The contemporary world poses the problem of extinction in a way unprecedented in human history.

From the variety of human languages, customs, and cultures already lost, to ancient ecosystems imperiled now that critical planetary thresholds have been breached; and from the planned obsolescence of vast technological systems, to the extermination of large sections of the human population made possible by modern weapons of war—today almost everything seems threatened by disappearance.

And while many realize that the prospect of climate breakdown and civilizational collapse are matters too urgent to ignore, important questions remain about our ability to respond to the scale and complexity of contemporary crises.