Global Volatility and the Collapse of Civilization

This is something I have been thinking about. Normally our planet undergoes massive and volatile changes in weather, climate and geology.

Since human civilization was born, the planet seemed to have stabilized or did it?

I am wondering if there was a fluke pocket of stability that has allowed us to build up our civilization and population.

I am also wondering if that pocket of stability is about to end, meaning earth is about to go back to normal with massive geological and climatic volatility and upheaval.

I know humanity could survive, but could our advanced civilization make it? Really what could we do. Heck we can't even stop the wind from blowing much less the planet acting crazy.

[edit on 6/5/08 by MikeboydUS]

Good topic!

There are a couple of things which may have a bearing on this 'volatility' you mention.

The first is the galactic plane. The Milky way is 'plate-like' in that it is flat and being viewed (by us) 'edge on'. What is interesting about that is not only what forces make it plate-like, but what is on that plane besides the visible stars. No doubt there are also lots of other materials such as dust being held by those same forces.

Much has been said about our solar system 'passing through' this galactic plane. Recently I read an article that proposed Earth was part of another galaxy which is moving in a different way than the Milky way itself.

IF these two ideas are true, it wouldn't surprise me that those same forces which created the Milky Way galaxy will have an increasing effect on our solar system as we pass through it.

I'm sure there are lots of speculative websites avilable 'out there' on the www, but finding any scientific studies NOT based on pure speculative theories would be difficult to find. The only clue I can think of is the Mayan calendar and THAT is quite a rabbit hole I'd rather not get into.

Humans like us have only been around for 200,000 years. The first questions to find an answer might be;

How many times have we gone through the galactic plane before? Is it cyclic and measurable to a specific time frame and are there indications of extinctions which match such cycles during the 4 billion years that Earth has been around?