Is civilization in danger of extinction? (science video)
The Roman Empire, which at its height housed nearly 30% of the world’s population, was in many respects the zenith of human development. Rome was a hub of legal, economic, and technical advancement and the first city in history to have one million residents. a strong, prosperous, and stable empire that is hard to collapse.
But then, the most advanced society on Earth fell, first gradually and then abruptly. What about us now if this is how things have always been? Will we lose industrial technology and, with it, our greatest accomplishments, such as cellphones, laser eye surgery, and pizza for a dollar? Will all of this also disappear?
Oh boy, this is a doozy of a topic. Are we, as a civilization, in danger of extinction? It’s a question that has plagued humanity for centuries, and it’s one that we may never truly be able to answer. But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate, right? So let’s get to it!
First things first – what do we mean by “civilization”? In this context, we’re talking about the complex systems, structures, and institutions that make up modern human society, including things like government, economy, education, and so on. And when we talk about civilization collapsing, we mean that these systems and structures would break down, leading to widespread chaos and disruption.
So, is civilization in danger of extinction? It’s hard to say for sure, but there are certainly some factors that could contribute to a collapse. Here are a few possibilities:
Climate change: As we’ve seen in recent years, climate change is a major threat to modern civilization. If we don’t take action to reduce our carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate, we could see rising sea levels, more extreme weather events, and other impacts that could disrupt our way of life.
Pandemics: We’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact that pandemics can have on society. If a new virus were to emerge that was highly contagious and deadly, it could sweep through the population, leading to widespread illness and death.
Natural disasters: From earthquakes and hurricanes to tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, there are many natural disasters that could disrupt our way of life.
War: Whether it’s between nations or within a single country, war can have a devastating impact on society.
Economic collapse: If our economy were to collapse, it could lead to widespread unemployment, poverty, and other social ills.
So, are we in danger of extinction as a civilization? It’s hard to say for sure, but it’s certainly worth considering these potential threats and taking steps to mitigate them. After all, better safe than sorry!
Hmmm. Effective altruism? Or hopeless optimism (if that’s not an oxymoron).
The video concntrated on humanity’s activities – and seemed to ignore external potential threats (solar flares, asteroid collisions… ) though obviously there’s not a lot ‘we’ can do to avoid such things.
I’m more concerned with the seemingly less dangerous threats than even climate change and nuclear war – such as the increasing ‘anti-science/knowledge’ bias in too many. Even the libraries that the video suggests will provide a back-up in the event of catastrophe are under threat in many ‘civilised’ countries – and I’m not pointing the finger solely at the US though that ‘culture’ is particularly worrying.
I’m not suggesting, as some have, that we are in or fast approaching ‘The End Times’ even if much of the US (again in particular) seems to be embracing such a future. At best himans can achieve greatness – but sadly too often too many individuals are too selfish to wish or be able to think beyond ‘Me! Me!’…
Oh dear. The day
started out so well!
I think this mistakes “culture” and “civilization”. The Roman culture did not “collapse”. Rome the city, and Rome the empire did indeed die. But civilization lived on…in the Middle East, and East… and arguably the west.
We did not lose Rome’s satellites or computer industry. We did not loose scientific advances or…well anything… except the rotting institutions they became. Even that evolved and changed dramatically during their empire…until it did not.
Like large institutions…Rome evolved to have NO purpose other than to sustain itself. The the rot and then collapse. That is not the world or civilization.
We to shall change… perhaps collapse institutions/countries. Hopefully, not civilization.