A supercomputer was asked how long humanity will survive on Earth — and it confirms scientists' worst fears

The effects of the climate crisis are becoming harder to ignore, with rising temperatures, wildfires, and shifting rainfall patterns already reshaping our planet. One of the biggest concerns? Surging carbon emissions, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Now, a new study adds to the growing body of evidence, suggesting that global warming could one day make Earth uninhabitable for humans. Researchers at the University of Bristol predict that in about 250 million years, Earth will form a new supercontinent, and the Sun will shine even brighter, per Nature.

Using advanced supercomputer simulations, experts have projected when Earth could become uninhabitable for humans. Scientists have long warned of the devastating consequences of climate change, and this study only reinforces their worst fears. The ‘2024 State of the Climate Report: Perilous times on planet Earth’ predicted that 'perilous' times lay ahead for mankind. The report published in Bioscience noted that the Earth was on track to experience 2.7-degree peak warming by 2100.

The computational simulations concluded that with a dramatic rise in extreme climatic conditions, the continents will eventually merge again into a supercontinent, Pangea Ultima. As simple as it may sound, this process would take millions of years to complete. The purported changes in landmass, coupled with a hotter Sun, could push the planet past a tipping point. As highlighted in a study, sustained exposure to temperatures above 40°C (104°F) can be harmful to mammals. Over time, it would ultimately become unbearable for them to thrive and live freely.

“The newly-emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter Sun and more CO2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet. The result is a mostly hostile environment devoid of food and water sources for mammals,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Alexander Farnsworth, Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol, per Indy100. Furthermore, we could also see climate change’s debilitating effects on nature through more frequent and intense volcanic eruptions, heatwaves, storms, hurricanes, floods and wildfires.

Already, we saw the possible worst effects of climate change when massive wildfires swept through the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in January 2025, per BBC. “Climate change increased the risk of the devastating LA wildfires. Drought conditions are more frequently pushing into winter, increasing the chance a fire will break out during strong Santa Ana winds that can turn small ignitions into deadly infernos,” said Dr. Clair Barnes from Imperial College London, who conducted a study on the subject, per the outlet. Although the authorities were yet to investigate its possible causes, NBC News spoke to an expert who claimed that natural factors, such as heavy wind conditions, were behind it.

The latest research also emphasized that rising global warming could trigger a “runaway greenhouse effect,” meaning the planet will overheat and lose all its water. As a result, mammals, which have adapted to survive in various climates over their 310 million years of reported existence, could face climate threats much sooner than that. “Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high humidity levels, would ultimately seal our fate. Humans and many other species would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies,” Farnsworth added.

Another author of the study, Dr. Eunice Lo, Research Fellow in Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol, warned: “It is critical not to lose focus on our current Climate Crisis, which stems from human emissions of greenhouse gases. Although we foresee an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, we have already witnessed extreme heat that adversely impacts human health. This underscores the urgency of achieving net-zero emissions as soon as possible.”