Do you think we will see nuclear war in our life time?
355533
Hopefully not. I do however, believe we will witness a nuclear strike, terrorist or otherwise, in the not too distant future. I sincerely hope I am wrong about this second point but I doubt it.
150330
Predicting the future is tough for mere mortals.  I'm going to guess that there will be a 3rd world war and that it will be quick and world ending.  Jury is still out on the whens and hows.
203606
No, wars will not end in our lifetimes.  Don't make the same mistake made by Karl Marx, in assuming that all human social activity is influenced by economics.  There will still be people in the world who want to conquer us solely because of our religion (or lack thereof), our culture, or just because they're idiots.\nKeep your (gun)powder dry.
1132162
No one day it will happen, probably from war. Its just a matter of time. When? I couldnt tell you.
780400
I don't think inevitable is the right word.\n\nBecause humans exist in a world where resources are unevenly distributed, there will always be competition and aggression, hence we will always have some form of "warfare."  If a country uses nukes, the choice will probably be a rash one because most developed nations with nuclear capability are well aware of the ramifications that come with using nuclear weapons.\n\nFortunately, the massive stockpiles of cold-war era weapons have been dismantled, so the likely hood of full-scale nuclear annihilation has been greatly reduced.  Of course, we still have more than enough weapons to do great damage, but the major nuclear powers in the world today are far more stable and responsible than thirty years ago.  Another consideration is that with our rapidly developing global economy, borders have become much less important.  Resources are more accessible now than they were thirty years ago.\n\nThe major problems come from unstable, dictatorial players like Iran and North Korea because the governments in those countries are oppressing the people in order to maintain power, and the rest of the world finds this offensive.  As those countries develop nuclear weapons to assure our "non-interference", tensions increase, and the likely hood of a pre-emptive strike by one of these countries becomes a frighteningly real possibility.\n\nIt's unlikely that any of these countries would be able to build a stockpile of nuclear weapons, or delivery systems to threaten the US, so it would probably be an isolated attack against one of their neighbors.  Were this to happen, you can almost guarantee an immediate united global military response to remove the aggressor for the good of the planet.\n\nYou could imagine that such a scenario would entail massive, round-the-clock conventional air strikes to destroy any and all offensive military infrastructure, and communications.  Once this was done, a traditional ground invasion would follow with a significant, multi-national invasion force that would quickly overwhelm their defenses.  Once the govt. leaders were captured or killed, it's likely the populous would capitulate quickly.\n\nSince we've never had a nuclear upstart launch an attack, it's likely that support for such an invasion would be overwhelming.  Most sane countries do not want psychos running around with nuclear weapons.\n\nMeantime, yes, we need to do as much as possible to make sure these countries do not continue to advance their offensive nuclear technologies.  In this scenario, the ends (peace) do justify the means.  Any means.
14574
I think that we will have a military prescence in those two countries for many years to come.  Look at Germany and Japan. 60 years after the end of WWII and we still have forces in those two countries.
500323
usa maybe in the next  roughly 40, 50 years?
215465
No but it's a worry given the quality of world leadership we are enduring! You should ask Mr. Bush, Mr. Blair, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (for those that don't know he's Supreme Leader of Iran which is both religious leader and military commander in chief - a dangerous combination!) and Hú Jǐntāo (President of the People's Republic of China who threatened Mr. Bush with nuclear war if Bush tried to stop China's progress towards annexing Taiwan, or attacked North Korea). As an Economics grad I know if none of these characters spark a nuclear confrontation we should survive the next 10 years. \n\nYou are also right to say that every beginning has an end. As a science grad I believe that the world will end eventually but not in our life time as our Sun, source of most life processes will die. In 4–5 billion years, it will enter a red giant phase, its outer layers expanding as the hydrogen fuel in the core is consumed and the core contracts and heats up. Helium fusion will begin when the core temperature reaches about 3×108 K. While it is likely that the expansion of the outer layers of the Sun will reach the current position of Earth's orbit. Recent research suggests that mass lost from the Sun earlier in its red giant phase will cause the Earth's orbit to move further out, preventing it from being engulfed. Following the red giant phase, intense thermal pulsations will cause the Sun to throw off its outer layers, forming a planetary nebula. The Sun will then evolve into a white dwarf, slowly cooling over eons. At this stage the solar luminosity will be insufficient to support life on Earth.
364202
Unfortunately yes. We will not suffer another country (that is so full of terroristic groups) to possess nuclear weapons. The threat to our country would be too great, considering we are not well liked (for various reasons). I think a pre-emptive strike will happen in the near future, though the cost of it (economically, politically, and diplomatically) will be immense.
904628
It would be nice if styles and mores reverted back to the 1950's, but I don't think they will.\n\nIran will probably nuke Jerusalem which will precipitate the total devastation of the muslim middle east and result in the subsequent reassignment of national borders in that region.  \n\nRussia will probably believe that they need to neutralize us before they destroy Israel to end further use of nuclear bombs.\n\nMost people think the "Cold War" ended hostilities between the uSA and the Soviet Union, but I'm sure THEY don't think so.  It's my bet nukes will fly and our coasts will be fried, but our inland areas saved by Patriot missiles.  We'll probably retaliate in kind, cause vast devastation over there, but they have so many bomb shelters, life will go on.\n\nThe results of all the nuclear fallout will replace "global warming" as the rallying cry for environmentalists and they will get the one world government they've always wanted, but they'll find out in short order that it's not the warm & fuzzy grandmother style nanny-state they'd hoped for.  \n\nChina will see all this as an opportunity to leverage their own power-play and they will burst upon the scene with an army of unprecedented size to take whatever land area they can.  \n\nIt gets bumpy from there.
742099
considering all the activism on saving certain species of animals, conserving enrgy and such that has been going on, i think more people will be aware of all the things that we have on earth that need to be saved.  although, i don't think life will get much better.  there will be a lot more abused children and neglected children, since hardly anyone cares what their children do anymore now, and those kids are going to grow up and do the same thing, because they have never been taught better.  i am curious what will be big in music.  techno maybe? i think if it hadn't happened already by that time, a nuclear war will be coming around then, because of all you hear about terrorism and nuclear weapons and the dangers today.
568611
The world is always at war, every day nations fight nations, there has been more conflict since the end of the WWII than any other time in recorded history.  So will everybody be fighting everybody at some stage in the future, defiantly yes, when will it happen - who knows.
266377
Prepare yourself for the unthinkable: war against Iran may be a necessity. THE UNIMAGINABLE but ultimately inescapable truth is that we are going to have to get ready for war with Iran. \n\nThe unavoidable reality is that we now need urgently to steel ourselves to the ugly probability that diplomacy will not now suffice: one or way or another, unconscionable acts of war may now be unavoidable. \n\nThose who say war is unthinkable are right. Military strikes, even limited, targeted and accurate ones, will have devastating consequences for the region and for the world. \n \n\nIf Iran gets safely and unmolested to nuclear status, it will be a threshold moment in the history of the world, up there with the Bolshevik Revolution and the coming of Hitler. \n\n\nAnd the kind of society we live in and cherish in the West, a long way from Tehran or Damascus, will change beyond recognition. We balk now at intrusive government measures to tap our phones or stop us saying incendiary things in mosques. Imagine how much more our freedoms will be curtailed if our governments fear we are just one telephone call or e-mail, one plane journey or truckload away from another Hiroshima. \n\nSomething short of military action may yet prevail on Iran. Perhaps sanctions will turn their leadership from its doomsday ambitions. Perhaps Russia can somehow be persuaded to give them an incentive to think again. But we can’t count on this optimistic scenario now. And so we must ready ourselves for what may be the unthinkable necessity.
80430
I believe the end of the world as we know it will actually happen in our life times and it has already started.\n\nI know we have survived 2 World Wars already, but do you think we could all really survive a 3rd with nukes.  The US is the most powerfull country in the world and they are starting to flex some of that muscle around. Eventually the rest of the countries of the world will fight back. It will end up being a nuclear war, which would cause the end to us all even if we are to survive the war. This theorie in my opinion is even confermed in Revolations. War, plague, pestalence, ect.\n\nYes, I totally believe this.
95861
It is a possibility but the consequence would probably be third world war. I hope that it never happens.
75297
It really depends how you define "destroy the world" There will be a nuclear war. Most likley in the middle east. I don't think there will be a war that results in the total destruction of man kind. It is a sad state of affairs but I believe keeping nukes out of the hands of mad men is our best bet. Like it or not the best way to prevent these type of things is "Peace through superior firepower"
1011885
I hope not. luckily  i don't think bush has enough support to have a nuclear war now.