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Catastrophe Quote by N.K. Jemisin

“There is no word for such a catastrophe. It would liquefy the surface of the planet, vaporizing the oceans and sterilizing everything from the mantle up. The world, for us and any possible creature that might ever evolve in the future to hurt the Earth, would end. The Earth itself would be fine…” quote by N.K. Jemisin
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““There is no word for such a catastrophe. It would liquefy the surface of the planet, vaporizing the oceans and sterilizing everything from the mantle up. The world, for us and any possible creature that might ever evolve in the future to hurt the Earth, would end. The Earth itself would be fine, however.””

N.K. Jemisin

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, 2015

A hypothetical planetary disaster would erase all life, yet the planet itself would survive.

In simple terms: A catastrophe could wipe out life while Earth remains.

Key Takeaway

Consider humanity’s fragility.

Themes

environment existential cosmic future survival

Mood

somber thoughtful

Type

speculative philosophical

When to use this quote

  • space exploration
  • climate policy
  • long‑term planning
  • science fiction worldbuilding

Key Concepts

extinction risk planetary science anthropocene

Questions to Reflect On

  • How would we protect future life?
  • What ethical duties arise toward a surviving planet?
A Different Perspective

The scenario ignores possible resilience strategies humanity life.

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