Forgiving Humanity

Why has the most innovative of species become so dangerous? The answer, suggests Peter Russell, lies in humanity's accelerating pace of development. He shows how innovation breeds further innovation—a positive feedback loop leading to exponential rates of change. But our minds cannot grasp the full implications of exponential growth. We think more in terms of linear change, leading to a blind spot on the future.

However fast the pace of change may be today, it will be even faster in the ye...