Bookshelf
The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How We Can Stop It
For all the pessimistic talk about the apocalypse, we still really don't know what humanity's future will ultimately look like. Where will our sea levels be? Will avian flu wipe us off the planet? Will computer viruses throw us into darkness and chaos?
In this imaginative, gripping book, Fred Guterl, the executive editor of Scientific American, explores six looming scenarios in vivid detail – the way they might really happen. And along the way produces a portrait of where we are today, where we can be with the right effort, and where we might wind up if we're not careful.
We find ourselves in a trap: technology got us into this mess, and it's also the only thing that can help us survive it. Guterl's riveting book is a grand and necessary thought experiment, not merely a scary story, but a fresh perspective on the world we're remaking, which rings a note of optimism about what we're capable of.
Featured On Episode #199
Fate of the Species
This week, we’re looking at the ways that people are changing the planet, and the consequences for all of us if we don’t start doing it responsibly. We’re joined by Fred Guterl, Executive Editor at Scientific American, to discuss his book The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How We Can Stop It. From climate change to superbugs, we’ll talk about the ways humanity could take itself out, and how (or if) we can stop it before it’s too late. And we’ll talk to John Cook, creator of Skeptical Science, about the political arguments over climate change.