> If population keeps rising with technological ability, ceteris paribus, the average person will be better off tomorrow than today. Even if ever-more terrible

> If population keeps rising with technological ability, ceteris paribus, the average person will be better off tomorrow than today. Even if ever-more terrible things happen from time to time. I think that's a pretty big assumption... population has an upper bound to how large it can grow without causing terrible things to happen (destruction of all non-human supporting ecosystems, for instance), whereas there are no similar limits to the terrible effects of misused technology. Also, if population were to drop, say from a new plague or the loss of resources from a cataclysm, the terrible capabilities of technology are still available and thus have a larger impact relative to the new population level. It's to hard to argue with his data over those long periods, but the acceleration of new technological capabilities since WWII is quite unique in their power. It seems to me that much of the recent increases in prosperity and peace are based on the political and economic systems that have remained relatively stable throughout this unique time period. Should this situation destabilize this very new technology could be unleashed with uniquely terrible consequences.