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30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know

Interview With Expert

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Many problems, from small to big, personal to general, surround us every day. But because not all of them seem to impact us directly, we don’t always notice them.

However, some of those issues affect us, and especially our future, without us realizing it, and the more oblivious we are to them, the more damage they will eventually cause. When one person online asked about these ticking time bombs that far too few people are aware of, many Redditors joined in the discussion, delivering their answers. Scroll down to see what they wrote!

More info: Reddit

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#1

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Our current economic system is by itself a timebomb by design. Housing crisis, inflation, homelessness, war, stupid levels of debt, erosion of social security, climate change, loss of biodiversity. It's only a matter of time before it all implodes, when companies are literally unable to increase profits, and people start rioting for food and water.

Stargost_ , hitesh choudhary Report

Final score:

123points

Luke Branwen 9 months ago

This should be MUCH higher. Capitalism has no goal but endless accumulation of wealth - in biology, it's called cancer.

56points

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#2

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The erosion of education, at least in the US. Without substantial fact checking from viable sources, misinformation is spreading at an ever-increasing rate on social media. People are taking it as gospel because our education systems in the US are so focused on metrics and teaching to standardized tests. Critical thinking and problem solving is being boiled out of the curriculum. Funding is held hostage by those who test well. Tests are being created by the highest bidder. Students aren't taught to challenge their own thinking nor the works of others and are instead seeing a societial norm where anyone can spout anything and find puppets who will agree.

happyklam , Pavel Danilyuk Report

Final score:

88points

shanila.pheonix_ 9 months ago (edited)

there are a lot of problems with the us school system. the youth is only 12.8% of the population, but they are 100% our future

24points

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#3

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The collapse of the medical system and demise of proper care. It’s tipping over, and soon, it will become a situation where the rich get services and the rest don’t.

quickpeek81 , Karolina Grabowska Report

Final score:

71points

Sierra Tide 9 months ago

It's already happening. If you are physically damaged and homeless... Your chances of getting out of homelessness are extremely unlikely

38points

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It probably comes as no surprise that some of the main aspects of this topic are the environmental problems we’re currently facing. But even though we’ve heard about most, if not all of them many times, just like every other crisis, they locked us up at first but slowly slipped out of our minds with other things taking their place.

Unfortunately, just because we forget about something and are no longer really aware of it, it doesn’t mean that this thing just stops and disappears. Most of the time, it’s still there, still happening, and, due to lack of attention, it oftentimes can become even more dangerous.

#4

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The dangers of microplastics, from plastic containers, food wrappers, bottles, etc.

JasperDyne , Oregon State University Report

Final score:

70points

Puppy Dancing! 9 months ago

Missed clothing a huge source of microplastics in river systems and drinking water.

9points

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#5

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Tiktok. Specifically how "influencers" are promoting mental illness like a trendy handbag. DID (Dissociative identity disorder AKA split personality) is a huge offender. People faking this ultra rare disorder for Internet clout and creating videos like "if you've done [blank] that means you have [blank].

High increases in self diagnosis and people, children, reading up about symptoms and faking it to feel special or to fit in.

dumbasstupidbaby , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

68points

PeepPeep the duck 9 months ago (edited)

I’m guessing this explains the sudden rise in (feels like) nearly everyone announcing they are autistic or bipolar too lately.

37points

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#6

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Overfishing and bycatch have caused a huge loss of species and populations of fish. There are species that have been so over-fished that there are not enough reproducing adults left-- young fish not at reproductive age are what's being caught, and in the next few years, we will see well known fish species go extinct. Thousands of sharks are killed as bycatch daily, and larger species take so long to reproduce, they can't keep up either. Our oceans are about to look very different.

roundntalented , Fredrik Öhlander Report

Final score:

65points

LaserBrain 9 months ago

Jared, read "Sea of Slaughter" by Farley Mowat. All you other guys downvoted him so much, it's not possible to reply to him.

17points

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But on the bright side, it’s not too late just yet. There are some environmental activists, like Sabrina Pare, whom Bored Panda got in touch with for an interview, who tirelessly try to inspire, motivate, and empower others to live a more sustainable life and take action against climate change and its impacts using the power of social media.

Sabrina is a Detroid-based environmentalist and content creator who focuses on low-waste living, gardening, plant-based eating, and reducing food waste. Her journey toward sustainability began back in 2017 when she learned about the harmful effects that animal agriculture has on our environment.

Her passion quickly grew, and she started making more adjustments to her life as well as sharing tips online. “I realized there are many other issues facing our environment outside of animal agriculture, such as the plastic pollution crisis and fast fashion.”

#7

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know I think people have an attitude of "well COVID JUST happened, so we're not due for another one of those for another century."

We've spent the last century building the perfect environment for pandemics.

IndubitablePrognosis , Gustavo Fring Report

Final score:

60points

Jared Robinson 9 months ago

I'm still masking but the important one, in fact the most important factor to stopping the spread of germs, WASH YOUR F*****G HANDS!

28points

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#8

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The massive die off of bugs

imthescubakid , Peťka Šurinová Report

Final score:

59points

Gabby M 9 months ago

" If insects go extinct, it would have a catastrophic impact on the environment. Insects play a crucial role in pollination, decomposition, and nutrient cycling, and they are a vital food source for many animals. According to a review of long-term surveys of insects published in the past 40 years, over 40% of insect species could go extinct in the next few decade" https://www.newscientist.com/article/2193494-huge-global-extinction-risk-for-insects-could-be-worse-than-we-thought/

21points

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#9

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Permafrost melting. Good luck trying to green wash our way out of that.

Narf234 , wiki commons Report

Final score:

57points

Nina 9 months ago

Oh look at all the fun bacteria and viruses that are released. 'No worries nate, it's just a cold' 🤦🏼‍♀️ (Now where did we hear that before..)

29points

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When asked about what ticking time bomb of a problem she would add to this list, the expert chose something that was already mentioned and, by doing so, emphasized its severity even more - PFAS and microplastic contamination in our drinking water. “These synthetic chemicals exhibit alarming persistence, refusing to break down easily in the environment, leading to the long-term contamination of water sources. Compounding the issue, PFAS bioaccumulate in organisms, magnifying their concentrations up the food chain and posing health risks when consumed.”

Sabrina continued talking about developmental issues, compromised immune function, elevated cholesterol levels, and an increased risk of cancers, all of which were linked to PFAS through extensive research. “Mitigating PFAS and microplastics contamination demands urgent attention, as ongoing cleanup efforts face difficult challenges and the potential health consequences appear large for populations around the globe.”

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The environmentalist added that the widespread contamination of water supplies, mostly coming from industrial discharges and product disposal combined the complete lack of strict regulatory limits worsen the situation even more and leave communities vulnerable to unknown exposure.

#10

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Societal collapse. Specifically the lack of social security. I'm writing from the UK. Not sure how much of this applies to the US or elsewhere. Your mileage may vary. Back in the 1970s, the UK was one of the most equal societies in the West. Many people lived in social or council housing. In the 1980s, much of the social housing stock was sold off through right to buy. This for many people ended security of housing. Then around the end of the century, there were short term or zero hours contracts getting rid of security of employment. Then you have the introduction of tuition fees in higher education which broke the relationship between higher education and employment. What I'm writing about here is the long term, premeditated breakdown of the social contract and the stripping away and removal of social security in the West. Young people today, in their 20's, are not stupid. They are starting to figure out that they're getting f**k all out of the system - which they're not, not even close - and they're being set up to fail. The current social/political model in places such as the UK and I guess in the US is not sustainable. You got a straightforward choice between (a) social breakdown and civil unrest (b) totalitarianism and (c) complete socio-economic collapse. Simple question. The year is 2030. How you going to live? What are you going to be living on? What about your kids (if you have them)?

ElvishMystical , Kaique Rocha Report

Final score:

56points

Tabitha 9 months ago

Reagan/Thatcher were the beginning of the end. Their policies were cruel and inhumane, their economics was b******t, and they were classic short term thinkers, and the forerunners of the way worse ultra-conservative whackjobs we have sitting in too many high political offices now. Biggest mistakes our two countries ever made.

49points

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#11

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know I'm not sure how much of a timebomb it is, but there are a lot of people expecting inheritances that will never materialize. With people living a really long time, entire middle class estates are going to be wiped out by long term care. If your parents can't afford to live in a nursing home, Medicaid will pay for it in exchange for every asset they have, leaving you with nothing. If you are young, don't count on inheriting their house because your parents will be living to 100.

Rokey76 , Binyamin Mellish Report

Final score:

46points

Bmo 9 months ago

I believe you have to put your home in an irrevocable trust can prevent the state from placing a lien on your home or obtaining the proceeds of the house's sale to pay for your Medicaid expenses. I think it must be done at least 5 years BEFORE nursing home care is expected.

7points

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#12

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Elder care crisis

Yeah_no_yeah_sure , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

46points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

Compounded by for-profit investors squeezing out better-performing non-profit owners of hospices. Everything, literally every thing, is for sale to the highest bidder.

20points

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The process of defusing and taking care of this bomb starts with us. Sabrina said that making conscious choices in our daily lives can go a long way in helping prevent PFAS damage. The list includes but is not limited to avoiding PFAS-containing products like non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics, proper disposal of PFAS-contained items, and supporting and advocating for stricter regulations on the use and disposal of PFAS. “By staying informed, practicing water conservation, and engaging in community initiatives, people can collectively play a role in mitigating the impact of PFAS on water sources.”

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But even if we all start doing everything that the expert recommended, a good deal of damage has already been done, and it will take quite some time to stop it from spreading further. After all, besides social media, traditional media and news are the main sources of information in our society, and, as of yet, they don’t seem to be covering this dire subject nearly as much as they should.

#13

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Many people tend to overlook or pay little attention to our biodiversity in discussions; however, one day, this neglect may come at a hefty cost.

nifap57593 , Erik Karits Report

Final score:

43points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

It's already costing us what little quality of life we had left.

8points

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#14

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Aquifers are being drained at completely unsustainable levels. The ones under Kansas and Atlanta are in dire straits. Many others are being contaminated by agricultural chemicals.

It's going to be very bad by 2050. If you buy real estate, GET MINERAL AND WATER RIGHTS TO IT.

FreshwaterViking , Mike D Report

Final score:

41points

Sand Ers 9 months ago

Having the water rights won't help much when the giant agribusinesses have pumped out all the accessible water.

21points

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#15

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Groundwater contamination

Cyprinus_L , Bonnie Moreland Report

Final score:

39points

WindySwede 9 months ago

PFAS, fracking and plenty more cocktails from humans :/

9points

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Until the situation improves, which might be a while, Sabrina recommended buying and using a countertop water filter or reverse osmosis water system and, if possible, avoiding drinking out of plastic water bottles. These things can significantly reduce the amount of PFAS and microplastics in your drinking water and are worth the investment.

In the end, our current environmental situation is far from good, and calling it a ticking time bomb is no stretch. But it’s not the only serious issue we should be aware of. There are many other problems in the world that, if ignored, might quite literally ruin our future lives, and this list is a testament to that. So, let’s be more aware of what’s happening around us and change the world step by step.

What did you think of this story? Do you know any other ticking time bombs that people should be more about? Let us know in the comments below!

#16

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The impact of the pandemic on a generation of young kids. The younger they are, the worse it is. And now that the kids are back, they're part feral, and the parents have given up. Having the f*****s at home during COVID broken most of them, and many weren't great parents to begin with.

There's another bubble, and that's a behavioral one. No one wants to work SPED anymore, because it used to be 1-2 behavioral kids and the rest were developmental. Now it's inverse. They're IEPing kids who are just s**ts because their parents can't or won't discipline them, just to get them out of the classroom and into some extra resources so that the kids that aren't f****d don't get dragged down with them. We need to prepare, we need to change how we do special ed and we need to figure out how to fix a generation of kids - and how to get their parents to let us fix them. We need to create behavioral programs that will turn them back into human beings instead of the feral things that they are. Because feral things don't do well in out in the world.

Even the good kids are rough compared to older generations. They have so few life skills, and the system tries to placate them enough to scoot them through the system.

I suppose it doesn't matter, there won't be many jobs in a generation at any rate.

Source: My wife heads the SPED department at a local school.

Seattlehepcat , Ketut Subiyanto Report

Final score:

38points

Bob McDaniel 9 months ago

SPED teacher for over 20 years... more and more behavioral is right on target... I've had great parents who want the best for their children, but even more who just "don't want to be bothered"... including regular ed teachers and admin... NOT ALL but even a few can cause massive damage.

13points

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#17

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know # Histoplasmosis I believe many of you have compared this to The Last Of Us. It is a fungal infection that causes growths that resemble tumors, usually in the lungs, but in some cases, it is found in the sinuses. It is caused by a fungal spore found in poultry feed that the bird ingests, then it is activated in the bird droppings. When the droppings get into the air through cleaning and transportation, the spores make it into the air supply and get breathed in by humans. Many people need **partial lobes, and even entire lungs removed** as a result of this disease. For people with it in the sinuses, it can begin pressing on the brain when it runs out of room in the sinuses. The illness is very hard to diagnose and often looks like repeat infections, like a sinus infection or bronchitis. Usually, it requires an MRI and trying different medications to make an official diagnosis. Most cases, people don’t get diagnosed until the growths are pretty big and usually already caused permanent damage. The infection can cause flu like symptoms, memory loss and brain fog, expelling growths and blood when you cough or blow your nose, fatigue, weakness, and in cases where the growth presses on the brain, loss of feeling and use of the limbs. The brain fog and memory loss can also be permanent. I live in Arkansas where there are two major chicken companies (and about a half dozen other poultry plants), and I used to live two blocks from one of the most busy kill plants in the US. It used to be that only people with problems with their immune system or other serious illnesses were getting it. Now, **perfectly healthy people are dying** from it in our area. It used to be that we were breathing in ~1000 spores a day, but they don’t even report the air quality anymore. To make things worse, they keep opening more plants in more areas to make up for our massive chicken consumption. These companies have done an **aggressive** job making sure that the air quality regulations are not safe and that they don’t get in trouble for making everyone sick. There’s all these people walking around here with missing lungs, or missing lobes, and everyone just acts like it’s normal. So many people are sick and don’t even know it. Some even die never knowing what made them sick. Oh, and it can be **EASILY PREVENTED** by simply buying quality feed for the birds. Yup, that simple. I almost died so they could save a few bucks on feed.

Mrx_Amare , wiki commons Report

Final score:

36points

Marnie 9 months ago (edited)

Republicans and their desire to de-regulate... Their only purpose is to make the rich richer.

26points

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#18

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The Kessler effect.

We have been putting all sorts of satellites and other space junk into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for decades without much of a coherent plan for how we were going to get that stuff down or generally manage how much stuff was up there. At some point, scientists believe the density of space junk in the LEO will reach a critical mass and start a cascading chain reaction known as "Kessler syndrome" or "the Kessler effect". Under the right circumstances, two pieces of space debris -- like old satellites -- could crash into each other and explode into space debris, which crashes into other nearby space debris, which breaks apart and crashes into more nearby space debris, and so on until there's a whole bunch of high-energy space garbage whizzing all over the low earth atmosphere and destroying the satellites we depend on for a lot of our technology.

(Yes, a dramatized version of this is the plot of the movie Gravity, but it's also a very real thing that scientists have been worried about since the 70s.)

If the Kessler effect is bad enough, the LEO could become so dangerous that we're just functionally unable to use satellite technology or launch spacecraft for generations (or, at the very least, satellite technologies will be much more expensive and much s****ter for a very long time). No one is sure exactly where "critical density" lies or how bad things might realistically get, but Kessler, the NASA scientist who first recognized this problem in the 1970s, concluded that the debris field was already becoming unstable in 2009. The demand for satellite tech is only growing, so we just sort of have to hope that growth in collision-avoidance technology outstrips the increase in satellite density.

xaviira , BirdieBronze Report

Final score:

35points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

Yet another reason to despise that huge ego known as Musk.

31points

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#19

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know How climate change is going to impact food security in the coming years. Increased precipitation and heat are already doing a ton of damage to crops. I fully believe we'll see widespread famine within my lifetime.

NativeMasshole , Tom Fisk Report

Final score:

35points

Tabitha 9 months ago (edited)

And once the farmers can no longer make a living, they will migrate to the cities to find jobs. Not knowing the job market, they will work for lower wages, which will then depress wages overall, for everyone. Couple that with housing and food shortages, plus the inevitable—-continued—-gouging of consumers by evil greedy companies and unsavory individuals on a new black market, and you have the perfect storm for an apocalypse. Think it through, folks. Use those critical thinking skills you’re supposed to have by your mid-twenties.

12points

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#20

There will be a cut-off point where the people will not tolerate the rich anymore. There will be a revolution and the rich killed and their assets seized.

Final score:

34points

Tabitha 9 months ago

I have been saying this for years. The poor vastly outnumber the rich. When the poor masses start coming over the mansion walls, believe me, their security guards will join the crowd instead of fight them. All the money in the world won’t save them. Just look at history and then try to tell me it’s a crazy thought. Anyone hearing the sound of rolling tumbrills after reading this?

29points

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#21

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Erosion of best arable land due to overuse of fertilisers and deep ploughing. Dust bowls in China, Ukraine, and Russia. Grain prices going to rise and grain in most food supplies. Also locally, the SS Richard Montgomery. Sometime, that ship will blow and more and more people [are] in [the] danger zone. And Etna/Campi flegrei in Italy.

Timely_Egg_6827 , RootedFuture Report

Final score:

27points

Xenia Harley 9 months ago

Also, building warehouses on the best farmland! In Pennsylvania, so much farmland has been converted to warehouse space! Well, that is land no longer being farmed!

6points

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#22

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The gulf stream (which is responsible for the relatively warm climate of Western Europe) could collapse in the next century. This would cause temperatures to drop 10-15 degrees year round, making the region's climate more similar to Canada. Anyone who's been through a Canadian winter can tell you that Europe is *not* prepared for that.

Aside from that, it would disrupt rain patterns vital to food production and cause massive flooding in the eastern United States.

ketamine-wizard , wiki commons Report

Final score:

27points

Gabby M 9 months ago

Did y'all see that post about temps in Alberts CA?!!!

5points

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#23

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know When all the hedge funds and whatnot who bought into real estate as an investment decide, whether by choice or legal mandate, to divest themselves from that market, there will be a real estate market glut followed almost immediately by another foreclosure crisis. We fixed nothing after 2008 and the banks went straight to work building a new economic doomsday device.

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Final score:

25points

keyboardtek 9 months ago

Any banking reforms put in place by Democrats to fix the mess get repealed by Republicans who want the rich to get richer.

22points

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#24

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Religious lunatic are getting scared. They'll either fade away relatively peacefully or they will become more violent than they already are.

BagofEndlessHugs , Ismael Paramo Report

Final score:

25points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

Christian nationalism in the U.S. will most definitely become more violent. Many secularists are waking up to the far-right religious agenda of people in high places (Speaker of the House Mike Johnson comes to mind) and their desperation for a religious dictatorship will explode.

24points

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#25

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know To give this question a very literal answer...I think everybody should be watching what's going on in Ukraine with drones and asking what we're going to be seeing on the news in the next decades.

CampusTour , wiki commons Report

Final score:

21points

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago

Death by remote control. Ukraine just sank a multimillion dollar ship with a $100,000 drone made with parts from Ali-Express. War is getting cheap and easy and that's something to worry about.

7points

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#26

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The Cascadia subduction zone. Historically there been regular strong earthquakes every few hundred years. The Pacific Northwest is not built for earthquakes and even a 7 would be a disaster, nevermind an 8 or even 9. One of these could wipe out large sections of the Pacific Northwest and cause massive casualties

VoluptuousSloth , Spiderpickl Report

Final score:

20points

ginshun 9 months ago

You think this is bad, look up the New Madrid fault area in the middle of the US.

11points

CaptainSlapNTickle 9 months ago

But yes, let's continue to frack. 😳🤮

0points

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Sara Frazer 9 months ago

*cries in Washingtonian*

3points

Astro 9 months ago

*cries with you in Vancouver Island*

0points

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Kelly Scott 9 months ago

Great. I'm living in the red zone.

1point

Astro 9 months ago

Same, RIP us

0points

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Gabby M 9 months ago

I've heard many, many times .... Buy property on the right side of that fault because it's going to be the new waterfront someday.

1point

lawrence Andrew 9 months ago

The western US is not a prepared as Japan but still more prepared than most of the world.

0points

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago

Been expecting the big one ever since St. Helens blew in 1980. It's really more volcanoes here than earthquakes. The Cascades are chock full of dormant volcanoes. That's DORMANT not extinct so I expect one of them to go active in my lifetime.

0points

Linda R 9 months ago

I saw the history on this one time. The tsunami it generated in 1700 was monstrous! it also struck Japan.

0points

BagelBoi 9 months ago

heard about this on nat geo… a 7 would be lucky, and it’ll most likely destroy the entire region

0points

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#27

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The Great Salt Lake is on track to be completely dried up in about 5 years.

AVerySleepyBinch , wiki commons Report

Final score:

20points

Gabby M 9 months ago

How heartbreaking is this!!!

7points

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#28

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Overworked people and their developing mental illnesses

Forbiddenfruit0429 , energepic.com Report

Final score:

20points

Luke Branwen 9 months ago

Remember folks! If you hustle hard, dedicate all your life to work, go above and beyond, never take a day off and power through even if you're ill, then one day, your boss might go to space!

27points

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#29

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know Collapsing demographics.

Our economic system is built around growing populations. As demographics roll over our entire modern system of exchange comes under stress and will need serious overhauls, which will only happen AFTER the consequences are dire enough to necessitate it.

Demographic collapse and deglobalization (the collapse of global trade) are going to be the root causes of a myriad of horrors yet most people will never know and will only be aware of the symptoms, not the cause. People will say inflation, shortages in food, water and other goods. Rising wars etc. But ultimately it all comes back to demographics, economics, geography and trade.

Every great empire in history thought they alone were different. They never are, and either are we. We've lived through the rise and now we will witness the other side of that slope.

Issherai , Pixabay Report

Final score:

17points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

Building entire societies on the foolish assumption there would also be a bigger pie is more than just shortsighted: It's criminal. Increasing population until the planet can no longer support multiple billions of people will result in a very painful correction.

9points

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Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#30

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know The US Social Security system. People are living longer than when the plan was first introduced, and the money paid annually in FICA taxes is insufficient to cover all the payouts. Couple this with the fact that the government doesn't even save your contributions and spends it immediately on other stuff, and it's clear this system is due to collapse. Either they end the program, which would suck for everyone who has paid into it their whole lives, or they increase the deficit to fund it, which will just make inflation worse.

Penguin_Pat , wiki commons Report

Final score:

15points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

A simple fix exists: Increase the cutoff that wealthy people enjoy. Make them pay more taxes on their earnings and the SS deficit goes away.

41points

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#31

30 Biggest Problems Around Us That Many Are Unaware Of But Should Know How dangerous AI is getting

RandomRedditor_RR , wiki commons Report

Final score:

10points

Luke Branwen 9 months ago

Fortunately, the current generative AI is not a real intelligence - it seeks and replicates patterns in data it uses for learning, it doesn't think on its own. But, at the same time, it's true that generative AI sorely needs some rules and restrictions.

16points

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#32

EMP due to solar flares. We are overdue for a large eruption and totally unprepared. Would send us back to 1840's technology levels.

Both_Hunter1343 Report

Final score:

8points

M O'Connell 9 months ago

OP is referencing the Carrington Event, which was the first documented case of a solar flare directly impacting human activities. The geomagnetic disturbance it caused had severe effects on the long-distance telegraph infrastructure of the time. Todays' grid infrastructure is capable of greater levels of isolation, so the problem wouldn't be quite as severe, except that most of modern society depends on long distance power transmission and telecommunications. A smaller-scale event in 1989 caused significant damage to power transformers in Canada. Effective defense against this sort of thing would require opening thousands of circuit breakers on a few minutes or hours notice.

8points

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#33

Methane upsetting the ecological balance. Unknown and uncared for by mosteople. There are huge methane deposits in the deep oceans currently held down by frigid ocean temperatures. When ocean warm up they become less dense allowing these gasses to bubble to the surface, killing countless amounts of sealife in the process and polluting earth's atmosphere enough to kill countless birdlike and land creatures, also destroying flora. This is arguably the inevitable death bell for all life as we know it and an extinction level event that doesn't happen overnight but over a period of escalating suffering of about a decade.

Final score:

6points

FranklySpeaking 9 months ago

Methane, what the oil industry calls "natural gas," is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Climate change will liberate massive amounts frozen in permafrost and bogs. The self-perpetuating, and increasing, heating of the planet will only get worse. We are now recording temperatures not seen in 120,000 years.

5points

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Dominykas Zukas

Hey! I’m Dominykas, and I come from Lithuania. According to my diploma, I’m a UX Designer. However, when during my studies, I (re)discovered my passion for storytelling, I’ve been doing that ever since, mostly in writing. I have written a few short stories, some songs, and a good bunch of articles, and I plan to keep expanding on all these fronts. Aside from that, I’m also a film buff, traveler, casual basketball player, video game enthusiast, and nature lover who will rarely pass up on a little hike through the forest or a simple walk around a park.

Hey! I’m Dominykas, and I come from Lithuania. According to my diploma, I’m a UX Designer. However, when during my studies, I (re)discovered my passion for storytelling, I’ve been doing that ever since, mostly in writing. I have written a few short stories, some songs, and a good bunch of articles, and I plan to keep expanding on all these fronts. Aside from that, I’m also a film buff, traveler, casual basketball player, video game enthusiast, and nature lover who will rarely pass up on a little hike through the forest or a simple walk around a park.

Monika Pašukonytė

I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

What do you think ?

Joey Jo Jo Shabadoo 9 months ago

How about realistic ticking time bombs: 1. You and your partner have stopped having fun together or going to each other for advice. 2. Your job has become more and more obselete over the years and you havent upgraded your skills. 3. You eat poorly, dont exercise, and sleep badly. 4. You stopped voting because you think none of the candidates "represent your interests" even though politics isnt like Tinder, and now only fringe wackos vote where you live.

12points

M Kovacs 9 months ago

Too many humans on the planet, too much Human arrogance thinking it's all for them, about them and not other species. We will learn the hard way, it isn't.

5points

Seedy Vine 9 months ago (edited)

Hawaii has a termite problem. The chemicals used to kill them also kill fish. The chemicals leach into the sea every time it rains.

2points

Jared Robinson 9 months ago

The thing about all these bombs? They are localized, not a single one of these things would kill off the human race. collectively though, they might just do the trick.

2points

Sky Render 9 months ago

No mention of the 2038 problem? Wow. Short version: lots of really important and impossible-to-upgrade computers set to very important tasks are running on a very old build of Unix or Linux which has its epoch end on January 19 2038, at which point the clocks on those systems will roll over to December 13 1901 (and increment whatever is one byte ahead of the epoch variable by 1). If we're lucky this will just result in a lot of old computers crashing and have no major consequences.

2points

Tabitha 9 months ago

I thought we were done with that s**t after Y2K.

3points

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M O'Connell 9 months ago

The vast majority of non-updatable embedded systems do not make use of a real-time clock, and would not be affected by this problem (only keeping track of seconds since boot). Also, ANY 64-bit system is immune by nature, as a 64-bit time_t value encompasses nearly 300 billion years.

1point

I'mSemperFine 9 months ago

This is why we must buy guns and gold and bury them

0points

Solidhog 9 months ago

The hypocrisy of 'green' or 'clean' energy. How the western world lies to itself that it is helping the enviroment on its side of the planet with electric vehicles, solar and wind farms while promoting strip mining, child slavery and exploitation and cancer causing mining on the other side of the world.

1point

Freya the Wanderer 9 months ago

All of these are reasons why we need to be building and stocking Knowledge Arks to preserve our science and culture so, in case there is a collapse, our descendants won't have to re-learn a lot of things - and can enjoy and appreciate our best literature, drama, etc.

0points

Imagineer 9 months ago

Sorry I read this thread.

0points

Bruce Horton 9 months ago

What a bunch of bull c**p, the same old dystopian shite. Stop posting this end-of-the-world garbage. It was fake 25 years (remember the Population Bomb and other BS?) And it's still fake now.

-3points

Joey Jo Jo Shabadoo 9 months ago

How about realistic ticking time bombs: 1. You and your partner have stopped having fun together or going to each other for advice. 2. Your job has become more and more obselete over the years and you havent upgraded your skills. 3. You eat poorly, dont exercise, and sleep badly. 4. You stopped voting because you think none of the candidates "represent your interests" even though politics isnt like Tinder, and now only fringe wackos vote where you live.

12points

M Kovacs 9 months ago

Too many humans on the planet, too much Human arrogance thinking it's all for them, about them and not other species. We will learn the hard way, it isn't.

5points

Seedy Vine 9 months ago (edited)

Hawaii has a termite problem. The chemicals used to kill them also kill fish. The chemicals leach into the sea every time it rains.

2points

Jared Robinson 9 months ago

The thing about all these bombs? They are localized, not a single one of these things would kill off the human race. collectively though, they might just do the trick.

2points

Sky Render 9 months ago

No mention of the 2038 problem? Wow. Short version: lots of really important and impossible-to-upgrade computers set to very important tasks are running on a very old build of Unix or Linux which has its epoch end on January 19 2038, at which point the clocks on those systems will roll over to December 13 1901 (and increment whatever is one byte ahead of the epoch variable by 1). If we're lucky this will just result in a lot of old computers crashing and have no major consequences.

2points

Tabitha 9 months ago

I thought we were done with that s**t after Y2K.

3points

Load More Replies...

M O'Connell 9 months ago

The vast majority of non-updatable embedded systems do not make use of a real-time clock, and would not be affected by this problem (only keeping track of seconds since boot). Also, ANY 64-bit system is immune by nature, as a 64-bit time_t value encompasses nearly 300 billion years.

1point

I'mSemperFine 9 months ago

This is why we must buy guns and gold and bury them

0points

Solidhog 9 months ago

The hypocrisy of 'green' or 'clean' energy. How the western world lies to itself that it is helping the enviroment on its side of the planet with electric vehicles, solar and wind farms while promoting strip mining, child slavery and exploitation and cancer causing mining on the other side of the world.

1point

Freya the Wanderer 9 months ago

All of these are reasons why we need to be building and stocking Knowledge Arks to preserve our science and culture so, in case there is a collapse, our descendants won't have to re-learn a lot of things - and can enjoy and appreciate our best literature, drama, etc.

0points

Imagineer 9 months ago

Sorry I read this thread.

0points

Bruce Horton 9 months ago

What a bunch of bull c**p, the same old dystopian shite. Stop posting this end-of-the-world garbage. It was fake 25 years (remember the Population Bomb and other BS?) And it's still fake now.

-3points

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