NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70238-0.html?tw=rss.technology

The planet's population is projected to reach 6.5 billion at 7:16 p.m. EST Saturday, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and its World Population Clock.

What proportion of people in the world do you reckon have ever decided against having children in order to prevent overpopulation? I'm thinking approximately none.

Congratulations humanity.

I'm thinking approximately not enough.

6.5 billion? thats a lot of senoritas!

What proportion of people in the world do you reckon have ever decided against having children in order to prevent overpopulation? I'm thinking approximately none.
All the ones in "Western" nations. The ones propagating exponentially are China and India who have, last time I heard, over 1 billion people each. Everybody else just slacks together to make up the other 2/3s of the population.

what about chinas 1 child policy?
besides, the only reason there is overpopulation is because one is concentrated in the same places like cities

oh and you forgot Asia and Latin America and Africa, those are the big population growers, while in Japan and some European countries, the population is decreasing

what about chinas 1 child policy?
Yeah, everyone follows the rules! :rolleyes:

Pretty much everyone has more kids than "the West". Its too expensive in developed countries.

All the ones in "Western" nations. The ones propagating exponentially are China and India who have, last time I heard, over 1 billion people each. Everybody else just slacks together to make up the other 2/3s of the population.

I don't understand what you're saying. Are you saying that there are couples in some countries who think "we should only have X children because more would add to overpopulation?" That's not the same as limiting yourself for financial reasons or because the government wants to limit population.

All the ones in "Western" nations. The ones propagating exponentially are China and India who have, last time I heard, over 1 billion people each. Everybody else just slacks together to make up the other 2/3s of the population.
The US is growing at a very nice rate. China is bringing their population growth under control, even India is looking at implementing some population control measures over the next few years.

Some Latinamerican countries have been very successful in bringing their growth down. If the trend continues the population of Earth will estabilize some time during the next 40 or 50 years, meaning that for the first time in 120,000 years the human population will stop growing.

Though it isn't the west that's responsible for overpopulation. The west isn't having enough kids, it's the rest of the world that's having too much. This growth won't go on indefinitely and mother nature will end up finding a way of stopping it. And unfortunately, a lot of people will end up suffering in the process.

And unfortunately, a lot of people will end up suffering in the process.
You mean those families in Africa don't starve for a living?! :eek:

If the trend continues the population of Earth will estabilize some time during the next 40 or 50 years, meaning that for the first time in 120,000 years the human population will stop growing.
Erm... there was this slight thing called the Black Death a few hundred years ago...

What proportion of people in the world do you reckon have ever decided against having children in order to prevent overpopulation? I'm thinking approximately none.
Don't worry - sooner or later a pandemic will kill a few hundred million.

Yeah, everyone follows the rules! :rolleyes:

Pretty much everyone has more kids than "the West". Its too expensive in developed countries.

It's also a insurance policy in poorer countries. Have lots of kids to look after you in your old age.

Erm... there was this slight thing called the Black Death a few hundred years ago...
That just killed a few people in Europe, which had a low population anyway. The rest of the planet kept on ticking fairly nicely.

By 2050 we'll have approximately 9 Billion inhabitants.

Don't worry - sooner or later a pandemic will kill a few hundred million.

I don't worry, I just remark. Anyway, if this Oil Crash is as bad as people make it out to be, famine with overshadow disease.

That just killed a few people in Europe, which had a low population anyway. The rest of the planet kept on ticking fairly nicely.
Graphs of estimated world population show a noticable dip during the Black Death:

http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~cmallery/150/handouts/sf48x5a.jpg

It killed over 30 million in Europe alone, and also struck the Middle East and Asia.

As usual, Wikipedia has a detailed article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_death

I wonder if I'm the only one...

Wait...in less than a hundred years the population went up by 4.5 Billion? Holy crap!

Wait...in less than a hundred years the population went up by 4.5 Billion? Holy crap!

More people => more breeding => more people. etcetera.

More people => more breeding => more people. etcetera.

Yes, but still...the mind boggles.

Graphs of estimated world population show a noticable dip during the Black Death:

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/worldhis.html

That's the problem with estimates, especially when they go back more than a couple of centuries. It's very difficult to know what the population was both before and after the event. It certainly had an impact in European population, and the places in Asia where it struck, which had relative good record keeping, but that was not the case in much of the world. Some sources reflect a slight decrease in global population, some a somewhat bigger decrease, some no decrease but very slight increase.

However the natural trend for the population was to keep growing. That was not changed by the plague, perhaps it made the need to have children even more pressing.

Either way, population laws would be nice sometime soon. If you make it 2 children per family, that keeps the growth rate steady, as long as countries don't go non compliant.

If the pop. gets too high, we'll have plenty of new problems, and old problems made worse. New problem: No fossil fuels AT ALL. Old problem now worse: Starvation.

Wait...in less than a hundred years the population went up by 4.5 Billion? Holy crap!
Yup. And it took 120,000 years to reach the first billion.

Did you think that the term "demographic explosion" was just a figure of speech?

The US is growing at a very nice rate. China is bringing their population growth under control, even India is looking at implementing some population control measures over the next few years.

Some Latinamerican countries have been very successful in bringing their growth down. If the trend continues the population of Earth will estabilize some time during the next 40 or 50 years, meaning that for the first time in 120,000 years the human population will stop growing.
I think the US population is growing more due to immigration. I read someplace that within a couple of generations families who come to the USA's birthrate drop to something like an average of two kids.

By 2050 we'll have approximately 9 Billion inhabitants.
And if I'm not mistaken most of them will be living in overcrowded, unsanitary cities in the third world. Perfect breeding ground for crime and disease.

I think the US population is growing more due to immigration. I read someplace that within a couple of generations families who come to the USA's birthrate drop to something like an average of two kids.
It's certainly growing a lot through immigration, but the natural growth is still pretty high, the highest in the developed world in fact. I'll try to look for those figures when I come back.

Yeah, everyone follows the rules! :rolleyes:


Yes, everyone follows (and some are forced to). There have even been cases of forceful injections of saline water or something to kill babies inside wombs.

They are actually facing a demographic disaster due to the success of their one child policy.

People have been debating planetary overpopulation back in the 1800s. Back then, it was inconcievable to have 1 billion people, since you couldn't get a cow to give more than a gallon of milk a day or so, and chickens weighed in at 2lbs or less.

Overpopulation? It's never going to happen, folks. Technology will always find a way to create more food (or, at least, it always has so far), and the grinds of poverty, war and disease tend to keep the numbers sustainable and healthy.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't major questions about quality of life. But OP itself isn't really an issue.

Perhaps it's time the West stepped up baby production a bit, and the East slowed down. Balance it a bit. Instead of having 10 kids, have 2 and support them.

People have been debating planetary overpopulation back in the 1800s. Back then, it was inconcievable to have 1 billion people, since you couldn't get a cow to give more than a gallon of milk a day or so, and chickens weighed in at 2lbs or less.

Overpopulation? It's never going to happen, folks. Technology will always find a way to create more food (or, at least, it always has so far), and the grinds of poverty, war and disease tend to keep the numbers sustainable and healthy.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't major questions about quality of life. But OP itself isn't really an issue.
The first image that comes to mind after thinking about this is Coruscant. You know, the planet in Star Wars that is just one giant city going up. Think about this. Unless the growth of human population is logarithmic, it is physically inconceivable to cram, say 30 billion people on Earth. If it is logarithmic, or something of the like, there will be a point where we can't cram any more people onto Earth, even if we don't pollute at all and there is still enough food to feed everyone.

The first image that comes to mind after thinking about this is Coruscant. You know, the planet in Star Wars that is just one giant city going up. Think about this. Unless the growth of human population is logarithmic, it is physically inconceivable to cram, say 30 billion people on Earth. If it is logarithmic, or something of the like, there will be a point where we can't cram any more people onto Earth, even if we don't pollute at all and there is still enough food to feed everyone.
We could always live underground :p Or eventually master building floating cities.

We could always live underground :p Or eventually master building floating cities.
Alright, say that the population grows in conjunction with the U.S. national debt. There are over 8.2 trillion people and growing rapidly. We've already got technology to live in magma, but we've dug straight through to the core. Furthermore, our floating cities are too high and losing the Earth's gravitation. :D

What proportion of people in the world do you reckon have ever decided against having children in order to prevent overpopulation? I'm thinking approximately none.

I'm only going to have one. And maybe adopt some others.

Furthermore, our floating cities are too high and losing the Earth's gravitation. :D

If the cities are this high they have already had to cope with creating/ sustaining and atmosphere, so why not just float them into a solar orbit?

Alright, say that the population grows in conjunction with the U.S. national debt. There are over 8.2 trillion people and growing rapidly. We've already got technology to live in magma, but we've dug straight through to the core. Furthermore, our floating cities are too high and losing the Earth's gravitation. :D
Well, unless a cure for Aids is found, the population will eventually decrease. I think we have to start putting a control on how fast we propagate. Some nations need to boost their childbirth rates, others to lower them.

Dammit looks like were gona have to start killing people off to lower the population.
*picks up phone dials white house*
Hi is George there?
*other line* Yes one moment, please hold.
k
*george picks up* Y'ello?
This is Chinas president your a poo poo head.
George:WHAT?!

*turns on CNN* U.S. has just declared war on China.

I have a proposition: In order to acertain our dominacnce over the other species of the planet, we begin rapidly increasing our population utill we reach 10 billion, simotaneously destroying all other species of both plant and animal nature

I have a proposition: In order to acertain our dominacnce over the other species of the planet, we begin rapidly increasing our population utill we reach 10 billion, simotaneously destroying all other species of both plant and animal nature
And then the Machines take over hook us all up to a giant computer and Neo fights Agent Smith.

People have been debating planetary overpopulation back in the 1800s. Back then, it was inconcievable to have 1 billion people, since you couldn't get a cow to give more than a gallon of milk a day or so, and chickens weighed in at 2lbs or less.

Overpopulation? It's never going to happen, folks. Technology will always find a way to create more food (or, at least, it always has so far), and the grinds of poverty, war and disease tend to keep the numbers sustainable and healthy.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't major questions about quality of life. But OP itself isn't really an issue.
K, but what about when we reach the point when the earth can no longer support our ever rising food/fuel/product production and consumption? I'm talkin global warming, soil erosion, shaz like that.... I think we're pretty close to maxing out our stay here on earth

What? 6.5 billion?? the worlds not even 1 billion ppl, its just 7 000 million.

Dammit looks like were gona have to start killing people off to lower the population.
*picks up phone dials white house*
Hi is George there?
*other line* Yes one moment, please hold.
k
*george picks up* Y'ello?
This is Chinas president your a poo poo head.
George:WHAT?!

*turns on CNN* U.S. has just declared war on China.

ROFLMAO:D

Dammit looks like were gona have to start killing people off to lower the population.
*picks up phone dials white house*
Hi is George there?
*other line* Yes one moment, please hold.
k
*george picks up* Y'ello?
This is Chinas president your a poo poo head.
George:WHAT?!

*turns on CNN* U.S. has just declared war on China.
:) :) :)
:) :) :)
:) :) :)

Someone needs to say this: fucking breeders, find another damn hobby besides out of control copulation, procreation and excessive use of natural resources!

Jesus Christ, being the local poofter around here, I can tell you, that shock horror, one can actually fill ones life with something more than just endless years of procreation, welfare receiving and consumption - how about learning a new skilll! take up an interest! help a local chariety!

Dear god, humans at their animalistic desire to fucking procreate at an out of control rate is something I could never understand.

Earths population has not doubled every 30 years for 120 000 years. Thats Silly. For most of our time here, our population has remained fairly constant.

Pretend we all agree with the bible that the earth was created in 4000 BC. there were only two people to start with. Come on. pretend, ok?

two people to start.
double every 30 years.

2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256
512
1024
2048
4096
8192
16384
32768
65536
131072
262144
524288
1048576

current date 3400 BC, population 1.4 million. reasonable enough?
starting at 3370(30 years later), population is 2 million. another 6 hundred years later, we now have (use the above chart expressed as millions)

So in 2770 BC, if the population doubled every 30 years, we would have....[drum roll] 1 048 576 000 000 people on earth. Thats 100 Billion.

Our population has only been doubling since the late middle ages, if that. The driving force behind our population explosions has been war, famine and disease. When these things happen, our instincts cause us to produce more babies.

When the cause disappears, we are left with more children that before. the logic is simple. We are designed to survive.

Oh shit...the world will end! I remember when it became 6 flat.

I'm only going to be worried if Earth keeps pace with my nation state's population growth. Then it's time to build the rocket arc and make a run for it.

The population problem isn't going to be the problem that does us in, it's the percentage of that population that industrialize and decide that they can live in the same style as we do in the West. China and India are already pushing the resource limit by trying to live to the standard of Western Europe and America (who also need to reform their ways). It's just a matter of time before the image we've been exporting results in the global economy collapsing in on itself for lack of a resource base to drive the engine on.

The Bruce

That just killed a few people in Europe, which had a low population anyway. The rest of the planet kept on ticking fairly nicely.

It did not kill a FEW PEOPLE it killed about 34 MILLION people all over Europe! That was a THIRD of the population at the time. That's not a few. There was also an asian outbreak and middle ewastern one. The Plague was not just in a little bit of Europe. People were doing a good bit of traveling back then and were trading and their rats got everywhere and spread the diseases.

I'm only going to be worried if Earth keeps pace with my nation state's population growth. Then it's time to build the rocket arc and make a run for it.

The population problem isn't going to be the problem that does us in, it's the percentage of that population that industrialize and decide that they can live in the same style as we do in the West. China and India are already pushing the resource limit by trying to live to the standard of Western Europe and America (who also need to reform their ways). It's just a matter of time before the image we've been exporting results in the global economy collapsing in on itself for lack of a resource base to drive the engine on.

The Bruce
Indeed. Growth will outpace available resources at some point and the economy will crach. I shudder to think what the results would be. Hopefully, some form of balancing will be used, the West increasing its birthrates slightly, the East decreasing them to a manageable level.

I'm only going to be worried if Earth keeps pace with my nation state's population growth. Then it's time to build the rocket arc and make a run for it.

The population problem isn't going to be the problem that does us in, it's the percentage of that population that industrialize and decide that they can live in the same style as we do in the West. China and India are already pushing the resource limit by trying to live to the standard of Western Europe and America (who also need to reform their ways). It's just a matter of time before the image we've been exporting results in the global economy collapsing in on itself for lack of a resource base to drive the engine on.

The Bruce
Very good point and 100% true. And just think in maybe 50 or so years we may have colonies on another planet or two. I wonder if we'll get to that point and screw everything up or if we'll kill eachother before then.

Very good point and 100% true. And just think in maybe 50 or so years we may have colonies on another planet or two. I wonder if we'll get to that point and screw everything up or if we'll kill eachother before then.
I am usually an optimist, but in this case I place the odds on the second possibility.

Don't worry - sooner or later a pandemic will kill a few hundred million.
True it doesn seem like every few hundred years there is a horrible disease that kills millions and we are due for one some time soon.

I am usually an optimist, but in this case I place the odds on the second possibility.
Sadly I think maybe there will be a mixture of both. We may get on Mars or somewhere and populate it and then screw that up and by then most people on earth may be dead either by war and or disease.

True it doesn seem like every few hundred years there is a horrible disease that kills millions and we are due for one some time soon.
http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/g_d.jpg

I AM JUST BIDING MY TIME. THAT, AND THE 700 CLUB WANTS ME TO BEGIN ARMAGEDDON FIRST.

NOW IF I COULD ONLY CONVINCE THOSE HARD-HEADED JEWS TO START REBUILDING MY TEMPLE, I COULD REALLY GET THINGS ROLLING.

Sadly I think maybe there will be a mixture of both. We may get on Mars or somewhere and populate it and then screw that up and by then most people on earth may be dead either by war and or disease.
It's within the confines of human nature. We have the capacity to be tremendously idiotic. :)

the way i look at it at least can keep the population steady. i see it as you have two people (mom and dad) and they should just have two children, one to replace each parent. so this could work, but there are to many people that are young, and not educated enough about sex, so we get these teens that have babies so young. this and many other factors have led to the population explosion.

It's within the confines of human nature. We have the capacity to be tremendously idiotic. :)

Yup. Very depressingly true. If only people could get a little smarter. Maybe ya know listen to the words of the song 'Imagine' by John Lennon.

the way i look at it at least can keep the population steady. i see it as you have two people (mom and dad) and they should just have two children, one to replace each parent. so this could work

actually, after a generation or 2 that would actually lead to population decrease if you take into account murder, disease and starvation rates, which would kill people who hadn't had children. Not that we couldn't use a major population decrease. Why does everyone insist on bringing more children into the world when there are so many already in dire need of loving homes? That's why I'm going to adopt.

actually, after a generation or 2 that would actually lead to population decrease if you take into account murder, disease and starvation rates, which would kill people who hadn't had children. Not that we couldn't use a major population decrease. Why does everyone insist on bringing more children into the world when there are so many already in dire need of loving homes? That's why I'm going to adopt.

That is what I would like to do. Children in orphanages need loving families and it's very sad that they don't.

what about chinas 1 child policy?
besides, the only reason there is overpopulation is because one is concentrated in the same places like cities
Assuming all people in both nations are adults and evenly divided, 1 person to every 2 people in China is the same number of children as 5 children to every 2 people in America - number 3 on the world population list.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70238-0.html?tw=rss.technology



What proportion of people in the world do you reckon have ever decided against having children in order to prevent overpopulation? I'm thinking approximately none.


ZOMG!!!!11!12345! The population is going to hit 6.6 soon!!!!! this is '06..what if it happened on 06/06/06???!?! ZOMG t3h 3nd of teh w0r1d!!1one!

Yes, everyone follows (and some are forced to). There have even been cases of forceful injections of saline water or something to kill babies inside wombs.

They are actually facing a demographic disaster due to the success of their one child policy.
what sort of disaster?

what sort of disaster?

They will become a grey nation before becoming a developed nation.

Skewed girl:boy ratio.

They will become a grey nation before becoming a developed nation.

Skewed girl:boy ratio.
yeah, but won't those girls be lucky! ;)

yeah, but won't those girls be lucky! ;)

If you mean "plenty to choose from", then yes.:D

Back to the epidemic being due to come around and wipe out some people. What about the avian flu? Did they get that under control?

Breeders. :rolleyes:

I'm not too concerned. We're due for a good plague and unless an AIDS cure is discovered soon, Africa's and a good chunk of SE Asia's numbers will start dropping from that alone. Not to mention all the regional conflicts.

Either way, population laws would be nice sometime soon. If you make it 2 children per family, that keeps the growth rate steady, as long as countries don't go non compliant.

Now, just to play devils advocate, the 2 kids/family; is that original or new family. If a person gets divorced and has 2 kids, then remarries they get to have 2 more kids? Or that's it they're done? Or do they each get one kid and can have one more? Or one parent gets both kids and the other gets to have 2 more? That would make a lot of single moms and dads.

What about polyamorous marriage (it happens all over the world)? Is it 2 kids/wife(or husband, rarer, but happens)? What about bigots, he has 3 wives in 3seperate states? Does he get 2 kids with each wife, or 2 with one wife, or 2 wives get one kid each and the 3rd is out of luck?

Just something to think about for grins and giggles.

The US is growing at a very nice rate.Last I checked, and I admit it was about a decade ago, minus immigration the US is not growing.

Breeders. :rolleyes:

...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Now, just to play devils advocate, the 2 kids/family; is that original or new family. If a person gets divorced and has 2 kids, then remarries they get to have 2 more kids? Or that's it they're done? Or do they each get one kid and can have one more? Or one parent gets both kids and the other gets to have 2 more? That would make a lot of single moms and dads.

What about polyamorous marriage (it happens all over the world)? Is it 2 kids/wife(or husband, rarer, but happens)? What about bigots, he has 3 wives in 3seperate states? Does he get 2 kids with each wife, or 2 with one wife, or 2 wives get one kid each and the 3rd is out of luck?

Just something to think about for grins and giggles.

An average 2.1 kids per woman is the generally accepted figure to maintaining a stable population. The .1 is to make up for people that die before they can breed.

The first image that comes to mind after thinking about this is Coruscant. You know, the planet in Star Wars that is just one giant city going up. Think about this. Unless the growth of human population is logarithmic, it is physically inconceivable to cram, say 30 billion people on Earth. If it is logarithmic, or something of the like, there will be a point where we can't cram any more people onto Earth, even if we don't pollute at all and there is still enough food to feed everyone.

That's Hollywood. When it comes to any sort of scientific laws, we're lucky to get gravity...

Do you find Luxembourg to be crowded?
The Earth has 148.94 million sq km of land. That's about 200 people per sqaure kilometer.... or about 20 extra people per sq km than the population density of Luxembourg.

Now, that's one thing. Consider our planet's capital, New York City:
8.2 million people on 830 sq km... or 9880 people per square kilometer.

30 billion is quite feasible, even with land set aside for farming. The problem would be the usual: a functional economy to support them. Heck, even if you *half* the land on Earth, you'd still have more than enough.

K, but what about when we reach the point when the earth can no longer support our ever rising food/fuel/product production and consumption? I'm talkin global warming, soil erosion, shaz like that.... I think we're pretty close to maxing out our stay here on earth

In all reality, I doubt it. Whenever mankind finds a problem, he finds a way to make money solving it. ;)

Last I checked, and I admit it was about a decade ago, minus immigration the US is not growing.
The natural rate of the US is 0.6% without immigration, 0.9% with. Although it doesn't look big, it's the highest in the developed world. It's slowing, though.

The average for the world is a bit less than 2%.

Well, I believe we all know what we have to do now. *Silently adds people to the Soylent Green*;)

Well, I believe we all know what we have to do now. *Silently adds people to the Soylent Green*;)
I was eating a granola bar the other day and it did taste a bit like people.

...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Well, we can live without then - good old turkey baster does the trick, and in a few years, it'll be simply a matter of blending two guys DNA together and voila, a kid is pumped out the other end.

...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Well, we can live without then - good old turkey baster does the trick, and in a few years, it'll be simply a matter of blending two guys DNA together and voila, a kid is pumped out the other end.

...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Well, we can live without then - good old turkey baster does the trick, and in a few years, it'll be simply a matter of blending two guys DNA together and voila, a kid is pumped out the other end.

...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Well, we can live without then - good old turkey baster does the trick, and in a few years, it'll be simply a matter of blending two guys DNA together and voila, a kid is pumped out the other end.

Hmm, so the Chinese and Indians can root like rabbits. They must be immensly proud of themselves.

What proportion of people in the world do you reckon have ever decided against having children in order to prevent overpopulation? I'm thinking approximately none.
Well, I know of at least one.

Well, we can live without then - good old turkey baster does the trick, and in a few years, it'll be simply a matter of blending two guys DNA together and voila, a kid is pumped out the other end.

It is more likely, and technologically more feasable, to have two females reproducing than two males. This of course will lead to humanity becoming an all female species.

Over population itself would not be such a problem, if even half the people in the world served some other function than simple reproduction. The vast majority of the species consists of nothing more than redundancies. We are long past the need for large populations to ensure the continuance of the species.

Hmm, so the Chinese and Indians can root like rabbits. They must be immensly proud of themselves.

Beats masturbating to the Internet, no?

Beats masturbating to the Internet, no?

A lifetime of child rasing vs masturbation...

I'll take masturbation anyday.

Guesses on what will happen when we reach carrying capacity? War thats what.

Guesses on what will happen when we reach carrying capacity? War thats what.

Yay! ^_^

Hmm, so the Chinese and Indians can root like rabbits. They must be immensly proud of themselves.

India’s annual population growth rate was 2.15% in 1991 and by 1997 it dropped to 1.7% and with increasing economic prospects, there will be even further decrease. The Chinese rate dropped even lower due to their one child policy. So STFU.

It's ironic that the same conservatives that laud China's 'One Child' Policy ,achieved at times through quote "Post-birth abortions", will cry murder about pre-term abortions.

The population will reach 9 billion by 2050 and after that it will not grow. Currently the global population growth rate is 1.14% and dropping. So no worries, unless it shinks to much or to fast. I wouldnt worry about China 'greying' to fast or India's population increasing to fast. With a billion people working on a problem almost anything can be solved. Our farmers already over produce food. Also keep in mind that much of the farming done in China, India and Afirica is very inefficent so if that changes food production is going to skyrocket again.

Take that alien species we don't know about! We're getting harder to kill off by the minute! Humanity rocks.

Take that alien species we don't know about! We're getting harder to kill off by the minute! Humanity rocks.
I don't know... you still have to destroy only one planet.

I don't know... you still have to destroy only one planet.
Be quiet about that! The Grunts are listening....

It is more likely, and technologically more feasable, to have two females reproducing than two males. This of course will lead to humanity becoming an all female species.
Rent the Anime film GAL FORCE sometime.

The protagonists are an all-woman race who are at war with a race of ??? (biological goo?). Both races face extinction until the goo impregnates one of the women (tentacle sex!) and Men/humans are created.

Interesting twist on the creation myth.

what about chinas 1 child policy?

I think they only enforce it in major urban areas, whereas out in the boonies they don't give a shit.

Global population has been increasing ever since the advent of agriculture and the Neolithic expansion (~6 kyr ago). Hunter gatherer and nomadic peoples needed populations which were constant and relatively unfluctuating. More people means more mouths to feed and therefore more hunting and more work. Agriculture made food production simple and efficient, allowing our populations to grow.

It is plausible that within the near future (50-100 years?) the West will collapse as the Romans did before them. This will give infant and adolescent civilizations the advantage on the global stage. It is plausible that the expanding civilization(s) will conquer and destroy many people along its path to empire. Not only this, but the whole world politics will change and many economic systems which relied on the West will collapse. Depending on circumstances, global population may be reduced a percentage point or more. It's hard to say. Of course this will still in no way halt human population growth absolutely, but it will set it back some temporarily. But predicting the future like this is difficult and probably completely inaccurate!

Fully industrial nations tend to have low birth rates, especially among established upper and middle classes.

It looks like white people are going to succeed their way into extinction.

Fully industrial nations tend to have low birth rates, especially among established upper and middle classes.

It looks like white people are going to succeed their way into extinction.
Birth rates are still not negative. In fact, they are positive (2% on average for the West). White people would have to stop having children to become extinct. I don't see that happening. And, in any case, the same could be said of other nations industrialising. So in the end humanity is going to be extinct? Unlikely. Less numerous? Possibly.

Even if that were so, give it 20 000 years or so and those who migrate to Northern territories will adapt and become white. So extinction is unlikely. :)

Wait...in less than a hundred years the population went up by 4.5 Billion? Holy crap!

It's called the Industrial revolution. The second most important event in human history.... You know, when people no longer had to starve? It was pretty cool.

I don't worry about overpopulation. The world is a pretty big place, there's plenty of room for 10 billion people(probably the max the population will reach). I'm worried about underpopulation. What happens when markets, labor forces, etc... start to shrink? What happens when suburbia starts getting abandoned because there aren't as many people?

It is interesting to think that I will be alive during the time when the world's population is at its highest. I hope we can figure out some things while we have all these people that will allow our lives to be much easier.

It's called the Industrial revolution. The second most important event in human history.... You know, when people no longer had to starve? It was pretty cool.

I don't worry about overpopulation. The world is a pretty big place, there's plenty of room for 10 billion people(probably the max the population will reach). I'm worried about underpopulation. What happens when markets, labor forces, etc... start to shrink? What happens when suburbia starts getting abandoned because there aren't as many people?

It is interesting to think that I will be alive during the time when the world's population is at its highest. I hope we can figure out some things while we have all these people that will allow our lives to be much easier.
I generally think the population should grow enough to keep a balance and sustain wealth. Overpopulation, just like underpopulation, is undesirable.

Birth rates are still not negative. In fact, they are positive (2% on average for the West). White people would have to stop having children to become extinct. I don't see that happening. And, in any case, the same could be said of other nations industrialising. So in the end humanity is going to be extinct? Unlikely. Less numerous? Possibly.

Even if that were so, give it 20 000 years or so and those who migrate to Northern territories will adapt and become white. So extinction is unlikely. :)

I know they won't become extinct, but with interbreeding and lowered birth rates(in proportion to the rest of the world) they will decreasein number, but probably not that significantly. Noone is going to adapt to become white. There are no evolutionary forces that would cause that. If a person is sunburned, or has some other problem due to their skin color, they are treated and survive just as well as anyone else. Evolution is really messed up in our society.

I know they won't become extinct, but with interbreeding and lowered birth rates(in proportion to the rest of the world) they will decreasein number, but probably not that significantly. Noone is going to adapt to become white. There are no evolutionary forces that would cause that. If a person is sunburned, or has some other problem due to their skin color, they are treated and survive just as well as anyone else. Evolution is really messed up in our society.
Yes, I was thinking of primitive circumstances, my bad :p Genetics then? People could theoretically have any natural skin colour they wanted. If people interbred excessively there would be no white or black, or asian. How dull. I think each grouping has its own beauty.

By the way, as the rest of the world industrialises, its birth rates will also gradually fall. Africa's death rates are so high I am surprised it actually has a rising population. So the future will tell.

Fully industrial nations tend to have low birth rates, especially among established upper and middle classes.

It looks like white people are going to succeed their way into extinction.

Very possibly. In about 30 years the Dutch will be a minority in their own country.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1060691/posts
He said: "There is a demographic catastrophe happening in Europe that nobody wants to talk about, that we daren't bring up because we are so cagey about not offending people racially. And rightly we should be. But there is a cultural thing as well.

"By 2020, 50 per cent of the children in Holland under the age of 18 will be of Muslim descent."

Very possibly. In about 30 years the Dutch will be a minority in their own country.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1060691/posts
He said: "There is a demographic catastrophe happening in Europe that nobody wants to talk about, that we daren't bring up because we are so cagey about not offending people racially. And rightly we should be. But there is a cultural thing as well.

"By 2020, 50 per cent of the children in Holland under the age of 18 will be of Muslim descent."
Don't immigration and forced integration just rock? :) :rolleyes: