Another day, another prediction of when humans will be wiped off of the face of the Earth.

In fairness, if you keep predicting, it will probably be correct one day.

I think we should all give ourselves a pat on the back for how many supposed apocalyptic events we've lived through.

2012 is probably the biggest one that comes to mind, but I also remember sitting in school one day absolutely convinced that the Large Hadron Collider was going to destroy the Earth.

And yet, as a species, we persist... for now.

At the University of Bristol, researchers have recently unveiled a startling revelation about the eventual fate of life on our planet, per LBC.

Utilizing a supercomputer to analyze geological and atmospheric data, their findings point toward a dramatic conclusion: the formation of a colossal supercontinent that will reshape the Earth as we know it.

Dubbed Pangea Ultima, this future landmass is envisioned as the culmination of millennia of tectonic movement, where continents merge to form a singular entity.

Dr. Alexander Farnsworth, a member of the research team, explained the implications of this discovery, stating: "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 envisioned landscape of Pangea Ultima paints a grim picture of scorching temperatures and inhospitable conditions.

With average temperatures projected to soar between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius, coupled with high humidity levels, life as we know it would face unprecedented challenges.

The ability to regulate body temperature through sweating, a fundamental mechanism for mammals, would be heavily impacted.

Despite the dire forecast, the study suggests that a fraction of Pangea Ultima's landmass - estimated between eight and 16 percent - could potentially sustain life.

But even those areas wouldn't be comfortable to live in.

In short, it's going to get very hot and we won't be able to survive it.

The convergence of tectonic plates could trigger a surge in volcanic activity, further complicating the environmental landscape.

The formation of new, massive volcanoes could certainly make things a lot worse than they already are.

Don't worry, all of this probably won't impact you unless you've found the fountain of youth.

The projected timeline for these events extends over the course of 250 million years. This vast timeframe offers humanity ample opportunity to prepare and adapt. 

You'd hope that with Elon Musk wanting to colonize Mars right now, we'd have it sorted in 250 million years.

But for now, let's just do our bit to keep the planet as hospitable as we can!

Featured image credit: aryos/Getty

Pakistan has been the subject of global headlines recently, but it's not good news for the South Asian country. In fact, it's been nothing short of devastating. More than a third of Pakistan is currently underwater after an unprecedented monsoon season, and the people there are in desperate need of your help.

The sheer scale of this disaster is difficult to fathom. As of Wednesday, the flooding has killed more than 1,300 people and has destroyed more than a million homes.

Over 33 million people are feeling the effects of this disaster, which amounts to around 15 percent of Pakistan's population. The country's climate change minister Sherry Rehman confirmed this statistic on August 25, per CNN.

Over several weeks, relentless monsoon rains have destroyed buildings, roads and bridges and left millions of people without a home. The flash floods have even swept away entire villages, causing irreparable damage to at least 4 million acres of crops and wiping out almost 800,000 livestock, according to the International Rescue Committee.

What has caused this record flooding?

As with most extreme weather conditions in recent times, this crisis has widely been attributed to climate change.

The South Asian monsoon season runs from June until the end of September, bringing in a much-needed period of rain after the dry season. However, this year, Pakistan has been ravaged by excessive rainfall.

It is believed that the region's yearly monsoons are becoming wetter and increasingly life-threatening as a result of climate change.

"This is a climate crisis," Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF's representative in Pakistan, told CNN. "A climate that has been mostly done by richer countries, contributing to the crisis, and I think it is time that the world responded to support Pakistan in this time of need."

Reflecting on the toll climate change has taken on the country, UN secretary general António Guterres has said: "The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids - the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.

"As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us, everywhere, in growing danger.

"Let's stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change," said Guterres, who is headed to Pakistan on September 9 for a "solidarity visit". "Today, it's Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country."

Videos shared on social media show a country well and truly submerged by ongoing floods. And as the monsoon continues to wreak havoc on Pakistan, it can be difficult to know what action to take.

The simplest way you can make a difference is by donating what you can to one of the various charitable organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Pakistan as it battles record floods.

In order to help you make informed decisions, VT has compiled a list of charities accepting donations to help the millions of people affected by this crisis.

UNICEF

Renowned charity UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help disadvantaged children.

According to its estimation, over three million children are in desperate need of humanitarian aid in Pakistan and are at an increased risk of malnutrition, drowning and waterborne diseases.

Thus far, the group has delivered $1 million worth of supplies to Pakistan including medical equipment, drinking water, vaccines, food and hygiene kits for children and families.

The group is also working to set up temporary learning centers and psychological care for displaced children in the country.

Muslim Hands

Muslim Hands is an international non-governmental organization in over 52 countries around the world that seeks to help those affected by various life-altering ordeals such as natural disasters.

Established in 1993, the NGO has been helping out in some of Pakistan's most affected regions - including South Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh.

It is doing its best to provide those affected by the monsoon with cooked meals and water and to deliver food parcels and emergency relief packs. The supplies will include utensils, tents and hygiene kits. The group has also set up camps specifically for the provision of medical care.

The organization is also thinking long-term. It plans to rebuild homes and help displaced citizens rebuild their lives. It explains that homes will be built with cemented platform bases and iron roofs in order to lessen the risk of potential damage in the future.

World Food Program

The World Food Programme is the United Nations branch that specializes in international food-assistance. Given that it's the world's largest humanitarian group focused on hunger and food security, it's well equipped to deal with providing food for highly populated countries struck by disaster - such as Pakistan.

“We’re really working as a team here,” says Chris Kaye, WFP Country Director and Representative in Pakistan. “We’ve built a very strong relationship with the Government. The Government is stepping up and taking leadership.”

WFP is working with the Government of Pakistan to provide humanitarian and recovery assistance to meet some of its most vulnerable citizens' basic food and nutrition requirements.

It is also continuing its efforts where food security are concerned. Indeed, it is continuing to construct feeder roads, water harvesting systems, water channels, schools and other forms of infrastructure in regions affected by floods.

International Rescue Committee

As the name suggests, the IRC works on an international scale to provide humanitarian aid and relief in areas that need it most.

In flood-stricken Pakistan, the IRC's main priority at the moment is to provide food, clean drinking water, hygiene products, medical care and safe latrines for women and girls.

IRC emergency response teams have been deployed to provide immediate assistance in the country, where tens of million people have been affected by the flooding.

International Medical Corps

The IMC is a first response organization that provides aid to people whose countries have been devastated by disaster, conflict or disease. The group has partnered with the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh to ensure Pakistani residents have the necessary medical care, water, hygiene supplies and mental health support.

Amid the ongoing crisis, the organization is providing medicines and supplies to treat a range of medical issues including acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, malaria, acute respiratory infections, and skin and eye infections.

CARE

CARE is a nonprofit that works all over the world with the aim of bringing an end to poverty and providing ordinary Pakistani people with an education.

The group is currently providing flood-affected populations with emergency relief supplies, which include emergency latrine kits, tents, tarps and hygiene products such as toothbrushes, soap, period products, and underwear.

CARE Pakistan country director Adil Sheraz is calling for those lending support to focus their efforts on "women, children, and people with special needs" who, due to the country's torrential rains, are in urgent need of shelter and essential items. CARE has set up a donation hub dedicated to Pakistan flood relief, which will fund the creation of hygiene kits, blocks of emergency latrines, and temporary shelters.

Featured image credit: REUTERS / Alamy

What is it about winter that absolutely ruins any attempt to live healthily? Seriously, there's a reason that we all have winter bodies and summer bodies, and that's because it's so much harder to say trim, go to the gym, and lay off the demon drink when it's pitch dark by 4 pm and you've been freezing your nuts off all day. Personally, I always go into hibernation mode round about the time the clocks go back; and all I want to do at the end of a long day is go straight to a nice, cosy pub with a fireplace and drink whiskey until I feel warm again.

I've always excused this behaviour as being a part of my Scottish heritage. I don't know if any of you have ever visited Glasgow in the depths of December, but it certainly isn't a tropical paradise by any stretch of the imagination. Drinking heavily and living out of bars is just how my people cope with icy temperatures and long stretches of no sunlight. Imagine my surprise then, when this week a new scientific study confirmed my theory that people from colder climates drink more than people from warm ones.

The research, which comes courtesy of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre, pooled data from 193 countries - analysing general health statistics provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation's databases. The researchers found evidence that cold climate contributed to higher rates of binge drinking, liver disease, and depression

Commenting on the study's findings, senior author Ramon Bataller, (associate director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre) said: "This is the first study that systematically demonstrates that worldwide and in America, in colder areas and areas with less sun, you have more drinking and more alcoholic cirrhosis."

Meanwhile, Dr Peter McCann (medical advisor at a rehab clinic in Scotland) stated: "We now have new evidence that the weather, and in particular the temperature and amount of sunlight that we are exposed to, has a strong influence on how much alcohol we consume. Furthermore, this weather-related alcohol consumption is directly linked to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver disease - cirrhosis - which can ultimately end in liver failure and death."

He added: "Stricter laws on alcohol pricing are surely justified when we consider the devastating combined effect of low sunlight and cheaper alcohol on consumption. Advertising laws should be addressed with restrictions during winter months strongly considered."

So if you're hating the sudden drop in temperature, and are gasping for a drink at this time of year, then at least you can console yourself with the fact that there's actually a scientific reason for it after all. Just make sure you're drinking in moderation, don't take things too far; you'll hate the winter season even more if you get too drunk and accidentally end up in hospital.