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A wise person here once suggested viewing the world population as a parallel computer, with each human mind working to move us forward. With this view in mind,

A wise person here once suggested viewing the world population as a parallel computer, with each human mind working to move us forward. With this view in mind, as soon as space travel opens the solar system Malthusian philosophy dies forever -- we are going to need as many people as possible both to colonize and to discover answers to all the new problems that will arise. What would technological growth look like with a trillion minds across the Galaxy inventing and discovering?

intralizee 8y ago
the cpu would burn out
sbarker 8y ago
War.
- drdeadringer 8y ago
  Please expand upon whatever you mean by this one-word comment.
lev99 8y ago
I wish more people held this view. It surely leads to an increased investment in education.
tzs 8y ago
Even with space travel and even assuming an infinite universe there exists no growth rate R > 0 such that human population can grow at that rate or higher indefinitely, unless we get faster than light space travel, so it is not going to be as easy as you think to entirely eliminate Malthusian concerns. Exponential growth, even with a small exponent, is astounding. Suppose, for instance, we squeeze all of humanity into one densely populated volume. Let's give each person just one cubic meter. As population grows, we expand that volume, maintaining the density of one person per cubic meter. With all of space at our disposal, we are now set for a very long time, right? Right, we are, but probably not as long as most people would guess. Let's say that the humans of Densopolis have a growth rate of 0.01%. Each year the population is 1.0001 times the year before. After 900k years of that growth, the frontier of Densopolis needs to be expanding faster than the speed of light to make room. If they grow at 0.1%, or 1.001x per year, it only takes 84k years to hit the speed of light limit. At 1%, or 1.01x per year, they hit it in under 8k years. Another neat illustration. Instead of packing densely, let's say humanity spreads throughout the Milky Way. If they maintain a growth rate of 1.0001x per year, after 940k years all the mass of the Milky Way will have been used to make human bodies. There will be none left for stars, interstellar dust, planets, or any other life forms. At 1.001x, we need all the mass after 94k years. 1.01x does it in under 10k years.

intralizee 8y ago

the cpu would burn out

sbarker 8y ago

War.

drdeadringer 8y ago
Please expand upon whatever you mean by this one-word comment.

lev99 8y ago

I wish more people held this view. It surely leads to an increased investment in education.

tzs 8y ago

Even with space travel and even assuming an infinite universe there exists no growth rate R > 0 such that human population can grow at that rate or higher indefinitely, unless we get faster than light space travel, so it is not going to be as easy as you think to entirely eliminate Malthusian concerns. Exponential growth, even with a small exponent, is astounding. Suppose, for instance, we squeeze all of humanity into one densely populated volume. Let's give each person just one cubic meter. As population grows, we expand that volume, maintaining the density of one person per cubic meter. With all of space at our disposal, we are now set for a very long time, right? Right, we are, but probably not as long as most people would guess. Let's say that the humans of Densopolis have a growth rate of 0.01%. Each year the population is 1.0001 times the year before. After 900k years of that growth, the frontier of Densopolis needs to be expanding faster than the speed of light to make room. If they grow at 0.1%, or 1.001x per year, it only takes 84k years to hit the speed of light limit. At 1%, or 1.01x per year, they hit it in under 8k years. Another neat illustration. Instead of packing densely, let's say humanity spreads throughout the Milky Way. If they maintain a growth rate of 1.0001x per year, after 940k years all the mass of the Milky Way will have been used to make human bodies. There will be none left for stars, interstellar dust, planets, or any other life forms. At 1.001x, we need all the mass after 94k years. 1.01x does it in under 10k years.