Avoiding the Great Filter: Illuminating Pathways to Humanity’s Future in the Cosmos

As we round the first quarter turn of the twenty-first century in the Common Era, Earth teems with over eight billion human souls—more than at any other epoch in our history. Yet there is no safety in numbers to be found in this burgeoning population; no shield against the myriad threats that loom. At the pinnacle of technological prowess, humanity is uniquely empowered to bring about its own collapse. Yet, while a seemingly silent universe may foretell near-certain doom, Earth’s cleverest innovators are already devising the means to an unlimited future in the cosmos. In a fascinating narrative, Jonathan Jiang and Philip Rosen leverage their broad professional experiences in science, research, and engineering to open a dialogue exploring pathways that transcend basic survival to arrive at a thriving advanced technological society extending into the vast, mysterious universe. The solutions presented herein, conceived through pragmatically framed stewardship of our planet, bold technological innovation, and achievable interplanetary expansion, point the way to a prosperous multi-world future. Avoiding the Great Filter offers a compelling and realistic approach for how to use the powerful tools at hand to construct a comprehensive roadmap for humanity to overcome existential threats and flourish on Earth and beyond.