We're om our way to solving overpopulation -without cannibalism. (Page 2)

ghostgeek: If the educated are going to diverge into a seperate species they had best get busy and start reproducing. The way things are going, it won't be long before they've forgotten what to do.

Geoff: Yeah, Idiocracy (the Mike Judge film) makes a slightly scary point.

ghostgeek: Nice film.

Metaverseguy: The future won't be run by arrogant land mammals or dolphins or any organic life hopefully, but be organized and fixed and taken care of by some type of algorithm made by an artificially intelligent robohuman, machine, or computer that would easily be able to do all of humanity's work and thinking quite well, or better, without us.

Even if we do become extinct, don't worry the universe won't disappear. It's cruel game of life and constant competition will still be there for any organism to enjoy or lament.

duncan124:
I think we will have to try harder to avoid extinction.

ghostgeek: If I'm extinct I certainly won't be worrying about the fate of the universe. It will either end in a big crunch or will grow colder and colder until it just dies of old age. Either way, extinction is impossible to avoid.

duncan124:
I think we have been scheduled well ahead of the end of the universe and consider we should do something to survive.

Corwin: I don't remember being scheduled.

Oh, and by the way.... Soylent Green is made out of people!!

duncan124:
Pay more attention!

Corwin:

ghostgeek: What are you suggesting Duncan to stop the human race becoming extinct? More babies? In general, as women become better educated, they have fewer children. Are you saying that women shouldn't be educated? If so, you are very brave.

duncan124:
Don't put things in to my mouth, thats not nice.

ghostgeek: I was asking a question Duncan. Is it your opinion that women shouldn't be educated to save the human race from becoming extinct? You can answer yes or no. I did not put anything in your mouth.

duncan124:
I wasn't saying anything about women being educated unless you think Corvin is an old woman?

I said "I think we will have to try harder to avoid extinction." so I really don't know what you are going on about but that you should try harder.

Everyone is equal ghostgeek.

ghostgeek: I was asking what your solution to extinction is, Duncan. It is no good just saying we should try harder. Harder at what? It seems to be the case that poor countries with a lot of illiterate women have high birth rates while rich countries with well educated women have low birth rates. To lower the educational attainment of women in rich countries might be one way of raising the birth rate and thus one means of avoiding extinction. I was wondering if this was your solution or whether you had some other idea.

ghostgeek: What about becoming a bionic man? Sadly there are still a few parts missing but I'm sure somebody will get round to fixing that.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/24571759

Geoff: IMO the problem of "augmentation" instead of prosthesis is obsolescence.

All modern technology becomes old hat very quickly - that might be more of an issue if its your eye or ear. Especially when such things will cost an arm and a leg.

ghostgeek: Agreed but if it's a choice between the scrapyard and being out-of-date I think I'd take last year's technology. A little judicious updating now and then should keep one running tickety-boo.

duncan124:
The UK can't even keep its housing up to date let alone its healthcare or farming!

ghostgeek: I dunno about that. We've come on a bit since outdoor privies were all the rage.

Aura: Still don't think extinction is a issue.
We now need a birth rate of 2.1 to replace the people we lose. 2 for old age and the .1 probably for trauma. As health care becomes more advanced and things that were lethal become more and more survivable, that .1 will probably not be needed very long anyway. And since we can barely feed the current amount of people as is, not being able to replace what we lose to old age isn't really a bad thing. By the time it will be, there will be once again enough food and jobs for everyone making the prospect of having children more attractive.

Corwin: Soylent Green is made out of people.

ghostgeek: I agree with you Aura that there seems little likelihood of the human race becoming extinct just yet. The situation for individual countries may not be so sanguine though. Even China is getting worried about its aging population. Without a ready supply of new entrants into the workplace economic activity is likely to stagnate, or worse, decline. It wouldn't be the first time that formerly prosperous nations have become beggarly; history shows that it is all too possible. Less easy is seeing how the decline could be halted once it had begun. Old people, for all their positive qualities, are not noted for their dynamic innovation. One recourse would be importing more young people from other, more populous, countries but this has its drawbacks. In many a western nation immigration has become a very contentious issue, as I'm sure you are well aware.

Corwin: Soylent Green goes good with jam....
.... especially jam that is also made out of people.