Re: Goo prophylaxis (was: Hanson antiproliferation

Nicholas Bostrom (bostrom@mail.ndirect.co.uk)
Mon, 25 Aug 1997 22:28:59 +0000


Anders wrote:

>Remember that we humans consistently overestimate the risks
>of huge disasters and underestimate small, common disasters, and that
>fear is the best way of making people flock to an "obvious solution",
>especially if it is nicely authoritarian.

You know, I think so too, but I think that is only 2/3 of the truth.
We underestimate small, common disasters, overestimate the risks of
huge disasters, and we underestimate the risks of absolutley enormous
disasters. Or we put them in the same category as the huge disasters
without realising that they may be millions of times worse.

------------------------------------------------
Nicholas Bostrom
bostrom@ndirect.co.uk

*Visit my transhumanist web site at*
http://www.hedweb.com/nickb