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Alarmists have been warning us of impending catastrophe for thousands of years. People have feared overpopulation since Hannibal was marching the elephants over

Alarmists have been warning us of impending catastrophe for thousands of years. People have feared overpopulation since Hannibal was marching the elephants over the Alps. Ministers have said for generations "this is as bad as it can get, we are doomed". You'll have to pardon my skepticism.

jamesrcole 9y ago
Whatever people's opinions are of the dangers is independent of whatever the actual dangers are/aren't. Two things are worth keeping in mind. One, in real terms the human race has existed for a tiny amount of time. What we've experienced so far doesn't tell us anything definitive about what can happen. Two, a catastrophe that wipes out humanity only needs to happen once. You don't get a second chance, and history won't be any guide if it did happen.
- icebraining 9y ago
  One, in real terms the human race has existed for a tiny amount of time. Right, but we're talking about 2000 years in the future, so the argument is reversed: we've existed for quite a long time compared to a couple of millennia.
  - jamesrcole 9y ago
    It's not clear to me what you're saying. 2000 more years is nothing in broad terms.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
- aaronblohowiak 9y ago
  Humans almost went extinct 72,000 years ago.. look it up, kind of neat
mikeash 9y ago
Everything is great until it isn't. I find this "people have said that before and it wasn't true" argument to be lacking. For one thing, having massive arsenals of nuclear weapons ready to go at a moment's notice is qualitatively different from anything in history. Global thermonuclear war wouldn't wipe out humanity, but it would wreck civilization badly enough to qualify as "doom" as I see it.
thinkfurther 9y ago
And the catastrophe came, steadily like glaciers, it had even arrived before the first person tried to describe it; and because it came so far as it is now, most people don't even see it as a catastrophe anymore. You talk like there is nothing broken, while I see very little that is not.

jamesrcole 9y ago

Whatever people's opinions are of the dangers is independent of whatever the actual dangers are/aren't. Two things are worth keeping in mind. One, in real terms the human race has existed for a tiny amount of time. What we've experienced so far doesn't tell us anything definitive about what can happen. Two, a catastrophe that wipes out humanity only needs to happen once. You don't get a second chance, and history won't be any guide if it did happen.

icebraining 9y ago
One, in real terms the human race has existed for a tiny amount of time. Right, but we're talking about 2000 years in the future, so the argument is reversed: we've existed for quite a long time compared to a couple of millennia.
- jamesrcole 9y ago
  It's not clear to me what you're saying. 2000 more years is nothing in broad terms.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
aaronblohowiak 9y ago
Humans almost went extinct 72,000 years ago.. look it up, kind of neat

mikeash 9y ago

Everything is great until it isn't. I find this "people have said that before and it wasn't true" argument to be lacking. For one thing, having massive arsenals of nuclear weapons ready to go at a moment's notice is qualitatively different from anything in history. Global thermonuclear war wouldn't wipe out humanity, but it would wreck civilization badly enough to qualify as "doom" as I see it.

thinkfurther 9y ago

And the catastrophe came, steadily like glaciers, it had even arrived before the first person tried to describe it; and because it came so far as it is now, most people don't even see it as a catastrophe anymore. You talk like there is nothing broken, while I see very little that is not.