Effective Altruism: Ten Global Problems – 80000 Hours cover image

One: Toby Ord on existential risks

Effective Altruism: Ten Global Problems – 80000 Hours

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The Risk of Extinction This Century Is Low or High?

The book is about the value of working on existential risk. The author uses a simple model to explain why it's so important. He argues that if you can reduce risks in one century, then they could be reduced over all centuries. This would increase life span by 50 times or more than removing half as much risk. But he says most people who are skeptical of exetential risk do so on the grounds that small risks are not very valuable.

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