My fellow earthlings, as our demise is only a push of a button (by an orange buffoon) away, what is the next species to dominate the planet going to be like do you think? — CuddlyHedgehog

In what significant way do humans currently "dominate the planet." Our place on the Earth is only significant from a human perspective. So, if humans are gone, the question dissolves.

A warning - the moderators sometimes delete a discussion when the OP doesn't provide enough substance.

My fellow earthlings, as our demise is only a push of a button (by an orange buffoon) away, what is the next species to dominate the planet going to be like do you think? — CuddlyHedgehog

Orange buffoons?

A warning - the moderators sometimes delete a discussion when the OP doesn't provide enough substance. — T Clark

Substance is relative and subject to interpretation when discussing abstract philosophical theories and hypothetical scenarios. Who's to decide what is of substance and what is not? I am sure the moderators respect freedom of speech and pluralism of expression.

Cockroaches. I thought everyone knew that.

Who's to decide what is of substance and what is not? — CuddlyHedgehog

The moderators decide. They aren't necessarily as forgiving as you seem to think they are.

I’m not expecting them to be forgiving. I’m expecting them to exercise common sense.

Dudes, 'feedback' is the place to discuss the mods, who will not replace us after the war. Now what about those cockroaches?

Cockroaches sounds good.

Bionic AI cockroaches

what is the next species to dominate the planet going to be like do you think? — CuddlyHedgehog

Groundhogs.

why not hedgehogs?

why not hedgehogs? — CuddlyHedgehog

Because they are almost extinct now due to people tearing down hedges. And they are not as cuddly as groundhogs.

The problem of nuclear war doesn't need an orange buffoon for ignition. The reason that the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved the minute hand of the doomsday clock to 11:58 pm (2 minutes before midnight -- doomsday) is that the Orange buffoon need not be involved in the initial launch.

First, seven other nations have nuclear-tipped missiles: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, France, UK, and North Korea. Israel has nuclear weapons; I don't think they have missiles to deliver them, but I haven't checked out their security arrangements yet.

I don't know what our current security arrangements are either. During the cold war, the authority to launch nuclear weapons had been delegated and sub-delegated. The Dr. Strangelove plot idea of a base commander launching B52 bombers was entirely plausible. It makes sense (if you buy into the idea of nuclear weapons at all--and the major powers have) to delegate authority. An off-shore nuclear attack could eliminate Washington, D.C. the Pentagon, the orange buffoon and much else, before any arrangements could be made for a counter attack.

I don't think anybody thinks B52s could be a significant factor at this point, but we have around 400 nuclear tipped land based missiles and a batch of nuclear-launch subs, somewhere. We wouldn't want these resources to be paralyzed for lack of an order should the US be attacked. The same goes for China, Russia, and everybody else.

Were Pakistan to attack India with nuclear weapons, were Israel decide to nuke any one of several Arab neighbors (or Iran), were India to attack China, were the North Koreans to sell a bomb to Iran (Iran has been working on missiles for quite some time), were NK to attack the US or SK, it's just very difficult to suppose that this would not escalate.

It's questionable which animals would survive. The cockroaches in your kitchen have good reason to fear that they would be totally screwed.

Were all the nuclear and thermonuclear bombs to be used explode at high enough altitude, the radiation alone would be survivable. Look at the area adjacent to Chernobyl. The problem is, the bombs aren't going to go off at high altitudes. They are going to be detonated immediately above, or on targets, including cities and industrial zones. The firestorms that will result will lift a massive amount of soot into the upper atmosphere where it will stay for... maybe 10 years, give or take a few. Nuclear winter will be the result. Will this trigger an ice age? No. What it will trigger is crop failure year, after year, after year. Crop failure and failure to reproduce because the weather will be unseasonably cold and dark too much of the time to produce flowers, bees, and food for insects, animals, and humans.

Wild cockroaches will probably survive -- along with an assortment of plants, micro-organisms, animals, and most likely some humans. But life will definitely not be great for the survivors at any time in the immediate and intermediate future, or ever -- maybe.

Once the cooling effect of soot is gone, then global warming on steroids will kick in, and that will get rid of a lot more life forms. Who will survive very severe global warming? Unknown.

[Delete] @Baden

Instead of Judgement day we can have Groundhog Day. — René Descartes

De done got dat one ahready man.

[Delete] @Baden

Dude iz from da hood...

Speak English Please — René Descartes

n'way i'mz a gonna tahk all preddy jus fer u man.

u's gotta ged yo sef a education.

:razz:

[Delete] @Baden