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Read an old sci-fi book called "Earth Abides" It' set in San Francisco. Plauge wipes out most of the people and the rest come together to re-form society
Nature definately has its ways of controlling population to some degree. For instance, I have noticed that nature seems to be making a big comeback this spring. There are more natural grains and fruit plants growing all around the woods and roads than I have ever seen before. And the animal population also seems to be rising. I base this on the large amount of road kill I have noticed recently. Now I know some will say "there's always roadkill". But I have never seen so many dead animals all over the roads. Either they are getting dumber or their populations are increasing. As for human controls, I am sure everyone has noticed the recent trend of large natural disasters in extremely populated areas. The tsunami that hit Sumatra and all the other surrounding countries, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Or the recent China earthquake that killed several more thousand people. These are just small examples of what the earth may do when it reaches its critical mass. So yes, I do believe nature helps deal with population issues of all species.
Why can't diseases today have sweet names that are fun to say like "bubonic"? Instead of "auto immune disease", something like "rubber-reminder" disease. Or,"Oops, you did it again"? I know they don't have the rythm of "bubonic", so maybe the CDC could start "The Department of Homeland Disease Naming".
Richard Dawkin's book "The Selfish Gene" is a great explanation about evolution. It's around 200pgs (IIRC) and is an easy read. I wouldn't jump on board with his beliefs about religion (he's amazingly naive in that department... even idiotic... but, as he said in the past, he's required to publish books and when his sales fall off, so does he from the staff. So he has a self-interest in being controversial.) I wouldn't necessarily read any of his other works. Rather than being a teacher, he becomes a preacher of sorts.
The modern take on self preservation, no?
Thanks for all your replies! I really wanted to learn others' take on this subject.
Nature definately has its ways of controlling population to some degree. For instance, I have noticed that nature seems to be making a big comeback this spring. There are more natural grains and fruit plants growing all around the woods and roads than I have ever seen before. And the animal population also seems to be rising. I base this on the large amount of road kill I have noticed recently. Now I know some will say "there's always roadkill". But I have never seen so many dead animals all over the roads. Either they are getting dumber or their populations are increasing. As for human controls, I am sure everyone has noticed the recent trend of large natural disasters in extremely populated areas. The tsunami that hit Sumatra and all the other surrounding countries, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Or the recent China earthquake that killed several more thousand people. These are just small examples of what the earth may do when it reaches its critical mass. So yes, I do believe nature helps deal with population issues of all species.
After watching a History channel program on the bubonic plague, which wiped out approximately thirty-five percent of the European population in the fourteenth century, I got to wondering: does 'mother nature' keep our numbers in check? Is that the true purpose of monster-like storms, plagues, fires, and earthquakes?
After watching a History channel program on the bubonic plague, which wiped out approximately thirty-five percent of the European population in the fourteenth century, I got to wondering: does 'mother nature' keep our numbers in check? Is that the true purpose of monster-like storms, plagues, fires, and earthquakes?
Yes, all creatures on earth, are in competition for resources. If you are taught everyone gets a trophy, when it comes time to compete for the resources, only the strong will get the resources to survive.
There is no "Mother Nature" with a consciousness that directs things--and no God, either (unless you want to believe in a God that decided to retire about 2,000 years ago). Humans just have a tendency to put everything in human terms (anthropomorphism, for the intellectuals out there).
Nobody "causes" storms or natural disasters, or epidemics--they are things that simply happen as part of complex systems. Earthquakes have geological causes; hurricanes are something that happen due to global weather patterns; plagues and epidemics are things that happen when large populations share space.
It has been postulated that wars function as a way to control human overpopulation, but it turns out not to be true: "Between the time of the plague and the 21st century, there have been hundreds and thousands of wars, natural calamities and man-made hazards. However, none of these have made a dent on the population." Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Solutions - Conserve Energy Future
Even the World Wars didn't change things: "The wholesale loss of life due to world wars of the 20th century produced only small perturbations to the upward trend." Human Populations Unfortunately, wars are just something that always happen, because so many humans want to control others, and because the Military Industrial Complex is rich enough to buy politicians that keep the money flowing (out of the pockets of the working class).
Plague and epidemics are similar to wars--they may cause temporary population blips, but don't change the big picture. I remember being surprised to learn in college that after the Plague killed about 1/3 of Europe's population, the population rebounded and within a single generation had made up all the losses. It was also interesting to learn that if you were one of the survivors, you experienced a huge increase in prosperity as the resources of those who died were divvied up among those still alive, and labor's value skyrocketed.
If half the population of the third world died in a deadly illness over the next few years it would be a shock but over the long term our world would be a better place. Thin the herd just like when there is too many deer in a forest.
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