Cheers James! This is probably the downside of me spending so little time on social media

“The best book I’ve read on AI. It’s supremely timely, it takes no prisoners, and Sam Altman would hate it.” That's my blurb for @garrisonlovely.bsky.social new book 'Obsolete'. Do yourself a favour and preorder it now

Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse | Oxford Literary Festival Luke Kemp - Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse

Very late notice, but today I'll be speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival (unsurprisingly in Oxford)- shorturl.at/5HEKu Do come along if you are in the area (or pass it on to anyone who might be!)

It's okay to disagree! Note that I didn't say 'ecologically resilient', just resilient. All of this hinges on whether there are likely mechanisms which can kill everyone within the next few decades. The only candidates seem to be more speculative ones such as AI/engineered pandemics

I'll be soon submitting the amendments for the paperback version of Goliath's Curse! I want it to be as accurate as possible, so if you've spotted any errors (either factual, grammatical, or otherwise) then please let me know asap and I'll make sure they are addressed

Hi Hugo, thanks for the continued support! I don't think near-term human extinction is likely at all. Humans are remarkably resilient and innovative making extinction a remarkably high bar. I interpreted your earlier comments to be more about whether collapse will be rapid, not extinction

I really enjoyed these discussions with David! It offers a much deeper dive into each part of my book 'Goliath's Curse'.

I've done dozens of these podcasts and it partly follows the flow of the conversation. I'm also trying to condense 469 pages of ideas and need to miss loads of stuff. Again, I'd encourage you to hop off Bluesky and read the book. I have long sections discussing extinction and x-risk

Thanks Hugo! I don't have a default per se (at least not one that I describe in the book or in podcasts that I'm aware of). Collapse spans a spectrum from slow de-industriaisation through to full-blown nuclear war in a day. An accelerating world probs does favour rapid collapse (as per se the book)

Thanks Dagomar! Given how much I respect you and your work, this is just as meaningful as any blurbs or reviews I've received

Our research shows strong evidence to support James Scott's view of the origin of the state @lukekemp.bsky.social, as you discuss in your great book Goliath's Curse.

Funnily enough Hugo, I use several similar graphs in the book! I also have an entire chapter on how the world is accelerating and collapse is more likely to be quick in the future (I also mention much of this in the podcast). I'd recommend reading the book before posting about it.

Experts @lukekemp.bsky.social and @laurielaybourn.bsky.social give us the lowdown on non-linear and 'derailment' risks ("that could easily cause us to spiral closer and closer into the climate change storm")
"The more clearly we see the climate end game, the better our chances of never reaching it."

Thanks Michelle, I appreciate the kind words!

How Collapse Happens (w/ Luke Kemp) Podcast Episode · The Climate Pod · 10/08/2025 · 1h 7m

New Episode!

@lukekemp.bsky.social on how collapse happens and the unique threats we face today.

Listen with the links below

iOS: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Spotify 👇 open.spotify.com/episode/6Nz9...

#climatechange #climatecrisis