Team Of Experts Say Humanity Faces Extinction

[Richard]

Friday morning offering for the "doom n' gloom" crowd to ponder out there.

And so it goes...

Richard

This Is The End: Team Of Experts Say Humanity Faces Extinction
YNews, 2 May 2013

The crazy man walking down the city street holding a sign that reads “The end is near” might just have a point.

A team of mathematicians, philosophers and scientists at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute say there is ever-increasing evidence that the human race’s reliance on technology could, in fact, lead to its demise.

The group has a forthcoming paper entitled “Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority,” arguing that we face a real risk to our own existence. And not a slow demise in some distant, theoretical future. The end could come as soon as the next century.

"There is a great race on between humanity’s technological powers and our wisdom to use those powers well," institute director Nick Bostrom told MSN. "I’m worried that the former will pull too far ahead."

There’s something about the end of the world that we just can’t shake. Even with the paranoia of 2012 Mayan prophecies behind us, people still remain fascinated by the potential for an extinction-level event. And popular culture is happy to indulge in our anxiety. This year alone, two major comedy films are set to debut (“The World’s End” and “This is the End”), which take a humorous look at the end-of-the-world scenarios.

For its part, NASA released a series of answers in 2012 to frequently asked questions about the end of the world.

Interestingly, Bostrom writes that well-known threats, such as asteroids, supervolanic eruptions and earthquakes are not likely to threaten humanity in the near future. Even a nuclear explosion isn’t likely to wipe out the entire population; enough people could survive to rebuild society.

“Empirical impact distributions and scientific models suggest that the likelihood of extinction because of these kinds of risk is extremely small on a time scale of a century or so,” he writes.

Instead, it’s the unknown factors behind innovative technologies that Bostrom says pose the greatest risk going forward.

In other words, machines, synthetic biology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence could become our own worst enemy, if they aren’t already, with Bostrom calling them, “threats we have no track record of surviving."

"We are developing things that could go wrong in a profound way," Dr O'Heigeartaigh told the BBC in a recent interview. "With any new powerful technology we should think very carefully about what we know–but it might be more important to know what we don't have certainty about."

However, it’s not all bad news. Bostrom notes that while a lack of understanding surrounding new technology posts huge risks, it does not necessarily equate to our downfall.

“The Earth will remain habitable for at least another billion years. Civilization began only a few thousand years ago. If we do not destroy mankind, these few thousand years may be only a tiny fraction of the whole of civilized human history,” he writes.

“It turns out that the ultimate potential for Earth-originating intelligent life is literally astronomical.”

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...233025693.html

[Team Sergeant]

These "experts" must have been reading science fiction books..... what about 50% of them have been basing stories on these possibilities for the last 50 years.......

[Dusty]

lol Freaking scientists. Not so long ago, they said travelling at the speed of 20 mph would kill a person. Coffee will kill you/coffee will help you live longer, blah.

They don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, much less in a billion years.

[longrange1947]

Come on guys!!! You are messing up their chances for juicy gov't grant.

[nousdefions]

Originally Posted by Dusty

lol Freaking scientists. Not so long ago, they said travelling at the speed of 20 mph would kill a person. Coffee will kill you/coffee will help you live longer, blah.

They don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, much less in a billion years.

Hey Popular Science, where is my flying car?

[MR2]

Hey scientist, what's the weather going to be like this weekend?

[Trapper John]

OK now come on guys let's be dissing the Scientists. Well, OK, some of 'em. Ahhh, crap, go ahead, most of them have anal/cranial displacement anyway.

Can I still keep my light saber, and Mr. Spock costume and stay on the Board?

{Bazhinga!}

[uspsmark]

"It has become appallingly clear that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein (he didn't even have an iPad! LOL)

Another quote from another scientist!

[Pete]

Will you survive until the next crop comes in?

Will you even have a crop?

I think the point they are making is technology is becoming the weak link.

People in the civilized word are now buyers - not makers.

Might be time to start rereading the Foxfire series of books and figuring out just how much of that you could do.

[nousdefions]

Originally Posted by Pete

Will you survive until the next crop comes in?

Not if the Federal continues to mandate ethanol.

Sheesh, the dumbest thing ever turning our food supply into fuel.

[PRB]

We will run out of oil in the 1980's
An Ice Age is coming! (1970's)
Global warming due to carbon emissions (except for the last 15 years)
Too much
Not enough
yada yada

[ddoering]

Originally Posted by Pete

Will you survive until the next crop comes in?

Will you even have a crop?

I think the point they are making is technology is becoming the weak link.

People in the civilized word are now buyers - not makers.

Might be time to start rereading the Foxfire series of books and figuring out just how much of that you could do.

Yep, city dwellers will really suck big time.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Pete

Will you survive until the next crop comes in?

Will you even have a crop?

I think the point they are making is technology is becoming the weak link.

People in the civilized word are now buyers - not makers.

Might be time to start rereading the Foxfire series of books and figuring out just how much of that you could do.

I got the Foxfire T-shirt.

[Trapper John]

All kidding aside, advancements in technology have always presented challenges to society and its very survival. Just look at the turmoil that was created by the Industrial Revolution: mass migration to cities creating a huge public health problem just from waste removal, sweat shop working conditions, creation of labor unions, riots in the streets, pressure on international financial systems and political systems, a world war that was unresolved creating a second world war.

We are dealing with the same issues today driven by advancements in our technology and society is trying to cope and adjust to the challenges that are the result.

One of the greatest challenges at the moment is the massive information technology revolution. Most of the problems we are facing, IMO, are a direct result of our inability to discriminate between that which is good information from the misinformation and disinformation that we are inundated with at an ever increasing rate. Critical thinking skills are (again my opinion) the key.

As the greatest scientist of all (my opinion), Charles Darwin, taught us - species must adapt in order to survive. Our technological advancements will always be altering our environment, we must adapt to the changes that are thrust upon us in order to survive. The challenges we will face in the very near future will be greater still. We are humans and that's what humans do - explore, learn, and create. The conflicts and challenges are unavoidable IMO.

The question is, will we be able to adapt to the rapidly changing environment that we create? Our fate is truly of our own making and the outcome is entirely up to us. I am hopeful.

Just my 2-cents.

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by Trapper John

Critical thinking skills are (again my opinion) the key.

As the greatest scientist of all (my opinion), Charles Darwin, taught us

"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."
-Charles Darwin

Insect metamorphosis.
What conclusion is yielded applying critical thinking skills and the great scientist's standard for his own theory?