Our Final Hour
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Sir Martin Rees |
| Products | Non-fiction book on existential risks and future of humanity |
Our Final Hour is a 2003 publication authored by British Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees. The complete title reads Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning: How Terror, Error, and Environmental Disaster Threaten Humankind's Future In This Century—On Earth and Beyond. In the United Kingdom, the book was released under the title Our Final Century: Will the Human Race Survive the Twenty-first Century?.
The work contends that contemporary technologies pose more significant threats to Earth and humanity’s continued existence than is widely acknowledged, identifying the 21st century as a critical era for human destiny. Rees evaluates multiple existential dangers, estimating approximately a 50% probability that humans could become extinct before the year 2100, primarily due to accidental or intentional deployment of destructive technologies.
Humanity's fate and recommendations for survival
Rees underscores the peril of extinction stemming from unregulated advancements such as nanotechnology and artificial superintelligence, alongside uncontrolled scientific endeavors, terrorism, extremist violence, and environmental degradation. He advocates for humanity’s expansion into outer space as a strategy to enhance survival chances.
To address these threats, Rees urges international oversight of specific scientific research areas and limits on access to sensitive knowledge. Although nuclear conflict remains a significant hazard, he stresses the importance of arms control in conjunction with scientific governance.
Of particular concern is bioterrorism; Rees notably predicted that significant bioterrorist incidents are likely within twenty years. He references previous efforts by organizations like Aum Shinrikyo to obtain lethal pathogens—now potentially easier to engineer given resources accessible via the internet.
Rees endorses market-driven initiatives in space exploration and settlement, anticipating that affluent entrepreneurs will spearhead humanity’s expansion beyond Earth.
Publication data
- Sir Martin Rees, Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning: How Terror, Error, and Environmental Disaster Threaten Humankind's Future In This Century—On Earth and Beyond (2003), Basic Books, hardcover: ISBN 0-465-06862-6, 2004 paperback: ISBN 0-465-06863-4
- Sir Martin Rees, Our Final Century?: Will the Human Race Survive the Twenty-first Century? (2003) (UK) William Heinemann, hardcover: ISBN 0-434-00809-5, 2004 Arrow paperback: ISBN 0-09-943686-8
References