Short answers, pulled from the story.
Global catastrophic risks are hypothetical events capable of damaging human well-being on a global scale. These risks generally refer to events that could inflict serious damage to human well-being worldwide without necessarily causing total extinction.
The Black Death resulted in the deaths of a third of Europe's population and 10% of the global population at the time. This historical event serves as an example of large catastrophes humanity has suffered before.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists established the Doomsday Clock in 1947 to study risks associated with nuclear war and energy. The organization itself was founded in 1945 to examine these dangers.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is buried inside a mountain on an island in the Arctic region. It holds 2.5 billion seeds from over 100 countries to preserve world crops against future disasters.
Experts increasingly worry about cascading risks because they involve the use of AI for bioengineering and threats involving nuclear weapons systems. These risks change rapidly as technology advances and background conditions shift.