Michio Kaku: Will Mankind Destroy Itself?

http://bigthink.com

The physicist sees two major trends in the world today: the first is toward a multicultural, scientific, tolerant society; the other, as evidenced by terrorism, is fundamentalist and monocultural. Whichever one wins out will determine the fate of mankind.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[antromy]

To end the risk of national or global conflict we people need radical changes. How radical? To the point we're able to wipe out border lines on a world map and delete the definition of 'country' or 'nation'. This is an extreme change but it's the only way to reach true peace. Unity will bring humanity as one and we won't need 'military' or 'defence force'. However if mankind continues as it is. This is impossible. And humanity will not see after the next few centuries on this planet.

[Pompeii Ash]

You militants (Both atheist and christian) are the type of monoculturalist Dr. Kaku is talking about. Too busy trying to destroy your brother to see you are exact monster you say you are trying to combat.

Science and Faith/belief are not exclusives. That exclusivity/absolute thinking is a human construct designed by human ego. Let that go, worry about your OWN personal belief (and not others) and share in the science.

Talking to you too, atheists.

[Baibhav Bahadur]

In a way, we can compare this to all of humanity embracing one religion or one race dominating the whole planet. It is this ideology that will cause tensions between people. We need to accept the fact that there will always be social, economical strata (classes) in the society. There will be people with different ideologies. We also need to realize that no other person follows the exact same beliefs you have.

Each country is actually a colossal representation of the people that inhabit it.

[Deathshuck]

My biggest fear literally is that we'll destroy ourselves before we have colonized the stars and we're stuck on this planet forever.

That being said, I don't believe there will ever be a nuclear war, because men's hatred towards one another is only rivaled by one thing and that's greed.

To quote Frank Zappa "there won't be a nuclear war because it messes up the real estate."

[Valosken]

Step 1: Allow Religion to dwindle

Step 2: Allow a more rational sense of morality to arise.

Step 3: We unify.

[georgemargaris]

Once people have got rid of false beliefs like religion, they then need to also question the most dangerous belief ever: belief in authority, belief in statism, belief in government and monopoly of force.

People killed by their own government in the 20th century: 250 million.

It's called democide and it will repeat itself. And if that is not scary enough... we have wars IN THIS MOMENT all over the world, because of governments who are free to tax the population and use the money as they see fit.

[Henna N.]

That was very well said!!! Well done

[xseth1]

Much agreed, but the generalization that ALL atheists and christians are monoculturalists is a bit ignorant. If any religious group is monoculturalistic, ist's Islam. I mean, part of there main law thingy effectively states that there should ultimately be no infadels (people who aren't Islamic).

[Incognito TG]

What makes you say that? The European Union being a hypocritical piece of bull, the fact that I don't believe that the human being has the willpower to do the right thing or you just talking out of your arse?

[whoa mi]

someone's been watching too much zeitgeist.

[Incognito TG]

European Union is a hypocritical bag of shit, coming from someone from Europe. :) This guy should stick to higher physics, not sociology.

[Incognito TG]

We're still in egoistic, fuck-up-our-planet civilization. Type 2? The fuck, humans are still animals, hard to overcome that natural fact.