Survival of our species/Risks to humanity
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< Survival of our species
Revision as of 00:26, 3 December 2007 by CharlesC (Talk | contribs) (Removed entry about soil erosion - I have no doubt it affected past civilisations, but I do not believe it is serious threat to current civilisation - we already have the technology to cope with this)
Some potential threats to humanity:
- Emergent virulent disease – naturally occuring, or engineered biological weapon or lab-experiment let loose (accidentally or maliciously). Possible at any time.
- Out of control self-replicating molecular nanotechnology
(accidental or malicious). Underlying technology is perhaps 15 years away. - Out of control artificial intelligence. Underlying technology is perhaps 20 years away.
- Strike by asteroid or comet . Possible at any time. Accepted in scientific community as not an 'if' but a 'when'.
- Global war with nuclear or other advanced weaponry. Possible at any time.
- Super-volcanic geological activity . Not sure that the risks are known.
- Climate change. It is more likely to affect other species that do not have the means to adapt first. But if it gets to the point where it affects species we rely on for our own survival then we will be at risk. Possible in the near future.
It sounds a bit grim reading about these things, and most people naturally tend not them too much thought, but with awareness of the problems and precautionary measures, these scenarios can be mitigated to a certain extent. Colonising Space is the ultimate insurance policy for humanity, and it needs to happen before it is too late. Leaving it up to bureaucratic, ponderous government programmes is not enough.
