While a fairly 'new' theory, the topic was very well documented in the BBC mini series 'HyperSpace' with Sam Neil.

As our solar system rides the wobble, we edge closer to looking more like the surface of the moon every day. But people on this planet cannot see past their noses and one day, we will all be gone.

That would be nice

Can hardly wait myself!

lol, great thought right there.

But what does an up tick in background radiation have to do with extinctions on Earth? Just wondering...

But what does an up tick in background radiation have to do with extinctions on Earth? Just wondering...

It's not just an uptick- they claim it's lethal amounts of radiation. And as anyone who has seen the BBC Series Hyperspace knows, our solar syatem wobbles right thru the asteroid belt again. Think the moon looks pock marked? You ain't seen nothing yet.

Sorry I haven't seen that series, wish I could, I only get BBC World, not BBC America.

It is available on DVD on Amazon and also aired in the UK, 22 July 2001.

A rather sweeping statement there (people cant see beyond the end of there noses and one day we will all be gone.
some of us do understand this and lets face it if radiation doesn't destroy this earth some peoples greed will.

The first instance of this theory that I came across was in the book 'African Genesis' by anthropologist Robert Ardrey (pub. 1961) - a theory now 46 years old. Basically, he hypothesises that the Magellanic Clouds are the remnants of a galaxy which was torn apart in a collision with the Milky Way and that a field of remnant detritus is periodically passed through by the solar system with catastrophic results for the fragile ecosystems of Earth (at least).

I didn't realize this was a 'new' theory either. It's pretty obvious that this is the case. Earth has undergone 5 or six great mass extinctions in the past. Why would anyone think this wouldn't continue.

Just wait until the sun runs out of fuel and we're all space dust. That will settle all of these debates. *wink*