[Problem profile] “Preventing catastrophic pandemics” by Arden Koehler and Benjamin Hilton

The recording may not reflect the most recent changes to this article.

Some of the deadliest events in history have been pandemics.For comparisons of the deadliest events in history, see Luke Muehlhauser’s survey of the deadliest events in history, also cited in our full profile on reducing global catastrophic biological risks. Note three of the top 10 are pandemics:

Global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRs) are risks of severe pandemics that are serious enough to threaten the future of humanity.

For reasons we discuss below, we think the chances of such a biological catastrophe are uncomfortably high. There are also a number of practical options for reducing these risks. So we think working to reduce GCBRs is a promising way to safeguard the future of humanity right now.

Note: This page gives a broad overview of the problem area and links to many resources on the topic. For an in-depth review of the issue and additional details about work in this area, see our full report on global catastrophic biological risks. (That report was published in March 2020 and largely written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — but we think its conclusions still stand today.)

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First published:
April 22nd, 2020

Source:
https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/preventing-catastrophic-pandemics