Taking Back to the Past
65 Million Years Ago
Earth. Long before humans set foot on the planet, Earth nurtured a paradise with diverse living beings and flourishing plants. Everything followed a serene order until one day, when a cosmic visitor altered the fate of the entire planet.
On a fine day, the sun rose in the east, casting its light across the land. Creatures emerged from their shelters in search of food, initiating their daily struggle for survival. Some sought refuge, while others engaged in the relentless pursuit of prey. However, none anticipated the sudden turn of events.
Suddenly, the air cracked with a loud, thundering sound, resonating in their ears. All eyes turned skyward to witness a bright light streaking across the heavens. Despite their inability to comprehend the phenomenon, an involuntary instinct drove many to flee to their shelters, sensing an impending threat.
As they sought refuge, vibrations rumbled beneath their feet, and the next moment, catastrophe struck. A deafening sound accompanied a brilliant light, and in the following second, shockwaves spread out, killing all the nearby ones. The violent crash induced chaos across the planet, causing seas to rise dramatically, unleashing tsunamis, and triggering violent volcanic eruptions worldwide.
The atmosphere filled with gases and dust, blocking sunlight. What was once a paradise had now transformed into a hellscape.
Present
"So, that's how we believe the dinosaurs went extinct," Professor Ann finally ended her hour-long lecture. She stood before her class silently, looking at the faces of her fellow listeners. Some of them were astounded, some were discussing each other, while a few others seemed less interested.
"Any questions?" she asked loudly in the big seminar hall. A handful of arms were raised. She was happy, as she always loved those who asked questions. Ann wasn't a professor by profession; she was doing some research in the field of astronomy, and gladly, she got her chances for these kinds of lectures in schools or colleges. She was now at Chapman University for a lecture regarding "Earth's Place in the Universe" as a part of the Annual Spaceweek. For Ann, she loved taking lectures for common people to make them understand about the Universe.
"Yes, please," she replied to the raised arms.
One of them stood up, gathered the microphone, and asked, "Ma'am, you've stated regarding the position of our Earth and helped them realize that we are just a species on a small planet looking at space and trying to understand it. My question is, do you really think in any future humans can completely understand the universe?"
Ann gave a smile for the guy who asked the question and then she replied, "Good question. If you ask for my opinion, the more we look and study the universe, the more complex it becomes. We get more questions than answers. But of course, we are humans who always tend to do the impossible, so in the future, maybe we are the ones controlling it." She stopped and looked for the other arm for a question.
Another boy stood up and asked, "Mam, you talked about the asteroid impact that happened almost 65 million years ago and said that it wiped out almost 90 percent of Earth's life, including the mighty dinosaurs. My question is, if such a big asteroid threatens us now, is there anything we can do?"
A silence spread across the hall.
Ann, with the same smile, replied, "Sorry to disappoint you, but if you ask me now, currently no. If any such asteroid threatened our Earth now, there's not much we can do. With our technology, maybe we can just give it a try, but in reality, there's a 1% chance that we could handle the situation." She gave a pause and looked at a few anxious faces. Then she continued, "But don't worry. Studies are ongoing regarding handling asteroid impacts. We have a few suggested remedies against them. Adding to the context, we are always tracking asteroids frequently. I can say nothing big is on a collision course with Earth. Yes, small ones gradually visit us, but the ones which are a few kilometers big are very rare, and it's estimated that there is less than a 0.1 chance for a big asteroid impact in the next 100,000 years. So, you can sleep peacefully." She stopped.
