Our Final Hour
by Martin J. Rees
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Description
Publisher's description: Bolstered by unassailable science and delivered in eloquent style, Our Final Hour's provocative argument that humanity has a mere 5050 chance of surviving the next century has struck a chord with readers, reviewers, and opinion-makers everywhere. Rees's vision of our immediate future is both a work of stunning scientific originality and a humanistic clarion call on behalf of the future of life.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This was a great book on a subject near and dear to my heart. I have no direct descendants so I often concern myself with the fate of our entire species. This book is a great introduction into SOME of the EXISTENTIAL threats to our species and to the entire EARTH. The purpose is not to keep you up at night but to inform you about some things that TRUELY MATTER to our decedents on 50-100 year (2-5 generations) time scale.
It is ABSOLUTELY FALSE that there is NOTHING we can do about these matters. In small ways we can all make choices which either promote or demote the chances of our species surviving for the long run. By living CONSCIOUSLY and making WISE CHOICES we can all do our part to promote a more positive future. "Ignorance is show more bliss" is about as sound advice as having another drink after you are already drunk. NO good decisions are likely to result. KNOWLEDGE is POWER (The Power to do GOOD). show less
It is ABSOLUTELY FALSE that there is NOTHING we can do about these matters. In small ways we can all make choices which either promote or demote the chances of our species surviving for the long run. By living CONSCIOUSLY and making WISE CHOICES we can all do our part to promote a more positive future. "Ignorance is show more bliss" is about as sound advice as having another drink after you are already drunk. NO good decisions are likely to result. KNOWLEDGE is POWER (The Power to do GOOD). show less
A bit alarmist but maybe that is what is needed. Sir. Rees covers many of the key existantial risks with authority, he misses many others and does not convey with what reliability we should consider the ones he presents.
Definitely worth reading and taking into serious account.
Definitely worth reading and taking into serious account.
The Astronomer Royal opines that _H sapiens_ has only a 50-50 chance of surviving the twenty hundreds. Includes yet another mention (a short chapter in fact) of the Carter/Leslie/Gott doomsday argument, which "has weathered a good deal of scrutiny" (p 135).
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Speculative non-fiction
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Author Information
34+ Works 3,435 Members
Martin Rees is Royal Society Research Professor at Cambridge University and holds the title of Astronomer Royal.
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Our Final Hour
- Original title
- OUR FINAL HOUR: A Scientist's warning : How Terror, Error, and Environmental Disaster Threaten Humankind's Future in This Century - on Earth and Beyond
- Alternate titles
- Our Final Century
- Original publication date
- 2003
Classifications
- Genres
- Science & Nature, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 303.49 — Society, government, & culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social processes Social change Social forecasts
- LCC
- CB161 .R38 — Auxiliary Sciences of History History of Civilization History of Civilization Forecasts of future progress
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 345
- Popularity
- 91,543
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- 6 — Czech, Dutch, English, German, Italian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 4
