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Modern WisdomApr 10, 2021

#306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk on Modern Wisdom.

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#306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk mentions X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction by Thomas Moynihan, Human Compatible by Stuart Russell, The Face of the Earth by Jonathan Schell, and The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

3 books from this episode

Dude, you've done a really, really good job with this.

Human Compatible
Stuart Russell

What is it? Human compatible by Stuart Russell, which came out last year. That's awesome.

The Face of the Earth
Jonathan Schell

So this was in the context of the Cold War, thermonuclear proliferation.

Episode summary
Thomas Moynihan is a historian and an author. Humans may have only had the ability to destroy ourselves for the last hundred years or so, but thinkers have been hypothesising about the potential end of existence for thousands of years. Today Thomas explains the history of how humanity came to realise its potential for extinction.
Mention timeline

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X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction
Thomas Moynihan

The host mentions 'X Risk' as a timely book that delves into the history of existential risks, highlighting its relev…

Card
Human Compatible
Stuart Russell

The host mentions 'Human Compatible' by Stuart Russell as part of a discussion on the intersection of technology and…

Card
The Face of the Earth
Jonathan Schell

The host mentions 'The Face of the Earth' to highlight its significant exploration of the consequences of human extin…

Card
The Denial of Death
Ernest Becker

The host mentions 'The Denial of Death' to highlight the uncomfortable reality that humanity bears the responsibility…

Card
Reasons and Persons
Derek Parfit

The host discusses Derek Parfit's book 'Reasons and Persons' to highlight its profound insights on the implications o…

Card
Astronomical Waste
Nick Bostrom

The host discusses Nick Bostrom's arguments about existential risk and the potential for future human experiences. Bo…

Card
The Precipice
Toby Ord

The host discusses how historical thinkers like Plato and early scientists grappled with the idea of catastrophic eve…

Card
Superintelligence
Nick Bostrom

The host mentions 'Superintelligence' in the context of discussing the rapid advancement of technology and the need f…

Card
Book mentions8
Media mentions0
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What is #306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk on Modern Wisdom.

What are the main takeaways from #306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk?

These are the strongest takeaways surfaced by the transcript, summary copy, and linked mentions for #306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk.

  • The conversation centers on applied ethics and technology.
  • A second recurring theme is conceptual inertia in science.
  • Referenced books include X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction by Thomas Moynihan and Human Compatible by Stuart Russell.
  • The strongest audience signal points to Readers interested in ethics, technology, and existential risks. and Readers interested in ethics and technology.

Which books are mentioned in #306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk?

X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction by Thomas Moynihan, Human Compatible by Stuart Russell, and The Face of the Earth by Jonathan Schell are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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#306 - Thomas Moynihan - A History Of Existential Risk keeps attracting summary-style searches because this page combines episode context, transcript quotes, book references, and direct jump links back into the audio.

Topic and sentiment signals

Aggregated from transcript-derived mention metadata for better topical navigation and citation.

Mention sentiment
Deep Dive(5)Highly Recommended(2)Passing Reference(1)
Audience signals
Readers interested in ethics, technology, and existential risks.Readers interested in ethics and technologyReaders interested in existential risks and philosophical discussions on mortality.Individuals interested in existential philosophy and responsibilityPhilosophy enthusiasts and those interested in existential risksIndividuals interested in existential risk and transhumanism

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction cover
Best for Readers interested in ethics, technology, and existential risks.Often cited around existential risk and ethics

But this Thomas Moynihan X risk, how humanity discovered its own extinction.

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Readers interested in ethics, technology, and existential risks.
Key quote: Dude, you've done a really, really good job with this.
The host mentions 'X Risk' as a timely book that delves into the history of existential risks, highlighting its relevance in today's discussions about ethics and technology. The host appreciates the depth of research in the book, noting its extensive footnotes and the quality of the writing.
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Human Compatible cover
Human Compatible
Stuart Russell
Best for Readers interested in ethics and technologyOften cited around applied ethics and technology

What is it? Human compatible by Stuart Russell, which came out last year. That's awesome.

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Readers interested in ethics and technology
Key quote: What is it? Human compatible by Stuart Russell, which came out last year. That's awesome.
The host mentions 'Human Compatible' by Stuart Russell as part of a discussion on the intersection of technology and ethics. They highlight its relevance in the context of moral progress and the challenges posed by advanced technology.
Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
Check price
The Face of the Earth cover
The Face of the Earth
Jonathan Schell
Best for Readers interested in existential risks and philosophical discussions on mortality.Often cited around human extinction risks

Schell wrote a book, The Face of the Earth, in the 1980s, which crisply stated how bad human extinction would be, particularly in the context of the Cold War.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Readers interested in existential risks and philosophical discussions on mortality.
Key quote: So this was in the context of the Cold War, thermonuclear proliferation.
The host mentions 'The Face of the Earth' to highlight its significant exploration of the consequences of human extinction, particularly in the context of the Cold War. The book is noted for its hopeful message despite its grim subject matter, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing existential risks.
Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
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The Denial of Death cover
The Denial of Death
Ernest Becker
Best for Individuals interested in existential philosophy and responsibilityOften cited around existential risk and responsibility

The excerpt discusses the uncomfortable topic of death and responsibility, referencing Becker's work on denial of death and its implications for human existence.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in existential philosophy and responsibility
Key quote: It reminds you that no one's coming to save you.
The host mentions 'The Denial of Death' to highlight the uncomfortable reality that humanity bears the responsibility for its own existence and future. This book resonates with the discussion on existential risk, emphasizing that no external savior will intervene in our fate.
Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
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Reasons and Persons cover
Best for Philosophy enthusiasts and those interested in existential risksOften cited around existential risk and extinction

Derek Parfit wrote a book called Reasons and Persons in the 80s, which is a detailed ethical philosophy and makes significant arguments about existential risk.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Philosophy enthusiasts and those interested in existential risks
Key quote: Parfen makes the argument that that's absolutely not the case.
The host discusses Derek Parfit's book 'Reasons and Persons' to highlight its profound insights on the implications of human extinction. Parfit's argument about the asymmetry of existential risks is presented as a crucial philosophical perspective that underscores the importance of considering the future of humanity.
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Astronomical Waste cover
Astronomical Waste
Nick Bostrom
Best for Individuals interested in existential risk and transhumanismOften cited around existential risk and future potential

Bostrom has a paper called Astronomical Waste, where he discusses the opportunity cost of delaying space colonization and its implications for future lives.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in existential risk and transhumanism
Key quote: Bostrom has this paper. It's called Astronomical Waste, where he makes this argument.
The host discusses Nick Bostrom's arguments about existential risk and the potential for future human experiences. Bostrom's book 'Astronomical Waste' is highlighted for its exploration of the opportunity cost associated with delaying space colonization.
Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
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The Precipice cover
Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and the history of scientific thoughtOften cited around conceptual inertia in science

The precipice, Toby Ord's precipice is kind of the, I guess, the founding text of this.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in philosophy and the history of scientific thought
Key quote: I'm sure we're suffering from a lot of it now that hopefully our forebears, if we make it out of the precipice, will look back on us and see how, you know, see how naive we were.
The host discusses how historical thinkers like Plato and early scientists grappled with the idea of catastrophic events and their implications for humanity. This leads to a mention of 'The Precipice' as a reflection on the risks we face today and the potential for future civilizations to look back on our naive understanding.
Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
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Superintelligence cover
Superintelligence
Nick Bostrom
Best for Readers interested in ethics and technologyOften cited around technological ethics and progress

Super intelligence. Fantastic.

View mention details
Sentiment: Passing Reference
For: Readers interested in ethics and technology
Key quote: Super intelligence. Fantastic.
The host mentions 'Superintelligence' in the context of discussing the rapid advancement of technology and the need for ethical considerations. This book is referenced alongside other works that explore existential risks and moral progress in the face of technological challenges.
Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
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X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction
Modern Wisdom · 1:23:43
Dude, you've done a really, really good job with this.
Human Compatible
Modern Wisdom · 1:23:38
What is it? Human compatible by Stuart Russell, which came out last year. That's awesome.
The Face of the Earth
Modern Wisdom · 5:31
So this was in the context of the Cold War, thermonuclear proliferation.
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Shop This Episode

Pick up the books after you hear them in context.

X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction cover
Mentioned at 1:23:43
X Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction
Thomas Moynihan

The host mentions 'X Risk' as a timely book that delves into the history of existential risks, highlighting its relevance in today's discussions ab…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
Human Compatible cover
Mentioned at 1:23:38
Human Compatible
Stuart Russell

The host mentions 'Human Compatible' by Stuart Russell as part of a discussion on the intersection of technology and ethics. They highlight its rel…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link
The Face of the Earth cover
Mentioned at 5:31
The Face of the Earth
Jonathan Schell

The host mentions 'The Face of the Earth' to highlight its significant exploration of the consequences of human extinction, particularly in the con…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

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