How our era of plenty could lead to human extinction

Technological advances over the past half century have immeasurably improved the lives of much of humanity. However, this progress belies the seeds of a possibly dark future.

Francis Gavin

Mar 22, 2024 – 8.23am

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Imagine an alien observer, sent undercover to Earth every half-century, to account for the status of human life on the planet. What would she convey to her extraterrestrial colleagues about 2024?

Before taking her trip, she would peruse her previous reports, noting a few things. In 1974, the world’s leading democratic power, the United States, was in geopolitical retreat and domestic disarray, while the authoritarian Soviet Union appeared increasingly powerful.

Foreign Policy