The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was the closest we came to a nuclear war that could have ended the world. A lot can be learned from how the United States and the Soviet Union were able to avoid a nuclear war.
The residents of Canterbury Hills subdivision were shocked when a fire consumed one of the nice homes. The investigation that followed uncovered a disturbing plot to kidnap a wife, revealing a treachery beyond most people's comprehension.
The need for technological progress to protect ourselves from negative externalities of previous technologies may prevent us from using defensive technologies in the case of bio risks or AI. Therefore, we should navigate our way through the time of existential risk in a measured way.
Super volcanic eruptions have occurred in the past leading to the death of billions of humans, and with the existence of a super volcano under Yellowstone in the central US, it is uncertain whether there would be an adequate response to prevent the death of the majority of the population in the event of another super volcanic eruption.
In this excerpt, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding probability and how it can help us react better to situations that have a risk of going badly.