Genetics vs Memetics

[Nick]

Mike has pointed out a couple of times that, in the present day and age, religious belief, irrationality and ignorance are major evolutionary advantages.

Some religious beliefs expressly encourage fecundity, or discourage controlling our sexuality - so rational arguments about controlled population growth fall on deaf ears.

For those who've never heard the arguments about the need for controlled population growth (or simply don't accept them) - obviously they are unable to recognise that controlled population growth is a good thing.

This means that such people have an evolutionary advantage - more children will be born to these individuals than to those who are more in control of their reproductive drives.

So, genetics appears to favour a long-term increase in human irrationality (until such time as epidemics and mass starvation finally wipe out huge portions of the human population).

Countering this, we have 'memetics', which can be described as 'the evolution of ideas, as they are passed from person to person, and generation to generation''.

The question is, do you have hope that the ideas in favour of regulating population growth can be spread far enough, and wide enough to avoid that bleak future of overpopulation and subsequent natural correction?

(I believe it is possible, but I'm curious as to how others feel about the idea. Is there anyone here who actually questions the need to control overall population growth?)

[weemadando]

Approximately 1000 Nuclear weapons provide the best world wide method of population control.

[salm]

yes, we can figure out a way to control pupulation. in fact in theory we already have. there are multiple ways of contraception. these ideas and methods "simply" need to be spread all over the globe. this would infer an improvement of education and financial situation in very poor countries. on the other hand fundie idiots the "god said be fruitful and multyply" idiots need to be removed from influencial positions (political, religious).
in the western countries the population already is decreasing, so why not in other countries as well, in case the relevant situations change there?

[Mr Bean]

It begins and ends with teaching, not facts but teaching people to think

Once you miss the chance in grade-middle schools its quite hard to teach it to them later on in life

People hard on and on about China's Child policy saying its evil its bad, yet these dumb fucks don't seem to get how many kids die each year to a ton of diseases plus being malnoriused and like-wise problems from there simply being to many fucking people in the same place!(Pun intended)

[Crown]

But Nick population growth is still high (and a problem) in developing countries. The US, EU, Canada and Australia, have very low population growth because their socio-economic status doesn't require it. That's all I wanted to say.

[Colonel Olrik]

But Nick population growth is still high (and a problem) in developing countries. The US, EU, Canada and Australia, have very low population growth because their socio-economic status doesn't require it. That's all I wanted to say.

I'll just add that, disregarding the emmigration factor, the E.U overall population would in fact be decreasing, now or in a near future.

The stability of the population in Portugal is now assured by emmigrants.

[Solid Snake]

The ultimate advice:
Dont be silly, wrap your willy!

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

We'll either stabilize the population, or there will be some mass starvation in the third world. I'd rather have the stabilizing population, and I'm quite confident it will happen soon. It happened in the industrialized world. However, we can also avoid starvation by growing more food. However, we would then have to worry about disease, which can be solved through vaccination. Still, we would have to worry about overcrtowding and poverty. And I'm quite confident that the third world countries will develop.

On the more pessimistic side, there will either be an epidemic of disease or starvation, and then the population will stabilize, food will be plentiful, and everyone will become literate.

[Darth Yoshi]

I always said that nuclear would would be beneficial to the planet in the long run. Seriously though, eventually the world population will stabilize. Either we'll move into space, or birth control becomes more widespread, or some plague wipes out 90% of the the earths population.