{"product_id":"whats-the-worst-that-could-happen-existential-risk-and-extreme-politics-9780262046077","title":"What's the Worst That Could Happen?: Existential Risk and Extreme Politics","description":"\u003cb\u003eWhy catastrophic risks are more dangerous than you think, and how populism is making them worse.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDid you know that you're more likely to die from a catastrophe than in a car crash? The odds that a typical US resident will die from a catastrophic event--for example, nuclear war, bioterrorism, or out-of-control artificial intelligence--have been estimated at 1 in 6. That's fifteen times more likely than a fatal car crash and \u003ci\u003ethirty-one\u003c\/i\u003e times more likely than being murdered. In \u003ci\u003eWhat's the Worst That Could Happen?\u003c\/i\u003e, Andrew Leigh looks at catastrophic risks and how to mitigate them, arguing provocatively that the rise of populist politics makes catastrophe more likely. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLeigh explains that pervasive short-term thinking leaves us unprepared for long-term risks. Politicians sweat the small stuff--granular policy details of legislation and regulation--but rarely devote much attention to reducing long-term risks. Populist movements thrive on short-termism because they focus on their followers' immediate grievances. Leigh argues that we should be long-termers: broaden our thinking and give big threats the attention and resources they need. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLeigh outlines the biggest existential risks facing humanity and suggests remedies for them. He discusses pandemics, considering the possibility that the next virus will be more deadly than COVID-19; warns that unchecked climate change could render large swaths of the earth uninhabitable; describes the metamorphosis of the arms race from a fight into a chaotic brawl; and examines the dangers of runaway superintelligence. Moreover, Leigh points out, populism (and its crony, totalitarianism) not only exacerbates other dangers but is also a risk factor in itself, undermining the institutions of democracy as we watch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e MIT Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/09\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780262046077\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240","brand":"Andrew Leigh","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41229604454581,"sku":"9780262046077","price":23.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_6360fd14-86a9-4bb4-8dfb-c2690ee85cf1.jpg?v=1634041801","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/whats-the-worst-that-could-happen-existential-risk-and-extreme-politics-9780262046077","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}