Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning

Martin Rees

Mar 2009 · Sold by Basic Books

About this ebook

A scientist known for unraveling the complexities of the universe over millions of years, Sir Martin Rees now warns that humankind is potentially the maker of its own demise -- and that of the cosmos. Though the twenty-first century could be the critical era in which life on Earth spreads beyond our solar system, it is just as likely that we have endangered the future of the entire universe. With clarity and precision, Rees maps out the ways technology could destroy our species and thereby foreclose the potential of a living universe whose evolution has just begun. Rees boldly forecasts the startling risks that stem from our accelerating rate of technological advances. We could be wiped out by lethal "engineered" airborne viruses, or by rogue nano-machines that replicate catastrophically. Experiments that crash together atomic nuclei could start a chain reaction that erodes all atoms of Earth, or could even tear the fabric of space itself. Through malign intent or by mistake, a single event could trigger global disaster. Though we can never completely safeguard our future, increased regulation and inspection can help us to prevent catastrophe. Rees's vision of the infinite future that we have put at risk -- a cosmos more vast and diverse than any of us has ever imagined -- is both a work of stunning scientific originality and a humanistic clarion call on behalf of the future of life.

Ratings and reviews

A really interesting book, bringing together multiple threats and their interaction. What spoiled it for me was the totally British/American viewpoint. The Soviet Union was a threat, The US had to defend itself. Terrorists were a threat, The West was defending itself and civilization against them. The US was not seen as the biggest threat to the existence of stability, but as the norm that needed to be preserved. The "us" referred to included only citizens of countries aligned with the US, as if the rest of the world was irrelevant. This bias is unfortunate, as the readers of the book would often have more of an international point of view than the general public. The political naivety of the book casts a shadow on the reasoning of the author, and makes an important subject difficult to assimilate. Even worse is the assumption that both science and individual privacy have to be limited to avoid calamity. This government-should-have-control-to-keep-us-safe idea is insane as the cults he lambastes.

A great introduction to many scientific and historical topics and acts as a great springboard to further research. The result however is a somewhat unfocused but very interesting and readable overview of the idea that we should not take our species continued existence for granted.

Whoops. My title and description should be reversed.

About the author

Martin Rees is a leading researcher on cosmic evolution, black holes, and galaxies. He has himself originated many key ideas, and brings a unique perspective to themes discussed in this book. He is currently a Royal Society Research Professor, and Great Britain's Astronomer Royal. Through based in Cambridge University for most of his career, he travels extensively, and collaborates wit many colleagues in the U.S. and elsewhere. He is an enthusiast for international collaboration in research, and is a member of several foreign academies.