For readers interested in exploring complex topics like cosmology and the future of humanity, finding accessible, engaging books can be challenging. Thankfully, Yuri Milner’s Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilization (2021) offers an excellent solution.
A former theoretical physicist, Milner believes humanity should embrace a shared mission to ensure our long-term survival. His manifesto discusses this mission and explores themes like existential threats, human progress, and the Universal Story.
About Yuri Milner
Milner is a billionaire who amassed his fortune by investing in leading internet companies like Facebook and WhatsApp through his venture capital firm DST Global.
As a child, Milner aspired to follow in the footsteps of his scientific heroes. He wanted to be like Stephen Hawking, Galileo Galilei, and Marie Curie — trailblazers who worked at the forefront of science and deepened our understanding of the Universe.
After a decade of working as a particle physicist, Milner transitioned to entrepreneurship and became a technology investor. Despite this career shift, he remained engaged with scientific advancements and sought ways to support scientists.
In 2012, Milner and his wife Julia joined the Giving Pledge. The couple promised to donate at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes, mainly in science. That same year, they teamed up with Sergey Brin, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, and Anne Wojcicki to establish the Breakthrough Prize, the world’s largest science award.
In 2015, with support from Hawking, Milner launched the Breakthrough Initiatives. The space science programs investigate fundamental questions such as: Does life exist on other planets? If so, is it primitive or advanced? And could humanity ever travel to the stars?
Also in 2015, the Milners created the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Each year, this global competition invites high school students to create short videos explaining advanced scientific concepts. Past winners have produced videos on topics like circadian rhythms, the special theory of relativity, and quantum tunneling.
Exploring Humanity’s Mission: Key Concepts From Eureka Manifesto
In Eureka Manifesto, Milner argues that humanity’s fundamental mission is to explore and understand our Universe. He reasons that our ability to do so means this is our inherent mission.
“We were, in a sense, chosen,” he writes. “Not deliberately. But in the dance of chance and time, we found ourselves in a form that can explore and understand. This is our gift. Our precious birthright. To be awake. To have minds formed from matter. To look out at the world and understand.”
Milner elaborates on why and how we should pursue this mission. He touches on topics like failed enlightenments, interstellar travel, and the science-feedback loop. These are three more of the scientific ideas Milner discusses in Eureka Manifesto:
- The Universal Story.
- The Great Filter.
- Death bubbles.
The Universal Story
The Universal Story describes how the cosmos, once condensed into a singularity, has evolved into the complex Universe we see today.
The story reveals that human beings, as conscious and intelligent life forms, are a product of the Universe’s processes. Through our existence, the Universe has gained the ability to observe, study, and understand itself. In other words, we are a means by which the cosmos becomes aware of its own nature, origin, and workings.
The Great Filter
The Great Filter hypothesis posits that civilizations face a critical obstacle that prevents their long-term survival or emergence. This theory could explain why, despite extensive searches, we have yet to detect extraterrestrial life.
Milner uses the Great Filter hypothesis to emphasize the importance of scientific exploration in understanding — and potentially overcoming — these existential risks.
Death Bubbles
Death bubbles, or vacuum decay, represent a severe existential risk to humanity. They could suddenly destroy all matter by spontaneously altering the physical laws of our Universe.
The likelihood of such an event occurring soon is low. However, advanced civilizations might mitigate this threat by spreading out across the Universe, thereby increasing their chances of survival.
An Engaging, Enlightening Read
While Eureka Manifesto discusses many complex concepts, Milner presents these ideas in a clear, accessible way. His background as a theoretical physicist and his passion for science make the book both engaging and enlightening, guiding readers through challenging topics without overwhelming them.