The human plague by Stephen Emmott

The Human Plague
Professor Stephen Emmott, Microsoft Research.
Earth is home to millions of species, yet just one dominates it: Us. Our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities are the drivers of almost every global problem we face, and as we continue to grow, every one of these problems is set to grow. We are in trouble, are heading into deeper trouble, and are doing little about it. In this talk, I shall aim to set out some of the problems that we look set to face as a consequence.

Biography

Stephen Emmott is Head of Computational Science, Microsoft. He leads an inter-disciplinary research programme, centred around Microsoft’s Computational Science Laboratory, based in Cambridge. Stephen completed a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences (Psych) at the University of York, and a PhD. in computational neuroscience at the Centre for Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience, University of Stirling.

This talk is part of the Darwin College Lecture Series series.

[helencoates]

i have always felt that our forefathers maxim of 'make do and mend', is a far better way for us to live. The most frightening thing about this lecture is how right he is now being proved. The irony is that he is from the Microsoft Institute - a company which in addition to paying his wages is involved in using the dwindling resources which he is at pains to point out are going to cause big problems. The big elephant in the room is how to control population - the planet itself will turn on us. I write as we all suffer

[matthewdolan]

Heavy stuff.. staltering delivery is weirdly appropriate...

[ericsarnoski]

Instead of continuously regurgitating older lectures why not provide a more updated discussion. Advances in genetic research related to viruses have advanced significantly in the last 6 years.

[michaelyoung]

You called out those leaders and they are finally calling you on it.

[apextroll]

When was this lecture? A little dated with the floods and plagues, no?

[michaelyoung]

I am a prenatal genetic scientist. While the people of this world tries to destroy themselves, it’s my job to help repopulate it.

[henryD]

Repetitive false modesty is not a good way to start a lecture

[michaelyoung]

I would like to challenge your mind Mr Emmott. I would do it for free. 😁

[michaeljoseph]

Why wouldn't gravity pull the Earth ever closer to the sun resulting in higher temperatures?

[michaelyoung]

I still don’t understand why you would save the useless under educated poor people who have strong immunities and destroy the unhealthy middle and upper class greedy rich folks who don’t do shit to help this planet and each other?