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Book
The Precipice
Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity
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Recommendation
Oxford University philosopher Toby Ord published this bracing book just before the coronavirus pandemic gripped the globe in 2020. But though Ord makes no mention of COVID-19, his sobering analysis feels eerily prescient. Examining the variety of risks confronting the world today – among them supervolcanoes, climate change and artificial intelligence – Ord calculates humanity’s odds and finds a one-in-six chance that civilization collapses in the next 100 years. Though this assessment might seem harsh to some, Ord argues that exploring worst-case scenarios could serve to prod humans into action.
Take-Aways
About the Author
Toby Ord is a senior research fellow in philosophy at Oxford University.
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