existential risks

  • The Doomsday Clock Is Just Two Minutes From Midnight, Again 

    The Doomsday Clock Is Just Two Minutes From Midnight, Again 

    Last year brought the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’s famed Doomsday Clock as close as it’s ever been to midnight. This year’s update will test if you’re a glass half full or empty person. The clock is at the same daunting precipice it was last year thanks to the “two simultaneous existential threats” of climate…


  • Was It A Good Idea To Beam Our Best Techno To An Alien World?

    Was It A Good Idea To Beam Our Best Techno To An Alien World?

    In the year 2030, a powerful radio transmission originating from Earth will arrive at a potentially habitable exoplanet located approximately 12.4 light years away. Should any alien intelligence be there to receive it, they’re in for quite a treat: This binary stream of data contains short musical clips from some of the world’s best electronic…


  • Why Asimov’s Three Laws Of Robotics Can’t Protect Us

    Why Asimov’s Three Laws Of Robotics Can’t Protect Us

    It’s been 50 years since Isaac Asimov devised his famous Three Laws of Robotics — a set of rules designed to ensure friendly robot behaviour. Though intended as a literary device, these laws are heralded by some as a ready-made prescription for avoiding the robopocalypse. We spoke to the experts to find out if Asimov’s…