! But the fear of a meteor striking the planet Earth is the 'Mother of all fears'. I don't even need to mention what can happen if a meteor strikes us. Just look at that expression on the face of people when you discuss this! I mean, its like Universe is playing a multi dimensional Billiards and it has already hit the ball towards Earth and just waiting for the HIT.
Blog: Well I agree, its really scary. More scary than Ram Gopal Varma making 'RGV ki Aag - part 2'! Anyways, check out this video.
Atul: Number 2 is Climate Change. Actually it should be Number 1, but I will tell you why it is not. In fact I believe that this is going to be THE only reason of extinction of mankind.
I don't know what will be the change, will the Earth get warmer, or the Ice Age will advent again. I even don't know will the climate change be caused due to natural reasons or human intervention, but I am convinced something will happen.
For example you must have heard about this cycle the Earth goes in while revolving around Sun, when for a considerable period its very near to Sun and then very far from Sun may be causing an Ice Age.
Global warming is a big threat too but it is really over hyped. Who would have thought that you can win a Nobel Peace prize just by making a Power Point presentation!! (On a side note, 'An inconvenient truth' by Al Gore is a must see movie, if not for the content; definitely to learn how to use power point :-). But let me not undermine it, with some scientist even claiming that in 30 years Glaciers will melt enough to increase the water level by 1 meter; effecting half of the entire human population and displacing millions especially in developing countries like India and China. Dude, I am shifting to Denver :)
Blog: You are right man, there was a deluge of videos on youtube when Al Gore won the Nobel Peace prize, and check out the trailer of the spoof by South Park on Al Gore. Ok, time for the Numero One!
Atul: Number one is the DEATH OF SUN. Our Sun is a star and every star has its life cycle. Yeah, I am talking about the White Dwarfs, Super Novas and Black Holes!
Its number one because its inevitable, it might happen after million of years or after million of species are already extinct. But that will be THE END of the planet Earth and the whole Solar System.
Its number one because its so awe inspiring and beautiful. I can't think of any other example where insignificance is manifested in such a majestic way. If you see a picture of Supernova you will think if God is playing Holi and Diwali on the same day, or turned into a painter and decided to do some modern Art.
Its number one because there are Black Holes involved in it and our Sun may end up into a Black Hole too. And whats more mysterious than a woman's heart and more pulling than a woman's eyes! (if not having an infinite capacity of a woman's shopping bag). It's a Black Hole, the best poetic expression of God.
And its number one because it has a spiritual message to it. God is trying to make us see the underlying unity in everything by making everything ONE in the end. And by Black Holes God is giving a message that even though there is no escape from death, and there is no escape from that void and emptiness, there is still something about that absolute nothingness.
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