Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 187 | Andrew Leigh on the Politics of Looming Disasters
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Mar 7, 2022 
Andrew Leigh, a member of the Australian Parliament and author of "What's the Worst That Could Happen?", dives into the urgent necessity of addressing existential risks like climate change and pandemics. He emphasizes how current political frameworks often fail to tackle unlikely but catastrophic threats. The conversation explores the intersection of policy and public perception, critiques political dismissals of AI risks, and underscores the moral responsibility to future generations. Leigh advocates for proactive measures and bipartisan consensus in the face of looming global challenges.
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Hollywood's Impact on Politics
- The films "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact" spurred political action and increased spending on planetary defense.
- This bipartisan response to asteroid risks contrasts with the divided response to climate change.
Probability of Human Extinction
- Toby Ord estimates a one-in-six chance of human extinction within the next century.
- This estimate combines natural and human-made risks, highlighting the significant probability of catastrophe.
Valuing Future Lives
- Don't discount future lives; they hold equal value to present lives.
- Consider the potential loss of trillions of future lives when assessing existential risks.
