Acta Astronautica Abstract Directed panspermia involves the deliberate spread of life between planets by intelligent actors. While it was originally proposed to explain the origin of life on Earth, rece

Institute for Futures Studies. Working paper 2025:1 Abstract Extinction risk refers to the possibility of the extinction of the human species, and is the subject of a growing field of study. In this con   We present here an argument in favor of the time of perils hypothesis. We argue that, according to several prominent theories in the field of international relations (IR), humanity (absent an extinction event) is likely to be unified under a world system of governance. By a “world system of governance” (WSG), we mean a global set of institutions, norms and structures that can settle dis­putes, promote trust and cooperation, and reduce great power security compete­tion. We explore the most prominent theories in international relations, which include: realism, liberalism and constructivism, and how these theories propose the emergence of a global system of governance. We conclude that a WSG will, if it emerges, have a significant impact on reducing extinction risk, including risks from emerging technologies, biorisk and non-anthropogenic risks. This argument, linking IR theory to existential risk is, to our knowledge, novel and potentially significant in the context of ascertaining whether existential risk prevention has astronomical value in expectation due to the vast number of potential lives that could exist in the future.                                                  

Science and Engineering Ethics, 28. Abstract The biosphere represents the global sum of all ecosystems. According to a prominent view in environmental ethics, ecocentrism, these ecosystems matter for the