Three Extinction-Level Events That Could Destroy Earth Tomorrow

Supernovas is an extinction level event which could end the world in a blink of an eye. This is a colour composite image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of a supernova remnant in the Crab Nebula. The explosion was observed and recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers in 1054. Image courtesy of the European Southern Observatory.

 

The idea that all life on the planet can suddenly end tomorrow might sound preposterous to most – and rightly so. After all, we’re not living in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s not like the mad titan Thanos is real and could disintegrate all life simply by putting on the Infinity Gauntlet and snapping his fingers.

However, would it surprise you to learn that statistically, an average person is five times as likely to die from an extinction-level event (ELE) compared to a car crash? In addition, would it shock you to hear that more than two dozen ELEs have occurred on earth during the past few billion years? Some of the causes include a supernova of a star from the Scorpius-Centaurus cluster about two million years ago (Pliocene–Pleistocene extinction), a gamma-ray burst from deep space approximately 443.8 million years ago (Ordovician mass extinction) and the depletion of oxygen in oceans about 542 million years ago (End-Ediacaran extinction).

To be fair, these occurrences were spread across extraordinarily long periods of stability and calm. For perspective, modern humans have only been existence for about 200,000 years, which is just a fraction of earth’s 4.5 billion years of existence.

And yet, you might be curious by now about the types of ELEs that might impact your plans this weekend.

 

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The Online Marketplace Comparison Guide 2018

The Financial Times revealed households devoted more of their budgets to clothing, food and online purchases at the end of 2017 than the year before, according to figures on consumer spending. Figures from Statista, which presents statistics and studies from more than 22,500 sources, proclaim Britons spent £149 billion online in 2017 – up from £133 billion in 2016. Internet spending doesn’t seem to be slowing either, as the same stats reveal, in 2017, online retail sales were up 12.1% on average year-on-year (YoY.) 

These facts and figures prove selling on an online marketplace can be highly lucrative. But, it’s difficult to know where to begin, in terms of buying and selling. Which online marketplace fits your needs? Which can you trust? Which would you be confident to recommend? 

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Join the Army of Santa’s in the 2017 Santa Run

If you are looking for Santa Clause this winter, you will find him in Victoria Park and other London locations, on the 3rd of December. In fact, you will find 4,000 jolly Santa’s who are looking to run (or walk) a 5k or 10K route to keep fit while raising funds for different charities. This yearly event gets people into the holiday spirit and brings them together with the aim of helping those in real need this festive season. There is no better time of the year to think about those not so fortunate and make an effort however small or large to put a smile on their faces. 
 

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Disclosing an ‘invisible’ disability to your employer

“You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This includes progressive illnesses, such as HIV or cancer.”

Some disabilities are not immediately apparent. These are known as ‘invisible’ or ‘hidden’ disabilities. This means the individual may have to decide when is necessary to disclose their disability, which can be a tricky decision, particularly when it comes to employment.

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Women in Game of Thrones: Victim or Victor?

Enter the female Game of Thrones characters; forgers of nations and victims of abuse, who periodically challenge perceptions of femininity and societal norms. Originating from a range of social backgrounds; the characters are typically portrayed as having complex personalities fashioned from their varied experiences. Considering that the warring kingdoms in which they live, are filled with individuals keeping sordid agendas (a fair few of them being women themselves); are the women in Game of Thrones: Victim or Victor? 

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The Dilemma of Heathrow’s Third Runway

The airport expansion and the dilemma of Heathrow's third runway has been going on ever since the Roskill Commission was set up in 1968 to look into a potential third airport for London. 48 years on, following years and years of indecision, the current government has finally made a decision. They have boldly approved a third runway at Heathrow Airport. A decision which was likely influenced by Sir Howard Davies, who along with other members of the Airports Commission in 2015, collectively agreed that the best solution was to add a third runway to the north-west of Heathrow’s current pair. 

Whilst the Government has finally set its stance on its preferred option, next year there will be a statutory public consultation followed by a final decision being put to MP’s. 

 

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House Buying: What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Despite each romance fundamentally unique; society is usually quick to judge those deemed less conventional when it comes down to house buying with your partner before marriage. Shared experiences for example, has always been seen, by traditionalists, as the breezeblocks of marriage. And living together, post-marriage, as a sign of commitment and love.

So if you're currently house buying: What's love go to do with it? 

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Why Your Business Needs To Be Blogging

Many businesses give a lot of weighting towards social media. Their constant need to keep using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter often seem misguided. Their needs to be a realisation that the quality of content produced is much more important than the quantity of social media platforms that the business has a presence on. 

Think back to fifteen years ago when many businesses were under the dilemma of whether to have a website or not. Nowadays having a website is not even a decision it’s a ‘must have’. In a similar nature, blogs in the coming years are going to be fundamental to a business’s success. 

 

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