Also, the Earth has been here for billions of years (4.62, if I remember correctly), and will be here for roughly five billion more (until the Sun becomes a red giant). Even if we nuked the entire planet several times over, within a few million years, the radioactivity would diminish to tolerable levels, and life would spread again.
It's been estimated that Earth is 4.567 billion years old. That's the closest they've come. I have science papers of this, right in front of me, in my primary language. Can't be assed translating it and posting it here, unless if someone actually wants me to.
shredderbeam2 said:
But, since evolution is basically natural selection, it has largely stopped already (for humans).
Whaa? We're still evolving. Thing is, evolution is a process that takes millions of years, and we only recently started scientifically documenting things. Like in the mid 1600's, if I remember correctly. If you look at humans today, then compare them to how humans looked 60.000 years ago (Neanderthals) you can notice some vast differences. We're a lot more intelligent than them with more compassionate emotions, logic science and capabilities to perform logical calculations in our mind, but they were heavily built with robust bone structure. Unlike our bones, which are quite fragile.
Doorsfan said:
So in the end it isn't going to matter anyway because the sun is going to explode.
The sun isn't going to explode. The sun is 99% ignited gas, and it only has a limited source. It's going to grow huge as hell, then slowly decrease in size, and eventually implode and engulf our entire solar system, including Earth.
Close to no life would be capable of surviving that, Earth will be a planet with an ashey surface. It's not impossible that a new heat source will occur after a couple billion years, and
somehow a cell would miraculously of managed survival, then restart the evolution chain over again. It seems unlikely, seeing as the sun is vital for all registered life today, but a possibility indeed.
Doorsfan said:
Do you think it is plausible that evolution could stop because of something we've learned as humans? By learned I mean, we know that the sun is going to blow up. So what would be the point of continuing evolving?
Definitely not. There isn't like a planned network of complexity holding the past, present and future together. Just because we've figured out the most likely, theoritically correct explanation; doesn't mean anything to our evolution. Evolution isn't conscious, you know.