Timely warning

With time on my hands, I was rereading your February 2013 issue. One of the books reviewed was Megacatastrophes! Nine Strange Ways the World Could End. One of the co- authors, David Darling, answers a couple of questions:

S@N: What’s the most likely way the world will end in your opinion?

DD: There isn’t any way the planet itself is likely to be destroyed until the Sun expands to become a red giant in several billion years’ time. Among the catastrophes that could wipe out much of the human race, our highest ranking goes to an untreatable global pandemic, such as a mutant flu strain or an Ebolalike virus that spreads around the world before quarantine can be put in place. S@N: Could any of these events happen in the next decade or so?

DD: The only one that poses a significant risk over the next 10-20 years is a pandemic. Some events, such as super-volcanoes, aren’t predictable and so could happen at any time. But the probability is low.

Prescient or what?

Pete Collins, via email