Name: Is this our final century?
Uploaded: 2007-01-17T00:11:00Z
Duration: 17 min 12 s
Description: Speaking as both an astronomer and "a concerned member of the human race," Sir Martin Rees examines our planet and its future from a cosmic perspective. He urges action to prevent dark consequences from our scientific and technological development.

Speaking as both an astronomer and "a concerned member of the human race," Sir Martin Rees examines our planet and its future from a cosmic perspective. He urges action to prevent dark consequences from our scientific and technological development.

Is this our final century?

Human civilization is now transforming the planet and itself at a speed unprecedented in Earth's 4.5 billion-year history. In just fifty years, carbon dioxide levels and radio emissions have soared, marking a dramatic shift visible from across the galaxy. Advances in science and technology promise great benefits but open the door to catastrophic risks, some triggered by accident or a single fanatic. The choices made in this pivotal century will echo far beyond the Earth and into the remote future.