Humans Gone in 10,000 Years? Yikes!
And Who Forgot to Tell Me?
Hey, you there—yes, you, casually scrolling! Ever wondered what life would be like without humans around? Well, scientists have—and apparently, we’re on thin ice. (Actually, melting ice, but more on that later.)
🌍 Uh-oh, Are We Doomed?
A clever scientist named Henry Gee just wrote a book saying humans might vanish within 10,000 years. Okay, sure, that’s plenty of time to finish your homework and even tidy your room, but in Earth’s history, that’s like your phone battery dropping to 1%—way sooner than you’d like!
🤔 But Seriously, What Could Happen?
Scientists have pointed out some ways things could go seriously sideways for humanity:
Climate Change: Earth’s getting hotter faster than your pizza rolls in the microwave—leading to melting glaciers, rising seas, and cranky polar bears.
Pandemics: Remember when schools shut down because of a tiny virus? Imagine if germs decided to keep playing hide-and-seek (spoiler: germs always cheat!).
Nuclear War: Humans invented powerful weapons. Like REALLY powerful. Too powerful. Imagine siblings fighting over the last cookie but way scarier.
Artificial Intelligence: Imagine if your toaster got so smart it decided humans are the bread that needs crisping. (Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but smart robots need rules!)
Environmental Damage: If trees had lawyers, humans would be in serious trouble for littering, polluting, and treating nature like an endless buffet.
📚 Can Books Help Save the World?
Believe it or not, books aren’t just heavy rectangles your teacher hands out. Stories like The Giver or The Wild Robot show different futures—some good, some “I’d rather live in the Minecraft Nether” bad.
These stories help us ask fun yet serious questions:
• “Do I really want to live in a world where trees are replaced by holograms?”
• “Should robots have feelings—or worse, homework?”
• “If the Earth is our home, why do we keep leaving dirty socks everywhere?”
🌟 You Can Actually Do Something About It!
Even though you’re only a kid, your voice is louder than a group chat at midnight. You can:
• Learn stuff: Books, documentaries, cool websites—so much better than endless scrolling!
• Talk it up: Convince grown-ups that saving the planet is as important as getting Wi-Fi everywhere.
• Do stuff: Recycle that plastic bottle, turn off lights when you leave a room, and gently remind adults they’re leaving you a planet that needs a serious cleanup!
💬 Your Turn!
So, humans extinct in 10,000 years: is it a wake-up call, or just another excuse to procrastinate homework until then?
Drop your funniest or most serious thoughts below—bonus points if you include robot jokes
Worthy books to read with some poignant questions.
1. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Summary - In a future where Earth has been destroyed by a comet, Petra escapes with her family aboard a spaceship heading for a new planet. But when she wakes up, she discovers the others have been brainwashed to forget Earth’s past. Only Petra remembers—and only she can preserve humanity’s stories and wisdom.
Themes - storytelling as resistance, memory, the survival of culture, hope.
Question -If no one remembered Earth’s past, how would you choose which stories to keep alive—and why are some stories worth saving more than others?
2. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Summary - Roz, a robot, wakes up on a remote island with no memory of how she got there. As she learns to survive and connect with the island’s animals, Roz discovers what it means to be “alive.” This unusual adventure explores the balance between nature and technology.
Themes - AI, environmental harmony, empathy, adaptation.
Question - Can a robot learn to care about the natural world? What does Roz’s journey teach us about the relationship between technology and the environment?
3. City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Summary - In a crumbling underground city where the lights are starting to fail, two teens—Lina and Doon—must decipher clues left by the original builders to save their people. But time is running out, and no one believes them.
Themes - sustainability, leadership, hope in darkness, questioning authority.
Question - What would you do if you discovered your world was built on a lie—but no one believed you? How do Lina and Doon decide what’s worth risking to uncover the truth?
4. FloodWorld by Tom Huddleston
Summary - After massive floods reshape Earth’s coastlines, two kids from very different backgrounds—Kara from the poor Shanties and Joe from the wealthy city—become unlikely allies in a race to expose a global conspiracy.
Themes - climate change, social inequality, resilience, action against corruption.
Question:
How does the flood in this story affect people differently depending on where they live? What real-world connections can you make to today’s environmental challenges?
5. Day of the Whale by Rachel Delahaye
Summary - Set in a flooded future London, humans now live underwater and communicate with sea creatures. When activist Sari discovers a whale with a human voice, she’s thrown into a web of secrets that could unravel the future of both species.
Themes - marine ecology, activism, coexistence, genetic engineering.
Question - What does it mean to truly understand and respect another species? How does Sari’s journey help her see the world—and herself—differently?
