"There may be Hope, though not for us"

The collapse of past civilizations such as of the Easter Island and Sumer stand as stark evidence that wile the technology at our disposal is advancing at a breakneck speed our ability to use that technology wisely has not changed since the early days of humanity. These audio presentations on the CBC explore some of the issues that arise when a species evolves extrasomatic intelligence beyond the individual member's abilities to manage wisely let alone comprehend.

As Carl Sagan points out in his book, The Dragons of Eden, "...the recent rapid evolution of human intelligence is not only the cause of but also the only conceivable solution to the many serious problems that beset us. A better understanding of the nature and evolution of human intelligence just possibly might help us to deal intelligently with our unknown and perilous future." 

Here are the realaudio files: 
Discussions about Evolution Part 1 
Discussions about Evolution Part 2
Progress Traps explored in
A Short History of Progress Part One

The last clip is part of the 2004 Massey Lecture Series well worth the time and money to listen to in its entirety.
Visit http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/massey.html for more information.