# Tiny Reductions in Catastrophic Risk Are Worth the Work by Martin Rees > “The [Centre for the Study of Existential Risk] is another initiative motivated by the feeling that we should be willing to use our expertise and the convening power of our great university to address these issues. Even if we can only reduce the probability [of a massive catastrophe] by one part in 10,000, the stakes are so high that we’d have all earned our keep.” > **— Martin Rees**, *Buckle up: We are in for a bumpy ride, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2020* ## Sources and Context - **Direct publication and full context:** [Buckle up: We are in for a bumpy ride](https://thebulletin.org/premium/2020-12/buckle-up-we-are-in-for-a-bumpy-ride-an-interview-with-royal-astronomer-martin-rees/) — The linked publication contains the quoted passage and its surrounding argument. Square brackets transparently restore referents established by the surrounding source. - **Master research record:** [[research/Martin Rees on Machine Succession, Post-Human Intelligence, and the Cosmic Future|Martin Rees on Machine Succession, Post-Human Intelligence, and the Cosmic Future]] — preserves this object inside the open Martin Rees source dossier. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/We Cannot Un-Strike the Match|We Cannot Un-Strike the Match]] - **Article:** [[articles/Safety Discourse Is Transition Discourse|Safety Discourse Is Transition Discourse]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Immediate AI Risk Is the Public|The Immediate AI Risk Is the Public]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Existential Risk|Existential Risk]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Existential Risk|Existential Risk]] - [[wiki/Risk Debate|Risk Debate]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “The [Centre for the Study of Existential Risk] is another initiative motivated by the feeling that we should be willing to use our expertise and the convening power of our great university to address these issues. Even if we can only reduce the probability [of a massive catastrophe] by one part in 10,000, the stakes are so high that we’d have all earned our keep.” — Martin Rees, Buckle up: We are in for a bumpy ride, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2020 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-martin-rees-tiny-reductions-catastrophic-risk-worth ```