XRiskology: Existential Risks with Phil Torres, Part I

We have a guest on the show today – Phil Torres. Phil
Torres is an author, Affiliate Scholar at
the Institute for Ethics and Emerging
Technologies, former contributor at
the Future of Life Institute, and founding
Director of the X-Risks Institute. He
has published in Bulletin of the Atomic
Scientists, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, The
Humanist, Journal of Future
Studies, Bioethics, Journal of Evolution and
Technology, Foresight, Erkenntnis,
and Metaphilosophy, as well as popular media
like Time, Motherboard, Salon, Common
Dreams, Counterpunch, Alternet, The Progressive,
and Truthout.


I was absolutely delighted that he agreed to be interviewed for a
show like ours, and so I urge you to seek out his website –
risksandreligion.org – and buy one of his books. There’s “The End
– what Science and Religion have to tell us about the
Apocalypse”, which is on my shelf already, and, forthcoming, we
have Morality, Foresight, and Human Flourishing, which is going
to act as an introduction to the whole field of existential
risks, which people have been thinking about for a good deal of
time now. So I would urge you all, if you’re interested in this
topic – that of risks to the entire human species, which I think
we can agree affects us all – to buy one of those books.

This is the first part of our conversation, which touches on what
is meant by an existential risk, some specific examples from the
modern world in terms of nuclear profileration and nuclear
accidents; transhumanism, and how our societies and institutions
can deal with existential risks more effectively. We talk about
the field in general and how we can hope to think more
constructively about the end of the world - without waving a 'The
End is Nigh' sign! The second part, which focuses on AI, will be
released shortly.

Follow Phil @xriskology and the show @physicspod.