End Times (book)
| Company type | Non-fiction book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | Bryan Walsh |
| Products | Book |
End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World is a non-fiction work published in 2019 by journalist Bryan Walsh. The book explores various threats that could lead to human extinction, including asteroids, volcanic eruptions, nuclear conflict, climate change, infectious diseases, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and alien life. Through conversations with specialists in fields such as astronomy, anthropology, biology, climatology, and geology, Walsh advocates for enhanced preventative measures.
Ideas
Walsh opens by discussing Derek Parfit’s perspective on the profound ethical significance of safeguarding future generations from existential dangers. He points to the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact on Jupiter as a catalyst that motivated governments to begin monitoring near-Earth objects and expresses hope that similar initiatives can be applied to other global risks. Regarding nuclear warfare, Walsh cautions that it represents a more immediate threat than climate change due to its capacity to induce rapid atmospheric alterations.
In addressing survival after a nuclear winter, Walsh cites David Denkenberger’s 2014 work Feeding Everyone No Matter What, which suggests growing mushrooms by converting cellulose into edible matter as a practical food source. He calculates that a modest log could produce approximately two pounds of mushrooms over four years—potentially adequate if the human population were significantly diminished. Additionally, powdered leaves could provide vitamin C; however, cannibalism is rejected as an unsustainable option.
Walsh also highlights how human cognitive biases obstruct sufficient public concern and action regarding existential threats.
Reception
Seth Baum from the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute commended End Times in Science as an "excellent general-purpose introduction" to literature on global dangers. Kirkus Reviews characterized the book as "engaging and alarming," praising its "persuasive" proposed solutions, while Publishers Weekly remarked that it presents "few definitive conclusions."
The volume was recognized by Nature as one of "five of the week's best science selections" and was included in Time magazine’s August 2019 compilation of "Best Books."
See also
- Why The Future Doesn't Need Us (2000)
- Our Final Hour (2003)
- The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity (2019)
External links
- Review in the Washington Post
- Supervolcanoes, asteroids, climate change (Interview with transcript on CBC Radio)
- Which Doomsday Scenario Is Most Likely to End Humanity? (Interview by Popular Mechanics)