“On one of Eric Weinstein’s podcasts I was listening to yesterday they were arguing a point I have been arguing for 15 years: the cost of producing apocalyptic or near-apocalyptic scenarios has been plummeting over the past 2 decades and is approaching the domain where it will become accessible to »individuals.

I was deeply concerned about this almost 20 years ago when I realized we were not merely approaching this threshold, but were, in fact, however unconsciously, already beyond it. It is and has long been possible for a single human being to compose a weapon that will not merely obliterate all human beings… but one that could make life on Earth impossible. Right now.

And from what we know of our species, what can be done… »will be done. Unless we create contexts where that purpose is both undesireable and unimaginable to all participants in humanity. That’s an achievable goal, but we haven’t even begun this process, let alone made progress. If we do not do this soon, the possibility will… eventually… become moot.”

— one of my contributions to a conversation this afternoon with a few scientists I know — who largely dismissed it — as they generally have over time — in part because they are unwilling to consider something that would cast this long a shadow in their consciousness.

And because they are loathe to admit that ‘the great technological imperative’ has failed, continues to fail, and is likely to produce everything they thought it was ameliorating.