Read what you just wrote: It took ... the invention of the atom bomb to figure out how to live with other humans peacefully. Exactly. But much more saliently

Read what you just wrote: It took ... the invention of the atom bomb to figure out how to live with other humans peacefully. Exactly. But much more saliently, we can't help engaging in memetic evolution any more than bacteria could help evolving into eurkaryotes. If a higher-level consciousness is possible at all, it's going to happen. It's going to happen. So instead of framing the issue in terms of "maybe there are roads mankind was not meant to go down", it's my fervently held opinion that the issue is really, "maybe we damn well be mature enough to survive when we reach the end of whatever road this is." Because it's going to steam engine whether you want it or not.