As technology continues to advance...

[Mitera Nikkou]

I think there's a possibility, but I don't think that anyone in their right mind would do it. And I'm not sure what the chances are of a looney person getting their hands on whatever is needed to accomplish it.

[Beyond]

If there isn't a time constraint it's more likely to happen yes or yes.

Timeless things just happen to live every posibility.

Even destruction.

[Mistress Guendolen]

I think it's possible. Never has there been something so stupid that someone, somewhere, won't try it. It's the same sort of person who pushes the shiny red button or pulls the lever labeled "do not pull" just to see what will happen. It's not definite, but some idiot might give it a go because they're not thinking with their brain or whatever.

[Temet nosce]

It's possible. On the other hand will it happen before something else does? *shrugs*

[Chibi MitchellTF]

I don't think anyone will ever ignite Earth's atmosphere. It would require both availability of the technology, ability to acquire the technology, and an amount of stupidity gretaer than any stupidity beforehand.

I don't think all three will ever coincide. (Now, push the big red button to activate the nuclear 'football'...that could happen.)

[Cow Belle]

What every one is forgetting is the most important thing in this equation.... Mad scientists!

Didn’t they make the bombs? And didn’t they drive the world into fear with the evil world destroying lasers they made? Did they give a rip? No way! They would do anything in the name of science even if it meant the death of the world and everything on it.

Mad scientists…they are every were…. @_@

[Guest]

Oxygen and nitrogen do not readily combine in a runaway reaction, so I would say that the atmosphere is incapable of "igniting" in the chemical sense unless somebody sprayed fuel into the air all over the planet. However, superheating the atmosphere to a level lethal to all life could be accomplished using a sufficient number of nukes, or a lot of big meteors.