How long would a person survive if he the last remaining human being on Earth?

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by Enoc, Dec 9, 2014.

  1. Enoc Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    57
    Although I know that this can never happen, In Life After People tv series, scientists, structural engineers, and other experts speculate about what might become of Earth should every human being on Earth suddenly disappear.

    And although I know this can not happen I wanted to ask how long would a person survive if he/she is the last remaining human being on Earth?

    I think that if only one human being was left on Earth then he/she will probably die because the electric power will run out in a few days because there will be no one left to maintain the power stations.

    Also there will be no one around to maintain all those nuclear reactors and other hazardous and disintegrating objects.
     
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  3. zgmc Registered Senior Member

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    Depends on who it is. If there is still food to hunt or gather, and a source of fresh water, I think that I could survive for quite a while. Now, would you even want to? I dont know. How could you be sure that you were the very last?
     
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  5. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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    Nuclear Power Stations melting down.
    Good point.
    You might die quite quickly from Radiation poisoning.
    In a world of moderate perfection, they would have some fail-safe system whereby they shut themselves down in such an emegency.
    Perhaps they have.

    Aside from that, an intelligent person in good health could live a normal lifespan.

    People in Zombie Apocalypse films seem to do OK,
    and they have zombies to contend with.
     
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  7. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    You'd live out your natural lifespan if you chose to do so. You'd have the resources of an entire civilization to pull from. A single grocery store would keep you in canned goods for years, and a single gun shop would provide you all the defense you needed against animals. You could run generators forever for power if you choose to do so. (Might want to move away from any nuclear power plants or refineries though.)
     
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  8. Enoc Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    57
    Yes but not everyone is intelligent and not everyone is in good health. Many people are not intelligent and many people are not in good health. This of course includes animals who are also not intelligent.

    This is a bad example because in the movies everything is possible of course. In reality this is just not the case.
     
  9. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    I would think the more intelligent human would survive for that person would know how to take care of themselves better than others do. Then again why waste your life waiting to die, just off yourself if you know you are the last human alive. You should be certain that you are the last person before you do off yourself so venture out and see.
     
  10. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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    For food, go to a supermarket. Choose anything canned.
    For fuel, go to a coal merchant or bottled gas merchant.
    For somewhere to live, pick any house you like.

    Zombie films are usually very well thought out.
    That's where I have got all the ideas from.
     
  11. Enoc Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    57
    There are still problems though. With no maintenance, electric power will run out in about a week and the world will be completely dark.

    Also the water pumps which supply water to the houses will not work without electricity so there will no running water too.

    And without electricity, there also will be no computers, no Internet and no lights.

    Things like cars, water pumps, water pipes, airplanes, ships and other things need regular maintenance or they will get old and stop working.

    Also if you get sick and injured there will be nobody to care for you because you're all alone.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2014
  12. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Get a generator.
    Get a generator.
    1) Get a generator. 2) Without people the Internet will be pretty useless.
    So maintain them, or ride a bike.
    Right. You'll still live out your natural lifetime and then die like anyone else. Might die a little sooner if there isn't anyone to do a triple bypass on you, but most people don't need them.
     
  13. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

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    How can you know that?
     
  14. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    ^This.

    My only question is where would you go to stay away from nuclear power plants? You'd have to know where they all were to avoid getting too close to one. And few people know where they all are. You could walk right into a radiation zone and never know it.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2014
  15. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Get a map to find their locations. There are reference books in libraries as well that can tell you where they are. There are many states which have none. Or just make a copy of this link.

    http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...http://energyjustice.net/map/nuclearoperating
     
  16. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    21,635
    Just stay 20 miles or so from them. The chances of any contaminants getting that far are very, very small. Even the Chernobyl exclusion zone is smaller than that.
     
  17. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    748
  18. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

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    Which part of the US would be best to survive in? Which part of the world?
     
  19. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Then if you were the last person you'd want to relocate. Take a boat to an island like Hawaii.
     
  20. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    Yes, I'd have get in a boat or out west very quickly. Boat is too risky, though. Storms and with no knowledge of navigation, I'd never make it. My only chance would be to get out west fast.
     
  21. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Boats have GPS today so you can't ever get lost at sea.
     
  22. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    GPS won't last long after TEOTWAWKI. The control segment (on the ground) would quickly go dark, ephemeris information would go stale and accuracy would rapidly degrade.
     
  23. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    21,635
    Coastal Southern California. Constant weather, almost no storms, enough water to keep a single person alive, enough stored food to keep you going a long time.
     

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