Gloomy Forecast for the Prophets of Apocalypse and Bright Forecast for Chemists

摘要

In his famous "Essay on the Principle of Population", first published in 1798, Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus portrayed a grim future for humankind: "The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race" In order to prevent the horrors of famine, plagues, and wars Malthus proposed preventive measures, including abortion, birth control, prostitution, postponement of marriage, and celibacy.