the Decline and Fall of Human Empire

Bol

**"Henry Gee presents a pithy, fascinating account of the stages of biological evolution. ... a meditative and friendly listening experience. —AudioFile on A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth Written and read by the award-winning author of A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: a history of humanity on the brink of decline.** A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Selection We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline—fast. In this provocative book, award-winning science writer Henry Gee offers a concise, brilliantly-told history of our species—and argues that we are on a Rapid, one-way trip to extinction. The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire narrates the dramatic rise of humanity, how a scattered range of small groups across several continents eventually inbred, interacted, fought, established stable communities and food supplies, and began the process of dominating the planet. The human story is relatively brief—the oldest fossils of H. Sapiens date to approximately 300,000 years ago—yet the spread of our species has been unstoppable…until recently. As Gee demonstrates, our population has peaked, and is declining; our environment is becoming inimical to human life in many locations; our core resources of water, arable land, and air are diminishing; and new diseases, simmering conflicts, and ambiguous technologies threaten our collective health. Can we still change our course? Or is our own extinction inevitable? There could be a way out, but the launch window is narrow. Unless Homo sapiens establishes successful colonies in space within the next two centuries, our species is likely to stay earthbound and will have vanished entirely within another ten thousand years, bringing the seven-million-year story of the human lineage to an end. With assured narration, dramatic stories, and his signature sprightly humor, Henry Gee envisions new opportunities for the future of humanity—a future that will reward facing challenges with ingenuity, foresight, and cooperation. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Stumpel

In ?Humans Are Doomed To Go Extinct', an article in Scientific American published in November 2021, veteran Nature editor Dr Henry Gee predicted that Homo sapiens is on a rapid one-way ride to extinction. The article provoked media coverage and comment around the world. In The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire, Gee expands the themes of his much-discussed article to book length, charting both the rise as well as the fall of humans.After 10,000 years of exponential growth, the rate of human population increase is falling, and rapidly, from a peak of more than 2 per cent a year in 1968 to a shade over 1 per cent today. At this rate, in 10,000 years' time, our species will be extinct.Rapid climate change is threatening the capacity of human beings to survive on this planet. But there are internal stresses, too. The global economy has been stagnant for twenty years, and across the world, humans are not having children as often as they once did. The average human sperm count has been in decline for more than half a century. The reason for the decline is a mystery.Gee paints a picture of extinction within the next 10,000 years - and suggests ways that our exceptional species might avoid its fate.

Amazon

Pagina's: 288, Hardcover, St. Martin's Press