Tis the season of the apocalypse - Cambridge Center for Existential Risks and the Preppers.

It's not just the Mayan lunacy afflicting China and Russia. It's also the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and The American Prepper Movement. Not to mention Ishtar and the Solstice and David Brin's Existence.

We could use some more sunlight. Economic growth would be good too.

For Gordon's contribution to the festive spirit, see SETI Fail/Fermi Paradox Future Filters and a 2004 summary. OTOH.

PS. The Economist on end-of-the-world predictions since 250 AD.

See also:

• The Fermi Paradox in science fiction: a review 8/2008
• Fermi Paradox: life is extremely rare 10/2009
• The limits of disaster predictions: complex adaptive systems 2/2007
• Gamma ray bursters and the Fermi paradox: Earth has 1 billion years left 10/2005. When I look at pretty astronomy pictures, I see billions dying. I think later research was more reassuring.
• The Pentagon prepares for the climate crash, but there's more fun ahead in the 21st century ... 9/2004 doom and gloom