Climate change, biological weapons, artificial intelligence: British astronomer Martin Rees explains why it can be liberating to think about the end of the world from time to time.
Of course, as befits a scholar, the home of Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow in Cambridge is overflowing with books. There, the 81-year-old could comfortably look back on a decade-long career as an astrophysicist. But at the Center for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), which he co-founded, he prefers to deal with future topics such as artificial intelligence or biotechnology, lectures and writes books. At the start of the video interview, Rees appears in a suit and tie, panic rises for a moment as to how to properly address this man, after all a member of the British House of Lords – professor, baron, lord, sir? You quickly end up talking to “Martin”. Very pleasant.