Thomas Moynihan

Existential fear of science leading to catastrophic consequences is not new, and every time so far turned out unfounded, writes @thomasmoynihan.bsky.social, but might it, this time, be different?

Sinister ‘mirror’ life could pose real danger and is close to reality:

buff.ly/X7LsUzL

“Mirror life” and the recurring nightmare of scientific apocalypse The fear of unleashing forces beyond control has haunted science for centuries.

I wrote about 'Mirror Life' for @bigthink. None other than Louis Pasteur was already speculating on the possibility back in 1860! The piece also explores the recurrent fear that science might discover exotic new forms of life or matter which might wipe us all out. 🦠

bigthink.com/the-past/mir...

In Defense of Secular Religions Modern ideals of scientific and moral progress promise that rational inquiry can cleanse our beliefs of worldly bias. The history of those ideals suggests that this is neither possible nor desirable.

#modernity #history #possibility #alterity
Latest #mustread article by @thomasmoynihan.bsky.social - about Science As Exaptation of Voluntarism, with lots of juicy historical details, bringing some “cosmic emotion” in the wake of so many lucky eucatastrophes.
www.combinationsmag.com/in-defense-o...

A real pleasure to feature on the Berggruen Institute's new Futurology Podcast, in conversation with Benjamin Britton.

Listen here: youtu.be/6urjhHrT3wc?...

Check out this interactive timeline by CSER research affiliate @thomasmoynihan.bsky.social published in Antikythera's journal.
The History of Now explores how humans have tried to understand our place in time, mapping key predictions & discoveries throughout history.
⬇️
historyofnow.antikythera.org

Life as Slime Prominent scientists continue to claim life is “just” slime on a spinning rock. However, in an age when the rarity and fragility of life are increasingly evident, it’s time to retire the metaphor.

My latest, for @asimovpress.bsky.social, On the quip that life is "just" slime, clinging to a rock, spinning around a modest star... and why this outlook is cosmically misguided. 🦠

www.asimov.press/p/slime

Thomas Moynihan: Is increasing complexity humanity's path to survival or destruction? Will humanity's 'global brain' of shared knowledge and cooperation lead to a better future, or to our extinction? Jim Mora talks with Cambridge University's Dr Thomas Moynihan.

I spoke with Jim Mora for Radio New Zealand's flagship Sunday Morning Show about hope, the future, human extinction, global risk, and the idea of inevitability in history's tendencies. 🌍

Link here: www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Big FOMO for missing out on the excellent Scales of Life: From Basal #Cognition to #Planetary #Intelligence conference - 14-15 May at ICI #Berlin

Keynote by @drmichaellevin.bsky.social
and Deborah Coen and @thomasmoynihan.bsky.social

Register free at the link below! 👇

Asteroid anxiety: Astronomy's 300-year quest to predict cosmic collisions Fears of celestial collisions — and calculations of their likelihood — go back to the very origins of modern science itself.

My latest essay, for @bigthink.com!

Asteroid #2024YR4 recently provoked fears of cosmic collision. But astronomy's quest to forecast such hazards goes back to the very origin of science itself. In fact, such efforts provided early vindication of the promise of the scientific method...☄️

Read below!

Thanks for the generous words... It means a lot. Yes, I have been meaning to for ages now... Good to finally make it over here!

How humanity moved from ‘eternal’ to ‘bookended’ time | Aeon Essays Nothing lasts forever: not humanity, not Earth, not the Universe. But finitude confers an indelible meaning to our lives

Thought this provided a good impetus to (finally) start a Bluesky account!

My latest article, for @aeon.co on how humanity gained its bearings in time, and why this stands set to inculate a revolution in our sense of who and what we are...

Read here! aeon.co/essays/how-h...