london renowned indian economist cambridge dr partha dasgupta joined network britain greatest living minds eviscerate list risks faced humanity end of the world list catastrophic events could cause disintegration human species worked cambridge university centre study existential risk cser lightemitting diode lord rees ludlow astronomer royal past president royal society includes among others cosmologist stephen hawking lord may oxford former government chief scientist cambridge philosopher huw price harvard evolutionary geneticist saint george church dr dasgupta frank ramsey professor emeritus economics cambridge robert may past president royal society dana scott professor computer skill andrew carnegie mellon murray shanahan professor cognitive robotics imperial beard college nick bostrom future humanity institute oxford initial funding come jaan tallinn skype many scientists concerned ontogeny human technology may soon pose new risks species hale lord rees read dangers suggested progress artificial intelligence developments biotechnology artificial life nanotechnology potential extreme effects anthropogenic climate change seriousness risks difficult assess seems cause business given much stake cser multidisciplinary research centre dedicated study moderation risks kind destination steer small divide cambridge great intellectual resources task see to it species according lord rees group inform public politicians best potential advice put on the line scenarios may suddenly become reality devastating consequences kind world now young people living lord rees said british science festival one things predict surely crowded world less secure think look political masters worry far scenarios thankfully yet happened events could arise unexpectedly financial crisis could cause lord rees said nuclear wars deadly bioterrorist attacks pandemics accelerated global air out travel critical substructure artificially intelligent computers turn hostile go reality future decades events low chance ruinous event may loom high political agenda said us cambridge natural social scientists plan colleagues oxford elsewhere inaugurate research programme compile unadulterated record existential risks assess enhance resilience credible ones