The seventh billion economist.com/video

World population. The seventh billion.

The planet's population is hurtling towards 7 billion. But its growth will start to slow

• Category

  News & Politics

[Frederik Kehlet]

It scares me, imagining the world in 50 - 60 years, when I'm an old man... The world's gonna be fucked up, more than it is now.

[skepticoz]

"libedo is not overruled by humanitarianism."

I've heard it can be quite effectively be overruled by something called contraception. That and education (particularly of women) may be the only hope we have. The question, assuming we are at least agreed on the existence of the problem, is then, how to have education and contraception adopted as personal policy by the masses. Why would anybody assume that the problem comes down to libido vs abstinence? This is 2011 not 1011.

[v1e1r1g1e1]

For those who didn't understand the little play-lesson, let me spell it out, boys and girls.

Lesson #1: NO, we are NOT going to all starve and fight and die because of global overburden with overpopulation. NO... we are NOT!

Lesson #2: There IS enough food and enough intelligence to make MORE food and obtain ample resources for ALL 9+ billion Earthlings to live long, fruitful prosperous lives.

Lesson #3: 'Doomsday' theories have always been proven wrong.

Lesson #4: I'm right.

[v1e1r1g1e1]

Earth: 50,000 BC

Caveman to Cavewoman: Ooh, Gronk! You see what happen at Cave over in other valley?

Cavewoman: Uggh! They have new baby! That now 8 children! We have only 3! They breeding like rabbits. Soon we be up to our ears in THEIR babies!

Caveman: If this go on, pretty soon no more room on planet!

Cavewoman: They will eat ALL mammoths & we will starve!

Both: Grrr!

Caveman: Hey, you see what they do near Cave by river?

Cavewoman: Putting seed in dirt? How dumb!

[Both laugh]

[John Alderete]

I wonder how the population stability circa 2050 will affect productivity. If productivity is primarily a function of good ideas and workers, will growth also reach a kind of equilibrium? Perhaps nations where more inclusion of woman in the work force will have a big advantage.

[XylophonEichel]

hahaha xD

[JeromeLeong]

china popilation = 19.95% of whole population , lol .

[ourteam Hcidev]

Unfortunately this analysis is very short sighted. What all population growth models fail to incorporate is the coming period of immortality of humans. In less than 10 years form this date, if a person has enough money, they will be able to basically be immortal. By, 2032, most humans will be able to afford age reversal technologies that will essentially make them immortal through recurring treatments. By 2040, we will have the technology to manipulate biological cells on the atomic level.

[shoelacedonkey]

Anyone know wich statistics this video is based on? I know it's from The Economist but I'd still like to know what research they used for this.