The economic risks of depopulation are overstated. Most value is generated by machines and a small group of people that invent those machines.
While “fewer people means fewer new ideas” is theoretically true, in the current world a very small fraction of the population are given the opportunities to be at the forefront of new idea generation because of inadequate nurturing, resources, education. If the population halved and we tripled the proportion of people who were able to attain the levels of education and training necessary to innovate, we would have more total innovation.
Concern about fertility is a red herring if the next Einstein can’t go to school because she has a neglected tropical disease.
The economic risks of depopulation are overstated. Most value is generated by machines and a small group of people that invent those machines.
While “fewer people means fewer new ideas” is theoretically true, in the current world a very small fraction of the population are given the opportunities to be at the forefront of new idea generation because of inadequate nurturing, resources, education. If the population halved and we tripled the proportion of people who were able to attain the levels of education and training necessary to innovate, we would have more total innovation.
Concern about fertility is a red herring if the next Einstein can’t go to school because she has a neglected tropical disease.