# Michael Dello-Iacovo

**Source**: https://grandchallenges.unsw.edu.au/article/michael-dello-iacovo-preparing-unimaginable
**Parent**: https://grandchallenges.unsw.edu.au/whatcanwelearn

Scroll For More

watch   &  
listen

24.08.2020

# Michael Dello-Iacovo | Preparing for the unimaginable

> What keeps me up at night is the possibility of an existential risk that we still haven’t thought of, perhaps because it hasn’t happened in recorded human history.
>
> Michael Dello-Iacovo

Do you lie awake at night worrying about volcano eruptions, asteroid impacts, global pandemics, evil robots, or nuclear warfare? Have you spared a moment to consider that there might be existential threats humans can’t even imagine? If anything positive comes out of COVID-19, it’s that we will have better disease control protocols and public health around the world – but also that we might use this unexpected event to think about how we can prepare for future unprecedented events. What can we do today to prepare for the unimaginable?\

---

---

\
Michael Dello-Iacovo is a PhD candidate in space science at UNSW Engineering. His research looks at off-Earth exploration, mining and asteroid impact risk. Michael has an interest in morality and ethics, and hosts the podcast *Morality is Hard*.\

---

\
A UNSW Centre for Ideas and [Grand Challenges](https://www.grandchallenges.unsw.edu.au/ "Grand Challenges") program collaboration.

Illustrations designed by [Juune Lee](https://juunelee.com/ "Juune Lee Webpage"). Filmed and edited by [Paper Moose](https://papermoose.com/ "Paper Moose Website"). Footage filmed at the [EPICentre](https://artdesign.unsw.edu.au/research/epicentre-expanded-perception-interaction-centre "EPICentre Website"), a UNSW research centre located at the Art & Design campus.

- 1/3

  Michael Dello-Iacovo Headshot.
- 2/3

  Michael Dello-Iacovo Illustration. Designed by Juune Lee.
- 3/3

  Michael Dello-Iacovo Headshot.

Follow us on **Grand Challenges**