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Catastrophe: Risk and Response
Catastrophic risks are much greater than is commonly appreciated. Collision with an asteroid, runaway global warming, voraciously replicating nanomachines, a pandemic of gene-spliced smallpox launched by bioterrorists, and a world-ending accident in a high-energy particle accelerator, are among the possible extinction events that are sufficiently likely to warrant careful study. How should we respond to events that, for a variety of psychological and cultural reasons, we find it hard to wrap our minds around? Posner argues that realism about science and scientists, innovative applications of cost-benefit analysis, a scientifically literate legal profession, unprecedented international cooperation, and a pragmatic attitude toward civil liberties are among the keys to coping effectively with the catastrophic risks.
Book Details
- Publisher: Oxford University Press
- Publish Date: Dec 8th, 2005
- Pages: 336
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 8.86in - 6.06in - 0.85in - 1.04lb
- EAN: 9780195306477
- Categories: • Disasters & Disaster Relief• General
About the Author
Richard A. Posner is Judge of the U.S. Court Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School. He is the author of numerous books, including Overcoming Law a New York Times Book Review editors' choices for best book of 1995 and An Affair of State, one of their choices for Best Book of the Year in 1999.
Praise for this book
"We would be well advised to... take the message of this book seriously. We ignore it at (a small risk of) our (very great) peril."--Peter Singer, The New York Times Book Review"[Posner] addresses what can be done to improve the assessment of...catastrophic risks and of the possible responses to them. [Catastrophe] examines a number of possible institutional reforms at the law-science interface that may aid in coping with [these] risks."--Journal of Economic Literature"Catastrophe is worth the price of the book simply for Posner's lively and readable summary of the apocalyptic dystopias that serious scientists judge to be possible."-- Graham Allison, The Washington Post Book World"Interesting and provocative...it is well worth reading."--The Federal Lawyer"A fine lawyerly analysis.... Posner's perspective, very different from those held by most scientists, is a welcome addition to considerations of catastrophic risks."--Science"Will likely spark controversy.... subtle insights...[and] thoughtful analysis."--Publishers Weekly"Once again, Judge Posner has added to our cultural dialogue in a useful and interesting way."--Law and Politics Book Review"A valuable contribution to the study of risk control and management."--Natural Resources Journal