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What are things that could extinct civilizations beyond our current tech level? What could kill a species even after (attempting?) space colonization?
Extreme credentialism.
A mental architecture that contains concepts such as achievement, curiosity and status is likely very widespread. This helps in attaining technology, but it's potentially also its own perverse incentive.
When everyone is busy grinding more and more papers to attain more and more distinction in more and more niche specialities doing actual long term research becomes increasingly less rewarding because it makes you fall behind.
Eventually you might end up in a situation that has about as much to do with science as french absolutist court intrigue had with governance with voices interested in simply furthering the craft being socially, genetically and financially selected against.
We need to fear VR titillation a lot less and grant boards a lot more.
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