Future shock

[robinbloke]

This article on global overpopulation made me think, where is humanity heading?
Now, anyone that's played Civalisation knows that invariably¹ a single dominant power ends up taking over the whole world bar a single tiny village before launching a space ship for Alpha Centuri for maximum points.
Maybe not the best reflection of what is to come; but given humanities history of turmoil and war from when the first Caveman picked up a pointy stick and found that it could be used to poke other Cavemen I don't think that we're heading for a technological Eutopia.
Revolutions eventually break down, greed and lust for power take over and it all comes down to a glorious few... maybe I'm diversifying here.

Anyway.

The crux of my mental meanderings is; where do you see humanity in, say, 100 years. Then 1000 years.

In 100 years the population expansion will have had to had something done about it or there's likely to be nowhere left for anyone to stand up.
All the fossil fuels will have run out, will we actually have an alternative?
And, my personal prediction, the US and China will come to loggerheads as Superpowers around the world and somethings going to happen.
Or maybe world war three and we all end up in an Insect Nation ruled by cockroaches.

In 1000 years? Can we even contemplate? I'm not sure I can speculate that far but my moneys on the world being a ghost town of a rememant post-apocalypse rather than us making it to the stars.


1 I only know one person who plays it in pacifist mode and it's really not very easy!

Comments

[belak-krin.livejournal.com]

Population will continue to increase until everywhere has to institue a one child per couple policy. Eventually, the joy of millions of generations a year evolution will create a strain of bacteria or a virus that will get rid of large chunks of humanity before we completely over populate the planet. (we are over-due a pandemic of something)

and we all go round again...

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

That's the most realistic but also most boring option. ;o)

[zotz]

Population is set to peak in about 40 years and then slowly decline, without any need for draconian policies. Prosperity and decent healthcare are the birth control campaign's secret weapons.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Japan is already seeing a big downturn in birthrate I believe, but that's more to the work ethic drive...

[zotz]

Developed nations develop low birthrates. It's a well-known phenomenon. Many European nations, and the USA, have birthrates below replacement levels. Some have slowly declining populations, and the others keep levels constant or rising through immigration.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Well that's a little more comforting thought for the future.