"The end of the world"

A history prof, a natural resources prof and I created a course called "Futures" after learning a book was published by scientists and analysts at M.I.T. about the future of our planet.  The book was published in 1972.  While teaching the course, I learned about the book of the Christian bible "Revelations".  I also learned that thinkers have wondered about the future.  It may be quite likely that humans will think about their future, especially when they think about their own death.

I am somewhat attuned to the phrase "the end of the world".  Sometimes that phrase is used to focus on the end of one's life or the end of the people and surrounding one is used to.  Just recently, I heard a woman say "Well, it's not the end of the world".  I looked up the phrase and read that people sometimes mean the end of the planet Earth or an end to the entire universe.  Often, I hear it being used at the beginning of a statement designed to raise hope, to face a problem that has arisen and figure out how to best respond.