longevity and overpop (was re: >H FAQ: SOCIETY AND POLITICS)

From: Damien Broderick (damien@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Mon Jul 27 1998 - 07:22:30 MDT


At 06:50 PM 7/26/98 -0500, William John wrote:

>What do you think of the above argument about lower overall birthrate per
>unit time for longer-living people?

I would hope so too, but this is about the point that Robin Hanson usually
lobs in to mention that a small fraction with deviant growth rate will
quickly supplant a more self-controlled majority. (If I understand the
Great Filter/Fermi argument.) If everyone except a small bunch of
Catholics swallowed their combined immortality & sterility pill, the world
would soon be choked with die-hard (ahem) Catholics. No?

Damien Broderick



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