Someone else estimated the Tonga explosion at 10 megatons [1] and it was heard thousands of miles away. Bear in mind, humans have detonated nuclear weapons larg

Someone else estimated the Tonga explosion at 10 megatons [1] and it was heard thousands of miles away. Bear in mind, humans have detonated nuclear weapons larger than this, most famously the Tsar Bomba [2] at 50 megatons. Compare this to something not that long ago: Krakatoa, estimated at 200 megatons [3]. Then compare this to the Year Without Summer (536 AD) [4]: > Falling in the time known as the 'Dark Ages', the year 536 AD fully embraced this moniker as Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia were plunged into 24-hour darkness for 18 months. Summer temperatures plummeted between 1.5-2.5°C causing crops to fail and millions to starve to death. All of this has happened in the last 10,000 years, which is regarded as a relatively stable period and a mere blink of the eye in cosmic timelines. I'm reminded of the thin blue line [5]. You begin to realize how narrow a niche we live in. Humanity almost died out 70,000 years ago [6]. It's not really known why. There are lots of theories on the cause. It's estimated the population dropped into the tens of thousands. It's actually a big reason why there is little genetic diversity in humans (compared to other primates, for example). Far worse has happened on Earth and will likely happen again: the Chicxulub impact, supervolcanic eruptions like Yellowstone (about every 700,000 years in recent times), the magnetic poles flipping (and what that'll do to solar radiation hitting the Earth) and so on. And all of these pale into comparison to any space-based cataclysmic events (eg gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, magnatars, neutron star and black hole mergers). It really makes you think how fragile our existence is. [1]: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/18/1073800454/nasa-scientists-estimate-tonga-blast-at-10-megatons https://www.npr.org/2022/01/18/1073800454/nasa-scientists-es... [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krakatoa#:~:text=With%20an%20estimated%20Volcanic%20Explosivity,the%20most%20powerful%20nuclear%20device https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krakatoa#:~:text=With%20an%20e... [4]: https://www.history.co.uk/articles/what-was-the-worst-year-in-history https://www.history.co.uk/articles/what-was-the-worst-year-i... [5]: http://lightexhibit.org/earth_atmosphere.html#:~:text=Earth's%20thin%20atmosphere%20is%20all,cold%2C%20dark%20void%20of%20space.&text=Our%20planet's%20atmosphere%20has%20no,gradually%20thins%20out%20into%20space http://lightexhibit.org/earth_atmosphere.html#:~:text=Earth'.... [6]: https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/10/22/163397584/how-human-beings-almost-vanished-from-earth-in-70-000-b-c https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/10/22/163397584/h...