#37 The Anti-Catastrophe League
Tue Dec 16 2025
Tom Ough tells us about the Big Things that may end humanity - and what we can do and in some cases have done to prevent these. Did you know that if all the risks, the one that is most likely to end you is aging? What are we doing to stop aging? Tom is a journalist and writer who is currently Senior Editor at UnHerd, a London‑based online magazine of culture and opinion. After several years working at The Telegraph, he moved into research on global catastrophic risks and wrote a nonfiction book titled The Anti‑Catastrophe League about individuals and efforts to prevent humanity’s extinction, and he also co‑hosts the Anglofuturism podcast.
-- IN THIS EPISODE WE LEARN --
Why aging itself can be understood as a catastrophic risk, and what it would mean to treat it with the same seriousness as other existential threats.
What it would actually take to detect, deflect, or survive an asteroid impact.
Why space expansion and Mars are a part of long-term civilizational resilience.
Why some catastrophic risks may be overestimated, and how to think more clearly about climate change relative to other existential threats.
What we know about super-volcanoes, why they’re rare but devastating, and why preparedness matters despite uncertainty.
How nuclear war remains a central catastrophic risk, and why deterrence, miscalculation, and escalation still deserve serious attention.
How to think about AI risk, what distinguishes it from past technological threats, and why uncertainty makes governance difficult.
What p(doom) means, why people disagree so strongly about it, and how probabilities shape policy and public discourse.
Who typically gravitates toward anti-catastrophe thinking, and what motivates people to focus on low-probability, high-impact risks.
What Anglo-futurism is.
🗞️ SUBSCRIBE to the LEVITY newsletter: reachlevity.com/subscribe
Get all LEVITY DeSci content here: reachlevity.com/t/desci (sorry about the wrong link in the episode)
📕 Check out Patrick's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543163/the-case-against-death/
📗 Check out Peter's book (only available in Swedish): https://www.adlibris.com/sv/bok/evigt-ung-min-och-manniskans-drom-om-ododligheten-9789179652524
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Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: reachlevity.com/subscribe
LEVITY is co-hosted by Patrick Linden, philosopher and author, and Peter Ottsjö, journalist and author.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Tom Ough tells us about the Big Things that may end humanity - and what we can do and in some cases have done to prevent these. Did you know that if all the risks, the one that is most likely to end you is aging? What are we doing to stop aging? Tom is a journalist and writer who is currently Senior Editor at UnHerd, a London‑based online magazine of culture and opinion. After several years working at The Telegraph, he moved into research on global catastrophic risks and wrote a nonfiction book titled The Anti‑Catastrophe League about individuals and efforts to prevent humanity’s extinction, and he also co‑hosts the Anglofuturism podcast. -- IN THIS EPISODE WE LEARN -- Why aging itself can be understood as a catastrophic risk, and what it would mean to treat it with the same seriousness as other existential threats. What it would actually take to detect, deflect, or survive an asteroid impact. Why space expansion and Mars are a part of long-term civilizational resilience. Why some catastrophic risks may be overestimated, and how to think more clearly about climate change relative to other existential threats. What we know about super-volcanoes, why they’re rare but devastating, and why preparedness matters despite uncertainty. How nuclear war remains a central catastrophic risk, and why deterrence, miscalculation, and escalation still deserve serious attention. How to think about AI risk, what distinguishes it from past technological threats, and why uncertainty makes governance difficult. What p(doom) means, why people disagree so strongly about it, and how probabilities shape policy and public discourse. Who typically gravitates toward anti-catastrophe thinking, and what motivates people to focus on low-probability, high-impact risks. What Anglo-futurism is. 🗞️ SUBSCRIBE to the LEVITY newsletter: reachlevity.com/subscribe Get all LEVITY DeSci content here: reachlevity.com/t/desci (sorry about the wrong link in the episode) 📕 Check out Patrick's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543163/the-case-against-death/ 📗 Check out Peter's book (only available in Swedish): https://www.adlibris.com/sv/bok/evigt-ung-min-och-manniskans-drom-om-ododligheten-9789179652524 ----- Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: reachlevity.com/subscribe LEVITY is co-hosted by Patrick Linden, philosopher and author, and Peter Ottsjö, journalist and author. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.