Sometimes you get the impression that our species is hurtling towards a certain doom. But you know, people have been thinking apocalyptic thoughts from the beginning. And the human waves just keep rolling out. I mean, if you think far enough ahead, the sun burns out and the universe collapses. But we won't be around to see it happen, and that is a long, long time away.
We don't know how things will work out for our species in the medium term either. Most of us came on the scene in the middle, and we will leave in the middle too. We won't be around to see how it all works out.
John Robb tells us that our real existential threat is "a corrupt decision making system." We are a "smart" (although maybe not as smart as we think we are) and adaptable species - "... if our social decision making systems are sound, we'll avoid catastrophe. If not, disaster."
So, there's that. And then you hear about Google working on driverless cars, and Green technology improving by leaps and bounds, and then you read about Lockheed Martin, one of those great Military industrialists, working on clean, green cold fusion power and you think "magic bullet!"
And well it would be like one of those classic Greek plays where the "Deus Ex Machina" comes and saves the day. Makes good drama. So yes, there's hope. Always hope. And well, maybe we're not so smart, and not so dumb, but we are really really adaptable. And that's sorta, kinda encouraging...