Watch these recommended TED-Ed Lessons

Is space trying to kill us?
How likely is it that a massive asteroid will do major damage to Earth and its inhabitants? What about the sun -- is it dying out anytime soon? And the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way -- should we be worried about that? Ron Shaneyfelt assesses the dangers of space.

Could we survive prolonged space travel?
Prolonged space travel plays a severe toll on the human body: microgravity impairs muscle and bone growth, and high doses of radiation cause irreversible mutations. As we seriously consider the human species becoming space-faring, a big question stands: even if we do break free from Earth’s orbit, can we adapt to the extreme environments of space? Lisa Nip examines our odds.

Additional references

Can life on Earth escape the swelling sun? - Space.com
To save our planet, British astronomers ran a simulation in early 2008 which included the sun's weakened gravitational pull, and the Earth moving outward in response. But would it work?

What if Earth changed its orbit? - How Stuff Works?
The planet on which we live holds a wide variety of natural wonders happening right under our noses that many of us take for granted. That includes the fact that our planet is constantly circling the sun. You might not be able to feel it, but Earth is moving right now. But what would happen if Earth were to change its orbit?

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