Major survey reveals British public pessimistic about the future survival of mankind
The Sky Movies survey, held to co-incide with Sky Television’s ‘End of the World Week’ and the release of ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ in cinemas, allowed almost 2000 people the length and breadth of Britain to express their concerns about the future of mankind, and potential Armageddon.
The results make for fascinating, if scary reading…
When will the End of the World come?
The survey revealed that the younger generation are significantly more pessimistic about the future of the world than the previous generations: at 15%, almost twice as many people under 30 years old believed we could be facing Armageddon this century, compared with 8% of the 50+ year olds questioned.
And a quarter of all those surveyed anticipate that the end of the world could come within the next 500 years.
Roughly the same proportion of men 37% and women 39% believe that the world may end within or around the next thousand years which may well mean cancelling any forthcoming millennium celebrations being planned.
And those people in the south seem to think the future is a lot less rosy than their counterparts in the north. 19% of southerners think the world will end in the next 100 years, compared to just 11% of northerners questioned.
What will cause the end of the World?
The British public thinks a premature end to the world is most likely to come from Nuclear War (16%). 13% believe that an untreatable disease or virus will spreading uncontrollably across the globe, wiping human beings out.
And 6% believe that an apocalyptic natural disaster, like that portrayed in the new Roland Emmerich blockbuster ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, will bring about the demise of mankind.
What would you want to do above anything else if the end of the world was imminent?
Three quarters of all women questioned said the thing they would want to do more than anything else in the event of the world ending, would be to gather family and loved ones around them… compared to only around half of the men!
Only half the Scottish contingent would try to be with their nearest and dearest around them – compared to three quarters across the border in the north of England.
Indeed, the second most popular male answer – at 14% - was to have sex! (compared to just 5% of women).
Which movie character would you most like to have by your side at the End of the World?
And when asked which movie character they’d most like to have at their side if the End of the World were nigh, Superman received almost twice as many votes as anyone else.
Lara Croft was perhaps surprisingly voted second, ahead of James Bond and Indiana Jones in third and fourth. In fact, at 21%, more men voted for Lara Croft than any other character – compared to only 2% of the women questioned!
The poll, commissioned by Sky Movies, was carried out by YouGov between the 11th and 13th May 2004 on a representative sample of 1995 British adults throughout Great Britain
Sky’s End of the World Week (May 17th – May 23rd) is a week of programmes across Sky Movies, Sky One, Sky Travel and The Amp to co-incide with the theatrical release of The Day After Tomorrow. As part of the week Sky will be screening The Day After Tomorrow Exclusive (Friday 21 May, 7pm, Sky One), a half hour special that contains an extended 10 min preview of the film containing some never seen before footage from the movie.
Interviews and Clips
The Day After Tomorrow Trailer
The Day After Tomorrow Trailer, WMP, Small
The Day After Tomorrow Trailer, WMP, Medium
The Day After Tomorrow Trailer, Real Player, Small
The Day After Tomorrow Trailer, Real Player, Medium
Milla Jovovich Interview, Resident Evil
Milla Jovovich Interview, Resident Evil , WMP, Small
Milla Jovovich Interview, Resident Evil , WMP, Medium
Milla Jovovich Interview, Resident Evil , Real Player, Small
Milla Jovovich Interview, Resident Evil , Real Player, Medium
Hilary Swank Interview, The Core
Hilary Swank Interview, The Core , WMP, Small
Hilary Swank Interview, The Core , WMP, Medium
Hilary Swank Interview, The Core , Real Player, Small
Hilary Swank Interview, The Core , Real Player, Medium
Documentary Clip, Eye of the Storm
Documentary Clip, Eye of the Storm , WMP, Small
Documentary Clip, Eye of the Storm , WMP, Medium
Documentary Clip, Eye of the Storm , Real Player, Small
Documentary Clip, Eye of the Storm , Real Player, Medium
Documentary Clip, The Worlds Deadliest Volcanoes
Documentary Clip, The Worlds Deadliest Volcanoes , WMP, Small
Documentary Clip, The Worlds Deadliest Volcanoes , Real Player, Small
Documentary Clip, The Worlds Deadliest Volcanoes , Real Player, Medium
Documentary Clip, Top 10 Natural Disasters
Documentary Clip, Top 10 Natural Disasters , WMP, Small
Documentary Clip, Top 10 Natural Disasters , WMP, Medium
Documentary Clip, Top 10 Natural Disasters , Real Player, Small
Documentary Clip, Top 10 Natural Disasters , Real Player, Medium
