Who Should Decide Whether To Put Humanity At Risk?
Science does so much for us, but who should pull the plug if it does too much? A few times in recent history science has approached the possibility of ending humanity. These possibilities were judged statistically insignificant and the projects went forward. Obviously we’re all still alive and breathing, but as the power of science increases, these events may happen more often.
We’re reaching an age where private laboratories can modify viruses to be resistant to any cure. Supercolliders are creating conditions that occur nowhere in the known universe. Climate scientists are also considering plans to change the weather to combat perceived warming.
When science and the human desire for fame and success combine, the collision could be devastating. Could a scientist be swayed to take on a dangerous project for the prestige that would come with a Nobel prize? Would an entrepreneur be encouraged to ignore possible catastrophe for a billion dollar IPO?
Those two questions might be answered in our very lifetime. Hopefully, they’ll be answered in a way that doesn’t end humanity.
The Atomic Bomb
Perhaps the first time humanity came to the possible brink of destruction was in the creation of the Atomic bomb. This was a project unlike anything humans had…
