On October 31st The World Population Will Reach Seven Billion - Page 2

100 years?

Shouldn't the Singularity occur by then?

We'll all be part of the Google Collective or Von Neumann machines or something.



(And, yes, I'd go digital - quite personally - if the opportunity arises. Why not?)

Taking the blue pill I see

 

 Ummm. I was happy before. Now I'm not. I think I might go cry now.

 

 But being a youngun, who still has yet to get a full grasp on the world ( ;) ) I can't really fully understand the problems that arise from this. Not fully at least, I haven't lived enough to experience enough to put the garguantity (?) of this into a real world perspective. I did however, find out one thing today.

 

 The average countries death rate is around 3. Developed countries are now at a birth rate of (averaged) 1.8. That's not enough to sustain population.

 

 However, with medicine now, Less Developed countries are reproducing rapidly, but their death rate is lowering. Leading to a mass increase in population.

 

 Remember that something like 3 million people in the world are from less developed countries, and sad but true, they're not going to be using many of the resources :/

 

but you aren't considering that medicine progress most of the time goes hand in hand with social progress. that means that those countries are going to get a sort of middle class, (It will take a lot of time in africa, but look at china and inda) and this middle class is going to live the way america's middle class does now. 

 

overconsumption all the way...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a small correction - mainly because I work in the industry.

 

Not 100% sure how it is in the US - but thanks to people like Temple Grandin - I know things have changed in the US for the better.

 

In NZ:

• Sheep, Venison and Beef are farmed - outdoors - in very good conditions
• Transport for processing is strictly controlled to ensure the animals are not stressed.  You have to stop at set distances to give water and rest.  Even things like ramp heights are regulated.
• At the plants, the animals are washed, and marshaled in yards.  They're used to humans - and movement and stress is kept to a minimum.  They have access to water and the pens are not overcrowded.
• At time for slaughter they are led to a gently sloped conveyor.  We use "Judas" animals to get them onto the ramps - they just follow the leader (the Judas is taken off before the top of the conveyor)
• The conveyor holds the animals individually in place, moves at a regulated speed, and is quiet and smooth.
• At the top - each animal (still on the conveyor) moves under a curtain so they cannot see the animal in front, are administered an electrical stun (instant knockout), then lowered down a chute to the slaughetr table where the cartoid and main arteries are cut.
• They are bled out (sounds awful but it's not) - brain death occurs within 3-7 seconds, and they are unconscious the entire time

 

At no time do they lie in their own fecal matter, and they are never dragged anywhere ....

 

 

Just in case you're interested.

 

You can return to topic again now.

This problem reminds me of a video game where they changed Mars and started living there. Theres always water and other resources on other planets.  

you should read "the last question" by isaac asimov.

 

 

EDIT: you can read it there: http://interconnected.org/notes/2003/05/last-query.html

 

"multivac" has been replaced by "google" in the text...

Edited by customcoco - 10/27/11 at 9:10am

Yes, there are many telescopes watching the skies searching for them. none in this solar system will do, they look for planets that exist in the 'goldilocks' zone, there have been a few hundred planets identified existing within these zones, that doesn't mean they are inhabitable, just that they tick the first few boxes required to be inhabitable based on the delicate balance here on earth, from there, weather they contain life, is anyones guess, and they are many lightyears away, so we aren't going to reach them in our lifetimes.

Saying 'oh ****, this planet is too small, and we've ruined it, lets just pick a new one.'
Is the attitude that gets us into the mess in the first place.
There are some things in todays society, (morals, laws etc.) that mean we cannot kill people, or leave them to die if we are able to help,
As a group, we are compassionate, and empathetic, helping others survive, we essentially take the survival of the fittest, and make humans the fittest, and everything else less fit.

The only solution, that I feel could be implemented effectively, is a control on the number of children a family is permitted to have.
Obviously, enforcing such a thing, would be very difficult, abortions are not culturally acceptable to many people, perhaps vasectomy's and hysterectomies, after a couple has had a given number of children, (obviously 2 should give a stable population, providing those children are both viable parents themselves, and don't die before reproducing)

The problem is, people don't want to be part of the solution to their own problem, so nothing will be done, until its too late.
 

birth control is a good place to start, of course. but I think that the problem is cultural. today people want to have children, they think they have the right to have children. It would be very hard for someone to say they're wrong. after all, they have the right to buy a car why not a child?

 

 

anyone familliar with Pain of Salvation's concept album BE?

 

in some part the lyrics goes like this:

 

 

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

 

so you know what's coming

I really don't care what happens to the planet.....don't have kids, don't plan on having any, I'm probably going to live 35 more years if I'm lucky (on my 40s). I'm doing my part by not reproducing.

 

If the human race dissapears or not, the universe will continue to exist in all its glory...so all is good. Humans are not that important in the big picture.

 

Would'nt it be cool if nature created something like the neurotoxin portrayed in "The happening" film a few years back...sure as hell it would be a very effective method to get rid of a couple billion folks without discriminating anyone regardless of race, health, age or wealth.

Us parasites need to find another hobby.

THAT was bloody funny! 

I hope we will have laws to prevent us from being too many. I think if we don't, it could end in disaster,.