Interesting point about education in men having so little effect, fbaezer. I'm not sure, but I believe it has been shown that neutering male cats had practically no affect on birth rates - presumably, the unneutered toms were willing to put in some overtime.
Perish the thought that I would consider comparing people to animals.
I have the vague feeling I should have perused the "affect/effect" discussion before getting into this, but it's about bed time.
Just to toss my two cents in the pot (clink, clink) -
Here's a small sample of the number of children married people had at the office where I used to work:
* 5 kids
* 3 kids, possible 4th planned
* 4 kids
* 2 kids
* no kids
All 5 people are married. Can you guess who are the 2 lawyers, who are the 2 secretaries (both are High School graduates with no further education), and who is the IT person (college degree, no graduate degree)?
Here's a generational question:
Match the birth decade with the number of kids the married woman had:
* 1880s
* 1910s
* 1920s
* 1930s
* 1940s
* 1950s
* 1960s
* 0
* 1
* 2
* 2
* 2
* 3
* 10
But of course all of this involves Americans, or people who immigrated to the US.
In other countries and other continents, things are far different. We often speak of the West and the East, but a better division (except for Australia and New Zealand) is to speak of the North and the South. The North, with few exceptions, is either First World (US, Canada, France, Germany, etc.) or Second World (most former Soviet bloc countries) whereas the South is generally Third World or Fourth World (the main difference being that the Fourth World is in immediate crisis such as from famine whereas the Third World is in a slightly slower-moving crisis.
Anyway, anyone want to guess my two little quizzes?
Population, the Movie.
I would like to throw in what I think is the most important concept which will govern (or "not" govern) our numbers in the future;
Evolution on this planet is over!
The environmental effects and random mutations of the last hundred million years which have lead us to the situation in which we now find ourselves, will have absolutely no effect on the technologically divorced homo sapien of the future.
Look at the changes over the last hundred years,...... fifty years.
Whatever culling algorithms that have acted over prehistory to limit growth, will not solve our problems in the future; we must solve them ourselves.
Too many - heard a report on NPR today that justified the cost of developing the moon - hmmmmmmmmmm!
Hmmmmm, I can just hear the P.R. hype now;
Come to the moon!
Sandy beaches everywhere, and you don't have to worry about whether the water is warm enough to swim - there's no water!
Perfect weather; the air is never too hot, or too cold - theres no air!
If you choose one of our VIP sites on the sunny side of the moon you won't need to buy any lighting, it's always daylight - a little radiation never hurt anyone, it's as safe as smoking!
..........................!
@Algis Kemezys,
As I know,people are less likely to reproduce more than too children than ever before.
@penkem1,
Nope.
jespah wrote:Here's a small sample of the number of children married people had at the office where I used to work:
* 5 kids
* 3 kids, possible 4th planned
* 4 kids
* 2 kids
* no kids
All 5 people are married. Can you guess who are the 2 lawyers, who are the 2 secretaries (both are High School graduates with no further education), and who is the IT person (college degree, no graduate degree)?
I've worked in a few places since then but I remember these folks.
* 5 kids - the IT person
* 3 kids, possible 4th planned - 1 secretary
* 4 kids - the other secretary
* 2 kids - one lawyer
* no kids - the other lawyer, me
I've often wondered if homsexuality may save the planet.
Well, it'll make it more fabulous, that's for sure.
