amazing statistic of the day

[bobg]

I was lying in bed this morning letting the Today prog wash over me and paying scant attention, when someone said " there are more people alive today than ever lived and died in the whole of human existance " Pretty damned startling ... what what

 

[Pete]

I heard that. They were talking about impending threat of world famine consequent on the hike in prices of wheat and other basic foods. I think what they meant to say was, there are more people alive today than the sum total of all people who have died throughout recorded history. A surprising but logical consequence of the exponential nature of population growth.

 

[trustysteed]

There are more exclamation marks in all the posts by Keith Oates on this forum than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on the planet earth.

 

[NickM]

...what they meant to say was, there are more people alive today than the sum total of all people who have died throughout recorded history...

Not so much amazing; more terrifying. Join VHEMT now!

 

[trustysteed]

Not so much amazing; more terrifying. Join VHEMT now!

got the snip four years ago so i guess i've joined already!

 

[NickM]

Good for you! I've always been in it - well, as far as I know...

 

[trustysteed]

I've always been in it

if you've always been in it, you may not be!

 

[yorkshiregoth]

88.2% of all statistics are made up on the spot

I think you may find that it's actually 89.7%

 

[Aint Skeered]

Elephants can't jump

 

[Pete]

Not so much amazing; more terrifying. Join VHEMT now!

got the snip four years ago so i guess i've joined already!

We're too old now, and anyway we only had the one offspring, so I reckon we've done our bit without my having to go through - err.. err...

I used to think that the 'Chinese' solution was the way forward, but age imbalance: too many old people, not enough young adults - brings its own problems in many cultures. Maybe I should study my Malthus a bit more carefully next time...

 

[trustysteed]

Maybe I should study my Malthus a bit more carefully next time...

never heard it called that before!

 

[Arch]

More field mice are killed in any given week by eating poisoned Spangles, than cups of tea were served during the whole of WWI.

That's excellent. I will use that as often as I can, and ignore any doubters...

 

[NickM]

That's excellent.

It ruddy well isn't

Signed: A. Fieldmouse

 

[simoncc]

I was lying in bed this morning letting the Today prog wash over me and paying scant attention, when someone said " there are more people alive today than ever lived and died in the whole of human existance " Pretty damned startling ... what what

It's also a load of rubbish, but one often used by the more hysterical of the planet saving brigade who are prone to uncritical acceptance of 'facts' that suit their case.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa004&articleID=09E07C6F-E7F2-99DF-3AD087F0DA77D94F&ref=rss

http://www.population.govt.nz/myth-busters/MoreAliveThanLived.htm

http://www.forteantimes.com/strangedays/mythbusters/368/the_quick_and_the_dead.html

 

[JamesAC]

Surely the important point is not how many people have been alive in the past, but how many are alive now, and what the trend is likely to be.

The Earth's resources are finite. If the population keeps growing, then there is less and less for each one of us in terms of land, water, food.

If things go on like this, then truely we are "doomed"