Ask HN: What are the 3 biggest threats to our civilization?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29084115

by axismundi • 5 years ago

3 12 5 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I think it's:

1. AI being used in a malicious way 2. Global warming

I'm not sure about the third one. What do you think?

johntdaly• 5 years ago

1. racism/xenophobia/sexism 2. societal externality costs for industry (like global warming) 3. social media

dudul• 5 years ago

Number 1 has existed for tens of thousands of years in much more severe shapes, civilization is still around.

kleer0013• 5 years ago

yup, it's called tribalism, our closest relatives the chimps also practice it

thesuperbigfrog• 5 years ago

1. Stupid people

2. Greed

3. Tolerating corruption

snyena• 5 years ago

Overpopulation

kleer0013• 5 years ago

1. Entropy (time taking its toll) in terms of corruption at every possible level of material, culture, liberty, biology, political.

2. Inter-generational discounting (you can't make the next generation care about what you cared about) driving a lack of upkeep for essential yet invisible infrastructure.

3. Threats from space: Coronal mass ejection, cometary impact, meteor impact.

IMHO neither AI nor Global warming are as much a threat to human civilization. They could really suck, but they're not going to send us back to the bronze age or extinct us. We're pretty damn clever and resilient.

dyeje• 5 years ago

1. Climate change

2. Nuclear war

I can't think of a credible third.

markus_zhang• 5 years ago

There is only one: the imbalance of wealth distribution.

kleer0013• 5 years ago

Those that less productive should be compensated with more than those who are highly productive?

ed_at_work• 5 years ago

Misinformation for one of them. Previous US elections, and now COVID, have highlighted how misinformation is both extremely potent/viral, and literally deadly.

mikewarot• 5 years ago

Physics used in the service of war/terrorism

Biology used in the service of war/terrorism

Rent seeking of the elite

gaws• 5 years ago

1. Greed

2. Climate change

3. Giving power to stupid people

Ask HN: What are the 3 biggest threats to our civilization?

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