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Reducing the Risk of Human Extinction

Posted by kdawson on from the doing-the-numbers dept.

wiredog sends in a study from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Center For Biosecurity, assessing risks of human extinction and the costs of preventing it. "In this century a number of events could extinguish humanity. The probability of these events may be very low, but the expected value of preventing them could be high, as it represents the value of all future human lives."

3 of 399 comments (clear)

  1. Summary of the article by greenguy · · Score: 4, Informative

    We could all die!!! But we probably won't. At least not right away.

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    What if I do the same thing, and I do get different results?
  2. Re:Why bother? by gnick · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sorry, human or not we're all doomed. Deal with it.
    The Last Question

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    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  3. Re:Why bother? by gnick · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sorry - I should have credited that. Short story by Isaac Asimov dealing with the end of life everywhere written in 1956.
    Here's the wiki for anyone who just wants the gist without reading all 5 or 6 pages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Question

    --
    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.