Our Final Century

Our Final Century presents Martin Rees's assessment of the major existential risks facing humanity in the twenty-first century. Rees, the Astronomer Royal, argues that while scientific and technological progress has brought enormous benefits, it has also created new and potentially catastrophic dangers—from bioengineered pathogens and nanotechnology to climate change and nuclear weapons. The book examines how the combination of human fallibility and the power of modern technology creates an unprecedented situation where a small number of individuals or accidents could trigger global catastrophe.

Rees contends that humanity has perhaps a 50% chance of surviving the century without a major setback. He explores various scenarios of how civilization could be derailed, from deliberate misuse of technology to unintended consequences of scientific research. The work is structured around key risk domains: biotechnology, artificial intelligence, climate, and nuclear weapons, among others.

Published in 2003 (titled "Our Final Hour" in the US), the book became influential in the emerging field of existential risk studies and helped establish Rees as a leading voice in discussions about humanity's long-term future. It remains a foundational text for those concerned with existential risk and the governance of transformative technologies.