Doomerism was quite common throughout mankind’s history but all dire predictions invariably failed, from the “population bomb” to “grey goo” and “igniting the atmosphere” with a nuke. Populists however, were always quite eager to “protect us” - if only we’d give them the power.

But in reality you can’t protect from all the possible dangers and, worse, fear-mongering usually ends up doing more bad than good, like when it stopped our switch to nuclear power and kept us burning hydrocarbons thus bringing about Climate Change, another civilization-ending danger.

Living your life cowering in fear is something an individual may elect to do, but a society cannot - our survival as a species is at stake and our chances are slim with the defaults not in our favor. The risk that we’ll miss a game-changing discovery because we’re too afraid of the potential side effects is unacceptable. We owe it to the future and our future generations.