Sifter

While left-behind wannabes wait for the rapture, the odds are much higher that the end of the world will begin with the dreaded Yellowstone supervolcano. Of course, bird flu isn’t listed—maybe the odds are too high. For serious bettors, here are some of the ways Armageddon could go down. Sources include the U.K. bookmakers at William Hill and their counterparts at the U.S. Geological Service.

Type of Armageddon Odds

War (includes accidental nuclear war) 1,000-1

Famine 25,000-1

Asteroid 50,000-1

Flood 100,000-1

Destruction by alien life forms 500,000-1

Yellowstone supervolcano eruption 750,000-1

Act of God (i.e., the rapture) 1,000,000-1

Mass suicide 100,000,000-1