My interests and activities are broad, but all revolve around the theme of making the world (universe(s)?) a better place. I am an interdisciplinary (or transdisciplinary) researcher working across a wide range of fields in natural and social science, engineering, philosophy, and policy. My primary focus is global catastrophic risk, meaning risk of events that could destroy global human civilization, such as climate change or nuclear war. I also work in astrobiology, which is the study of life in the universe. My research aims to inform major social decisions through careful attention to their impacts on the world and the universe(s), to fundamental ethics principles, and to the people and institutions involved in the decisions.
I am Co-Founder (with Tony Barrett) and Executive Director of the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute. I am also affiliated with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, and the Columbia University Center for Research on Environmental Decisions. I also write a column for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. I live in New York City.
For more information: http://sethbaum.com
Twitter: @SethBaum