We know of many false prophets with huge charisma gathering crowds to commit senseless acts.
Here we're talking about unglamourous people gathering data, making projections, being wrong, gathering more data, updating their projections, being less wrong, gathering more data, making more updated projections, being less and less wrong, observing the reality becoming closer to their worst-case scenario, and being mocked by masses doing basically nothing.
> Nongqawuse was the Xhosa prophet whose prophecies led to a millenarian movement that culminated in the Xhosa cattle-killing movement and famine of 1856-7, in what is now Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Cool story. I don't see the parallel here though. Is anyone seriously suggesting that we destroy our civilisation to save the environment?
Here we're talking about unglamourous people gathering data, making projections, being wrong, gathering more data, updating their projections, being less wrong, gathering more data, making more updated projections, being less and less wrong, observing the reality becoming closer to their worst-case scenario, and being mocked by masses doing basically nothing.
Clearly, it's the same story.