I have no patience for futurists and their predictions, so why was Martin Rees’s On The Future on my Christmas wish list?  First, Rees has impeccable scientific credentials.  He’s one of the world’s leading astronomers and a former President of The Royal Society.  Second, he writes about complex scientific issues with crystalline clarity.  Third, this compact and quite personal account of what lies ahead for our species and our planet featured on so many Best Books of 2018 lists that I felt I couldn’t ignore it.

I enjoyed it very much.  It’s not Rees’s style to harangue.  His approach is measured, reasonable, and careful.  There’s no hysteria or exaggeration, but he brings a passionate engagement, a sharp intelligence and intense curiosity to bear not only on the challenges he thinks have to be addressed urgently but also those in our far future. Throughout the book he manages to balance an appropriate level of respect for what scientists and technologists can achieve going forward with a healthy skepticism about their tendency towards hubris.  He coins some memorable aphorisms along the way: that we should be less alarmed by artificial intelligence than real stupidity, that the global village exposes us to global village idiots, and so on.  Ethics are always in the forefront of his thinking.

I suppose it’s too much hope that this deeply humane book might be read by our world’s political leaders.