How Humanity Could Last Forever
Our species will face no shortage of existential risks in the coming decades, whether it be from nuclear war, climate change, a bioengineered pandemic, artificial superintelligence, molecular nanotechnology, or threats we have yet to conceive. Despair, cynicism, and misanthropy will get us nowhere, and we need to start thinking of practical ways to ensure the ongoing survival of our species.
Our universe has been around for almost 14 billion years and will probably continue to exist for many more billion years. Homo sapiens have been around for approximately 300,000 years—not even the blink of an eye, in cosmic terms. We shouldn’t squander our incredible opportunity for a prolonged existence.
Of course, by “we” I’m referring to future offshoots of humans, as our species is likely to change dramatically over the coming eons, should we successfully stave off extinction. Moreover, if we are able to avoid an apocalypse and get our shit together, it’s fair to say that the indefinite prolongation of life is an inalienable good, assuming we enter into a benign mode of existence. We should want to do this, as the alternative—oblivion—isn’t much of a choice. Consequently, it’s something we should be seriously considering.
The first step will be to avert the climate emergency we’re embroiled in. Technological, social, and economic progress will be very difficult if all our energy and resources are used to mitigate the threats posed by a deteriorating environment. We must also find ways to sustain a growing global population, alleviate stresses caused by the uneven distribution of wealth, and live sustainably on a planet with finite resources.
As urgently, we need to confront a grim reality: Our civilization will soon have to juggle an increasing array of existential and catastrophic risks, in which each added doomsday scenario will boost the odds of our self-destruction by orders of magnitude. That we devise sensible, practical solutions is paramount, if our civilization—and our species itself—is to last forever.
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Πηγή: gizmodo.com
