That ended rather abruptly, and never even mentioned decline or running out.
The world might run out of people
41–50 of 202 posts
Re: The world might run out of people
#42A world with declining population. Full of old people due to population pyramid inverted. Full of stupid, and impulsive, and likely religious zealots, as those are the only groups with fertility rates above replacement level.
Idiocracy on steroids!
Re: The world might run out of people
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
>entire fields of practical human knowledge and know-how can be lost forever. Plenty of examples of that happening as a result of technology.
Can you give an example? Technology may remove the need for physical skills, but I don't really see how it would wipe out fields of knowledge.
I'm having trouble finding a source with a search engine, but I've heard of bronze age shields that were impossible to reproduce with current metallurgy. Ancient concrete recipes are rediscovered occasionally. These aren't fields though. The loss probably wasn't as simple as older technology being surplanted by newer tech.
I think what you are looking for my be found in farming though. I would think there are entire avenues of research abandoned.
Re: The world might run out of people
#44Our economy and intellectual progress is massively predicated on specialisation of labor. When I consider any single aspect of our life, even something as "simple" as how elevators work, it's astounding the amount of complexity that goes into it. Complexity that we can handle because we divvy it up amongst many many people who are completely specialized in understanding and fulfilling that task. Gradual increases in…
Can you give an example of why this is bad? What more do we really need in terms of technology, to survive as nations and be happy? Could this point in our achievement be enough?
Maybe a drought of elevator specialists decreases the amount of elevators we can have. We have to walk up stairs more often. Not ideal. But maybe more people spend less time having and raising kids and more time working on themselves. Mental health improves and people are more compassionate toward themselves and others. I would choose that world, not actively fight against it.
Re: The world might run out of people
#45> “In roughly three decades, the global population will begin to decline,” they write. “Once that decline begins, it will never end.” I'll give you very long odds against.
Yea, the debate about the UN's demographic projections are interesting, but the framing that the world is going to run out of people is dump, and kinda distracts from the interesting parts.
8 billion people is still a pretty crazy number of people.
Re: The world might run out of people
#46A world with declining population. Full of old people due to population pyramid inverted. Full of stupid, and impulsive, and likely religious zealots, as those are the only groups with fertility rates above replacement level.
I’m not sure I’d call the people who successfully reproduce stupid. I wouldn’t call people that don't reproduce stupid either but there’s a case to be made around failing your primary objective as a living being not being a “smart” move.
Re: The world might run out of people
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, but it is true that groups with higher birth rates in spite of having middle class lifestyle tend to be religious. there are lots of stupid, impulsive religious zealots with quiverfuls. But also a lot of wonderful, loving religious folks with quiverfuls. I wish there were more other types who had a birthrate above replacement, but outside of religious circles, having more than 2 kids is rare and even considered u…
Quiverfuls are quite rare even in religious families with multiple children. It takes extraordinary conviction to continue when you are already feeding 10 children on one income. Even if those children do some of work.
It's not uncommon in some circles. I personally know many families with 7-12 children spread among all parts of the income scale.
Re: The world might run out of people
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you give an example? Technology may remove the need for physical skills, but I don't really see how it would wipe out fields of knowledge.
I'm having trouble finding a source with a search engine, but I've heard of bronze age shields that were impossible to reproduce with current metallurgy. Ancient concrete recipes are rediscovered occasionally. These aren't fields though. The loss probably wasn't as simple as older technology being surplanted by newer tech. I think what you are looking for my be found in farming though. I would think there are entire…
[deleted]
Re: The world might run out of people
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you give an example? Technology may remove the need for physical skills, but I don't really see how it would wipe out fields of knowledge.
I'm having trouble finding a source with a search engine, but I've heard of bronze age shields that were impossible to reproduce with current metallurgy. Ancient concrete recipes are rediscovered occasionally. These aren't fields though. The loss probably wasn't as simple as older technology being surplanted by newer tech. I think what you are looking for my be found in farming though. I would think there are entire…
they are fields. you're being biased. it's still lost knowledge that used to be known by lots of people. the point stands.
Re: The world might run out of people
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
Everyone who wants more than 2.1 kids is stupid, impulsive, or a religious zealot? That seems unlikely.
No, but it is true that groups with higher birth rates in spite of having middle class lifestyle tend to be religious. there are lots of stupid, impulsive religious zealots with quiverfuls. But also a lot of wonderful, loving religious folks with quiverfuls. I wish there were more other types who had a birthrate above replacement, but outside of religious circles, having more than 2 kids is rare and even considered u…
> I wish there were more other types who had a birthrate above replacement, but outside of religious circles, having more than 2 kids is rare and even considered uncouth.
I’ve never heard people having more than two children being referred to as uncouth. Honestly that’s disgusting.