Richard Franz

Governments and people around the world, from Asia to Europe and throughout the Middle East, are in stunned disbelief as Donald Trump bewildered political pollsters with an unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton in the United States presidential election. Some news pundits and populists have hailed the result as a triumph of the people over a failed political establishment.

Hollywood directors, neighborhood movie theatres and sci-fi authors have for many years, with spectacular visuals, shown us dramatic theories on how society as we know it will end. A team of scientists from Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute and the Global Challenges Foundation, after researching the topic, even established a list of twelve possible ways that human civilization will end.

When we buy something new like a cell phone, lawn mower or car there is always an owner’s manual that comes with the purchase. Not everyone makes the effort to actually read this manual. After all, it takes precious time away from us that could be spent experimenting and playing with our newly purchased gadget.