This is also the 1st time in history we could fuck up bad enough that it wont be recoverable. Climate change, nuclear war, biological experimentation, AI… it seems inevitable that we will erase humanity from the galaxy.
Yup, it’s so weird even that we might also have the technology to save ourselves - like maybe AI should be ruling us instead of humans (bc that way whoever made the AI can be the secret king - surely that’s not new either:-P).
But history does tend to run in cycles, for whatever that’s worth. One day the sun won’t shine down on us anymore, but so far it always has, even if that doesn’t mean that it always will.
In any case, definitely some hard times coming up ahead, that much seems certain at least. Though extinction, while possible, is not a foregone conclusion. I mean, if even Kurzgesagt can find hope, it must be warranted.:-) video 1, video 2 focusing mostly on climate change
I mean… kinda? If i do the math in my head… if there is a 1 in a million chance every day for something to happen. It seems like it wont happen.
But a million days is just about 2,700 years. The human race has been around maybe 100 thousand? Its a bunch of probabilities stacked on top of each other, in a way that reminds me alot of the Fermi paradox.
And we keep inventing new ways to do it and making the current ways easier. There are also plenty of non self inflicted ways it could happen. Commet or meteor, gamma ray bust, supervolcano, etc.
It really isnt a question of if, but when. Before or after we become interplanetary or better intersolar-system species. My hope at this point is just not in my lifetime.
Right, the ratchet effect, where once we extinct ourselves we don’t so much come back from that:-).
Unless we exist in multiple realities, whether physical like if humanity was seeded amongst the stars, or like metaverse style, or maybe we are only a simulation to begin with, then it’s only our branch that would end, and even that ignores plot constraints.
Then again, it doesn’t really matter, if we have no control over it anyway. What matters, it seems like to me anyway, is if we knew better and just flat did not care: if we are only responsible for our own parts, then conversely we are responsible for that much at least.
Pretty sure people though that in the 1910s, then again in the 1940s, then a few times in the 70s/80s, and now seems like a persistent feeling over the last 10-20 years or so.
Eventually we’ll be right, but humans as a group seem to have incredibly bleak outlooks.
Ya, by 1st time, i meant in the last generation of humans. Starting in the 30s or so when people started seeing the invention of the things listed above.
I didnt mean like just now in the 2023. Or last decade.
Generation means something very specific when you’re talking about the last generation of humans, being alive doesn’t make you the same generation as everyone else currently living.
Your grandparents by definition are 2 generations older than you are. That’s how they became grandparents.
Sorry, i just assumed we were at a point where no one other than the 2 of us would be reading this deep.
Yes that is how generations work. But generations in general is a very loose term. If somone in my grandparents’ generation didnt have kids, they would still be the last generation.
But it really doesnt matter. The point is that humanity has only had this ability in the last 100 years or so
It will continue for precisely as long as it continues to work… (plus probably a bit longer to account for lag time).
e.g. one of the earliest historical writings on this planet made this statement perhaps 3,000 years ago:
But… we seem to still need to keep re-learning that, every few generations.
This is also the 1st time in history we could fuck up bad enough that it wont be recoverable. Climate change, nuclear war, biological experimentation, AI… it seems inevitable that we will erase humanity from the galaxy.
Yup, it’s so weird even that we might also have the technology to save ourselves - like maybe AI should be ruling us instead of humans (bc that way whoever made the AI can be the secret king - surely that’s not new either:-P).
But history does tend to run in cycles, for whatever that’s worth. One day the sun won’t shine down on us anymore, but so far it always has, even if that doesn’t mean that it always will.
In any case, definitely some hard times coming up ahead, that much seems certain at least. Though extinction, while possible, is not a foregone conclusion. I mean, if even Kurzgesagt can find hope, it must be warranted.:-) video 1, video 2 focusing mostly on climate change
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
video 1
video 2
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
hey all our leaders up to now have been corrupt but I will just let God rule this land (through me)
I mean… kinda? If i do the math in my head… if there is a 1 in a million chance every day for something to happen. It seems like it wont happen.
But a million days is just about 2,700 years. The human race has been around maybe 100 thousand? Its a bunch of probabilities stacked on top of each other, in a way that reminds me alot of the Fermi paradox.
And we keep inventing new ways to do it and making the current ways easier. There are also plenty of non self inflicted ways it could happen. Commet or meteor, gamma ray bust, supervolcano, etc.
It really isnt a question of if, but when. Before or after we become interplanetary or better intersolar-system species. My hope at this point is just not in my lifetime.
Right, the ratchet effect, where once we extinct ourselves we don’t so much come back from that:-).
Unless we exist in multiple realities, whether physical like if humanity was seeded amongst the stars, or like metaverse style, or maybe we are only a simulation to begin with, then it’s only our branch that would end, and even that ignores plot constraints.
Then again, it doesn’t really matter, if we have no control over it anyway. What matters, it seems like to me anyway, is if we knew better and just flat did not care: if we are only responsible for our own parts, then conversely we are responsible for that much at least.
Pretty sure people though that in the 1910s, then again in the 1940s, then a few times in the 70s/80s, and now seems like a persistent feeling over the last 10-20 years or so.
Eventually we’ll be right, but humans as a group seem to have incredibly bleak outlooks.
Ya, by 1st time, i meant in the last generation of humans. Starting in the 30s or so when people started seeing the invention of the things listed above.
I didnt mean like just now in the 2023. Or last decade.
The 30s were about 3-4 generations ago…
No one from the 30’s is still alive?? I better go check on my grandparents.
Also, why the downvote? I was just adding more explanation to a conversation about an idea.
I haven’t downvoted you bud…
Generation means something very specific when you’re talking about the last generation of humans, being alive doesn’t make you the same generation as everyone else currently living.
Your grandparents by definition are 2 generations older than you are. That’s how they became grandparents.
Sorry, i just assumed we were at a point where no one other than the 2 of us would be reading this deep.
Yes that is how generations work. But generations in general is a very loose term. If somone in my grandparents’ generation didnt have kids, they would still be the last generation.
But it really doesnt matter. The point is that humanity has only had this ability in the last 100 years or so
Agreed. It’s just your original point really sounded like you meant people today are worrying about it for the first time in history.
I gotcha now :) x