On the Edge of the Abyss

If you think optimistically, the history of humanity is just beginning. Our species could last for billions of years – enough time to eliminate diseases, poverty, and injustice and to thrive in conditions unimaginable today. But this grand future is under threat. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity has entered a new era where we face the risks of existential catastrophes – such that we would never recover from. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied: from climate change to the creation of pathogenic microorganisms and artificial intelligence. In the book "On the Edge of the Abyss: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity," Oxford philosopher Toby Ord calls for a reassessment of human history, to envision a future we are unable to protect, and to take steps to ensure that our generation does not become the last.