English

Nuclear War from a Cosmic Perspective

Physics and Society 2015-05-22 v2 Computers and Society

Abstract

I discuss the impact of computer progress on nuclear war policy, both by enabling more accurate nuclear winter simulations and by affecting the probability of war starting accidentally. I argue that from a cosmic perspective, humanity's track record of risk mitigation is inexcusably pathetic, jeopardizing the potential for life to flourish for billions of years.

Cite

@article{arxiv.1505.00246,
  title  = {Nuclear War from a Cosmic Perspective},
  author = {Max Tegmark},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1505.00246},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

Typos corrected. Based on my talk at the symposium "The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction" held February 28-March 1 2015 at The New York Academy of Medicine, http://totalwebcasting.com/view/?id=hcf

R2 v1 2026-06-22T09:26:45.782Z