Building an existential risk observatory

The risk of human extinction within this century has been estimated at one in six , according to recent research from Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute. This likelihood is unacceptably high. An important first step towards decreasing this risk is to improve public awareness and understanding of the nature of these risks.

That was the thought which, in early 2021, motivated a group of researchers, entrepreneurs, analysts, engineers, social activists, and consultants, based in Holland, to create the Existential Risk Observatory. They describe their mission as follows:

Since the sources of existential risk are mostly man-made, humanity has the power to reduce its own extinction risk. We must do so now.

At the Existential Risk Observatory, we believe that being aware of a problem is the first step towards solving it. Our mission is therefore to:

1. Increase existential risk awareness
2. Collect existential risk information
3. Spread existential risk information from academia to academia, think tanks, policy makers, and media.

See https://www.existentialriskobservatory.org/

At this London Futurists webinar, we will be joined by Otto Barten, Director of the Observatory. Otto will be reviewing the landscape of existential risks, the progress and plans of the Observatory, and practical opportunities for partnerships.

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This event will be hosted on Zoom. To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nfBar5GfRayAcdMesV1G_g

The Zoom registration fee (UKP £2.50) helps cover London Futurists running costs. (The Zoom registration page opens a PayPal interface, but there is NO requirement for attendees to use a PayPal account.)

The webinar can also be viewed, without charge, on the London Futurists YouTube channel, but without the option to participate in the live Q&A.

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Otto Barten is a sustainable energy engineer, data scientist, and entrepreneur. When he realized that existential risks are even more important than climate, he started the Existential Risk Observatory.

He has a BSc in Theoretical Physics from the University of Groningen and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Technology from Technische Universiteit Delft.

For more information about Otto and the other team members, see https://www.existentialriskobservatory.org/about-us/

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The webinar will start broadcasting at 4pm UK time on Sat 26th March. To find this time in other timezones, use https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20220326T160000&p1=136

Please log into Zoom up to 10 minutes ahead of the start time of the event, so you won't miss the start of the live broadcast.

As the discussion proceeds, attendees will be welcome to raise questions and vote to prioritise questions raised by others.

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Image credit: the above graphic contains work by Pixabay user Adrian Malec, https://pixabay.com/photos/mauna-kea-hawaii-summit-telescope-2262288/

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To register for this event, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nfBar5GfRayAcdMesV1G_g