Human population will peak at 9B then fall dramatically

[IndyColtsFan]

At this point trying to reproduce as the middle class is basically economic suicide in the US. The bottom earners are the breeding class because unless grandma/grandpa can take care of the kids you can't afford them on middle class salary. Somehow the baby boomers managed to so royally fuck this country for middle class people, yet now they blame millennials for everything.

Meh, we have middle class friends who make less than my salary alone (not including my wife's), and they're raising kids fine. Raising kids is expensive but I don't think it is as bad as you think and I don't think the costs are the primary reason more people are delaying or not having them.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

At this point trying to reproduce as the middle class is basically economic suicide in the US. The bottom earners are the breeding class because unless grandma/grandpa can take care of the kids you can't afford them on middle class salary. Somehow the baby boomers managed to so royally fuck this country for middle class people, yet now they blame millennials for everything.

Right, I'm not saying I disagree persay - but I guess my ultimate question is...

If the bottom earners are the ones reproducing (which statistically are the lowest IQ) - aren't we basically making Idiocracy into a documentary?

That's why I've said that instead of starting school at Kindergarten, we should honestly start talking about public daycare if we want the higher intelligent folks to reproduce more.

 

[whm1974]

Right, I'm not saying I disagree persay - but I guess my ultimate question is...

If the bottom earners are the ones reproducing (which statistically are the lowest IQ) - aren't we basically making Idiocracy into a documentary?

That's why I've said that instead of starting school at Kindergarten, we should honestly start talking about public daycare if we want the higher intelligent folks to reproduce more.

There are many factors that go into intelligence.

 

[Majes]

We've about doubled our life expectancy in the last 100-150 years or so...

It's fine to talk about issues with population decline or potential overpopulation, but these are minor issues compared to what happens when we figure out how to stop people from aging.

 

[DietDrThunder]

We've about doubled our life expectancy in the last 100-150 years or so...

It's fine to talk about issues with population decline or potential overpopulation, but these are minor issues compared to what happens when we figure out how to stop people from aging.

I agree that society has about doubled our life expectancy in the last 100 years, but from what I've read, there has been little to no change in a human's lifespan over the past 2,000 years.

Socrates was almost 71 years old when he died in 399 BC. "He was indicted for failing to honor the Athenian gods and for corrupting the young. Plato recounts him mounting a spirited defense of his virtue before the jury, but calmly accepting their verdict. On his last day, Plato says, he “appeared both happy in manner and words as he died nobly and without fear.” He drank the cup of brewed hemlock his executioner handed him, walked around until his legs grew numb and then lay down, surrounded by his friends, and waited for the poison to reach his heart."

 

[Majes]

I agree that society has about doubled our life expectancy in the last 100 years, but from what I've read, there has been little to no change in a human's lifespan over the past 2,000 years.

Socrates was almost 71 years old when he died in 399 BC. "He was indicted for failing to honor the Athenian gods and for corrupting the young. Plato recounts him mounting a spirited defense of his virtue before the jury, but calmly accepting their verdict. On his last day, Plato says, he “appeared both happy in manner and words as he died nobly and without fear.” He drank the cup of brewed hemlock his executioner handed him, walked around until his legs grew numb and then lay down, surrounded by his friends, and waited for the poison to reach his heart."

You don't think it will ever be possible to extend the human lifespan indefinitely? I actually think it will happen in the next 100 years...

 

[DietDrThunder]

You don't think it will ever be possible to extend the human lifespan indefinitely? I actually think it will happen in the next 100 years...

What has really skewed the life expectancy numbers over the past 100 years is infant mortality rates.

From what I read, even if we eliminate cardiovascular disease, cure cancer, and eliminate strokes, the average life expectancy will only increase by 15 years. This still doesn't change the maximum lifespan of around 122 years (oldest recorded and verified person).

Now, I really don't know what is possible in the next 100 years. I wish to still be around but I know that I won't. Let's say that your parents saved your baby teeth. In the future, there might be a way for geneticists to do a comparison and find how your current DNA has degraded over the years, and develop a gene therapy treatment to correct the degradation. But who knows if this would actually work or if it would cause other problems. I don't know if I'd be the first one to sign up for the procedure.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

You don't think it will ever be possible to extend the human lifespan indefinitely? I actually think it will happen in the next 100 years...

I think it will happen in the next 30 years, but the big issue is that a young body doesn’t mean you have a young mind. There is concern in the scientific community that while we may halt and even reverse aging of the body, they’re not sure they can do the same for the brain since it doesn’t have mass cell reproduction like the rest of the body, though even that is up for debate.

 

[DietDrThunder]

I think it will happen in the next 30 years, but the big issue is that a young body doesn’t mean you have a young mind. There is concern in the scientific community that while we may halt and even reverse aging of the body, they’re not sure they can do the same for the brain since it doesn’t have mass cell reproduction like the rest of the body, though even that is up for debate.

Yeah, that would really suck to spend all that money to reverse aging, only to be REALLY healthy with a long life and have Alzheimers.

 

[Majes]

Yeah, that would really suck to spend all that money to reverse aging, only to be REALLY healthy with a long life and have Alzheimers.

I think they'll fix Alzheimers too relatively soon. But humans tend to accumulate a lot of mental baggage and emotional damage over the years. I can't imagine how twisted even a healthy mind can get after 100+ years.

 

[whm1974]

I think they'll fix Alzheimers too relatively soon. But humans tend to accumulate a lot of mental baggage and emotional damage over the years. I can't imagine how twisted even a healthy mind can get after 100+ years.

Make Mental health treatment and support more widespread and affordable?

 

[DietDrThunder]

I think they'll fix Alzheimers too relatively soon. But humans tend to accumulate a lot of mental baggage and emotional damage over the years. I can't imagine how twisted even a healthy mind can get after 100+ years.

They've been pouring money into Alzheimers research for 20 years and they pretty much have not made any progress. From what I've read, once you have the symptoms it is already too late and the damage is done. They are not even sure what causes Alzheimers. Some researchers say it is genetic, others say it is caused by a viral infection.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

There was a recent report linking bacteria from gum disease to Alzheimer's disease but more work needs to be done.

 

[whm1974]

There was a recent report linking bacteria from gum disease to Alzheimer's disease but more work needs to be done.

Maybe more widespread dental health care could prevent or delay some cases of Alzheimer's?