Oxford University's 12 global risks that threaten human civilization

[CathyInBlue]

About the report · Global Challenges Foundation
The 12 terrifying ways researchers think human civilisation is most likely to end - Science - News - The Independent

Current risks
1. Extreme Climate Change
2. Nuclear War
3. Ecological Catastrophe
4. Global Pandemic
5. Global System Collapse
Exogenic risks
6. Major Asteroid Impact
7. Supervolcano
Emerging risks
8. Synthetic Biology
9. Nanotechnology
10. Artificial Intelligence
11. Uncertain Risks
Global policy risk
12. Future Bad Global Governance

While "zombies" are not listed per se, it doesn't take much to see them in the penumbra of #5, a bunch of humans who just lose their minds and turn on one another and forget how planetary civilization works. Add in #8 for someone actually creating a zombie virus, which is itself just a penumbra of #4, and I think we can all agree that zombies, even if not a major threat to human civilization in and of themselves, are definitely represented.

As to #9 coupled with #10, I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords.

And for #12, is there a legitimately good form of global governance?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

No
Maybe
Unlikely
Unlikely
Likely
Possible
No
Unlikely
No
No
Eh?
Likely

 

[rhino]

The current existence of zombies is proven by the number of people who 1) believe that human activity significantly affects longterm global climate patterns, and 2) that the results of the same are the #1 risk to humanity.

 

[spencer rifle]

#12 - not only likely but current and ongoing.

 

[chipbennett]

Actually, "extreme climate change" should be at the top of the list. As soon as the earth's natural climate cycles take us into another ice age in another few thousand years, humanity will be (frozen) toast.

 

[Dead Duck]

Where's "Alien Invasion"?

 

[Blackhawk2001]

If anyone follows "Schlock Mercenary", they can tell you that #9 can get you bloodthirsty zombies, too. Also, I read somewhere back before it became popular to claim the Earth was going to turn into Venus because of us pesky humans, that we're 25,000 years overdue for the next Ice Age.

 

[Bfish]

Kind of an interesting list... Makes you think a little bit. Glad you posted it. I haven't seen anything like it in awhile.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I also noticed that #1 & #2, as well as #6 & #7, could very possibly lead to #3