Owen Cotton-Barratt

Epistemic systems & layers of defence against global catastrophes | Owen Cotton-Barratt (2020)

Owen Cotton-Barratt, Rob Wiblin, Arden Kaler

The Oxford Future of Humanity Institute is launching a fully funded, two-year Research Scholars Program designed to help early-career researchers explore existential risk topics without the pressure of immediate thesis production. This initiative coincides with the development of the "Defense in Depth" framework, which analyzes extinction risks across origin, scaling, and termination stages to justify investment in resilient, later-stage interventions. To support the broader community, the program also promotes a "Web of Virtues" strategy that prioritizes clarity, scope sensitivity, and cooperation as robust methods for navigating uncertainty and guiding future decision-making.