iDante comments on "Stupid" questions thread - Less Wrong

40 Post author: gothgirl420666 13 July 2013 02:42AM

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Comment author: iDante 13 July 2013 06:18:31AM 1 point [-]

no population cap

Comment author: DanArmak 13 July 2013 03:49:31PM *  2 points [-]

On a global scale, the demographic transition means most nations don't care about population caps much. On a local scale, individuals won't find it cheaper to raise children in colonies; in fact the cost of life will be much higher than on Earth at first.

Of course if you're a population ethicist, then you want to increase the population and space colonization looks good.

Comment author: RolfAndreassen 13 July 2013 07:25:10PM 0 points [-]

the demographic transition means most nations don't care about population caps much.

You are taking trends that have lasted a century at most, and extrapolating them thousands of years into the future. As long as the trait "wanting to have many children even while wealthy and educated" is even slightly heritable, not necessarily even genetic, then that trait will spread, leading to a reversal of the demographic "transition".

Comment author: DanArmak 13 July 2013 07:30:39PM 2 points [-]

I agree with your predictions. However, I was talking about why space colonization might be desirable now, rather than why it might become desirable in the future.