Home / Quotes / Quote by Annalee Newitz

Quote by Annalee Newitz

“To be fair, if we are having a mass extinction, we're in the early stages of it. I think it's knowing facts like that which has made me less fearful about the future. Mass extinction is a long, complicated process that we are just now beginning to understand - and likewise, we are just beginning to understand how we might prevent one.”

Quote by Annalee Newitz

Author

Annalee Newitz is an accomplished journalist and writer, born in 1969. She is renowned for her in-depth reporting on technology, science fiction, and gender issues. Newitz has served as an editor for 'Make' magazine and has authored several books on technology and culture. more

You May Also Like

“Even though I now know that it's likely the Earth will suffer through mega-volcanoes or meteor strikes that could take out millions or billions of people, I feel less anxious about it because I actually understand what the threats are. There's nothing like researching something exhaustively to make it less terrifying.”

People Knows Feels Earth Suffering Millions Threat Strikes Billions Anxious Volcanoes Meteors Mega

Author:Annalee Newitz

“I think it's the process of demystification, and realizing that we are not talking about some supernatural nightmare - we're talking about a natural process that the planet has gone through before, and which animals have survived before.”

Thinking Process Realizing Natural Animal Talking Gone Planets Nightmare Survived Not Talking

Author:Annalee Newitz

“Sometimes it's hard to take everyday concerns seriously when you think about vanished ecosystems that existed 300 million years ago and were eradicated by giant explosions. My goals haven't changed, because my goal has always been to save the world!”

Thinking World Years Sometimes Hard Goal Millions Havens Changed Concern Years Ago Everyday Giants Explosions Save The World Ecosystems

Author:Annalee Newitz

“I try to be realistic and pragmatic. I have a lot of hope for humanity as a species, but obviously as individuals we can be extremely flawed. We may have to go through some very terrible times in the near future, even if we ultimately survive as Homo sapiens.”

Ifs Trying May Humanity Individual Terrible Species Realistic Flawed Homo Sapiens Pragmatic Terrible Times Hope For Humanity

Author:Annalee Newitz

“In fact, the early demographer Thomas Malthus believes that the only way the human population would ever check itself was by running headlong into a disaster, like a pandemic or famine. Sometimes we get so frustrated with the slowness of human political processes that we wish a giant flaming rock would solve the problem for us.”

Way Believe Humans Sometimes Facts Problem Running Political Wish Process Rocks Population Solve Disaster Checks Giants Frustrated Famine Slowness Pandemics Human Population Malthus

Author:Annalee Newitz

“I think in the long run, it will be better for us if we solve our problems without suffering through some terrible disaster. I like the idea of change without Apocalypse.”

Ifs Thinking Long Ideas Problem Running Suffering Terrible Solve Disaster Long Runs Apocalypse

Author:Annalee Newitz

“The early Triassic was a period when the planet was recovering from the worst mass extinction it had ever known - that was the end Permian extinction, where climate change caused in part by mega-volcanic eruptions wiped out ninety-five percent of life on Earth. It took about ten or twenty million years for the planet's ecosystems to stabilize. During that time you saw a lot of weird, out-of-balance ecosystems where, for example, crocodile-like predators ripped the crap out of each other along the coasts.”

“Amphibians are dying out like crazy, and frogs and salamanders may be largely extinct by the end of the twenty-first century. Imagine an animal that begins its life in the water, but ends it on land - already, that's pretty weird. But, also, a lot of them are incredibly tiny and look wildly improbable. They have funny little toes, they stretch their throats into weird bubble shapes when they croak, and some of them are poisonous to the touch. I think kids from the twenty-second century might mythologize amphibians the way kids today mythologize dinosaurs.”

“Survivor species tend to have huge populations, so they can afford to lose many individuals and still survive as a species. They also tend to be small. If you're small, you need less food - which is great in a situation where famine is everywhere.”

Ifs Needs Stills Individual Loses Situation Huge Species Population Survivor Famine

Author:Annalee Newitz

“I think small animals can escape from many kinds of natural disaster more easily. There are just more places for them to hide, and more ways for them to find safe habitats. So this means that rats are set up to rule the Earth, but most of us already knew that. Now you know why.”

Thinking Knows Way Kind Mean Earth Natural Animal Safe Disaster Rats Habitat Natural Disaster Small Animals

Author:Annalee Newitz