Here’s a potential existential risk. Suppose a chemical is used for some task or made as a byproduct of another task, especially one that is spread throughout the atmosphere. Additionally, suppose it causes sterility, but it takes a very long time to cause sterility. Perhaps such a chemical could attain widespread use before its deleterious effects are discovered, and by then, it would have already sterilized everyone, potentially causes an existential catastrophe. I know this scenario for causing an existential catastrophe seems very small compared to other risks, but is it worthy of consideration?
On the face of it, I don’t feel that this particular risk differentiates itself enough from “what if [insert subtle end-of-times scenario here]?” to be worthy of specific consideration. It’s a lot of what ifs and perhapses.
Interesting. Very small concentrations of the chemical would have to sterilize practically everyone they contacted—else it would just cause humanity to very rapidly evolve resistance, or maybe kill off the developed world.
There is a very short window for this to be a serious existential threat, on the order of a few decades. If mass sterilization does not happen soon, our technological ability to make babies using cloning and other technologies will outpace the need for genital-based reproduction.
Here’s a potential existential risk. Suppose a chemical is used for some task or made as a byproduct of another task, especially one that is spread throughout the atmosphere. Additionally, suppose it causes sterility, but it takes a very long time to cause sterility. Perhaps such a chemical could attain widespread use before its deleterious effects are discovered, and by then, it would have already sterilized everyone, potentially causes an existential catastrophe. I know this scenario for causing an existential catastrophe seems very small compared to other risks, but is it worthy of consideration?
On the face of it, I don’t feel that this particular risk differentiates itself enough from “what if [insert subtle end-of-times scenario here]?” to be worthy of specific consideration. It’s a lot of what ifs and perhapses.
Interesting. Very small concentrations of the chemical would have to sterilize practically everyone they contacted—else it would just cause humanity to very rapidly evolve resistance, or maybe kill off the developed world.
Reminds me of the decline in testosterone levels over the past couple decades, which might be due to endocrine-disrupting compounds in the water supply and in plastics and food, but which hasn’t been enough to sterilize much of the population.
There is a very short window for this to be a serious existential threat, on the order of a few decades. If mass sterilization does not happen soon, our technological ability to make babies using cloning and other technologies will outpace the need for genital-based reproduction.