Persistent populace?

摘要

An optimistic Jesse Ausubel tells us we are so clever that we will always figure out a way to beat Malthusian predictions of population catastrophe (26 September, p 38). It has indeed worked so far, as exponential population growth smacks up against merely linear resource growth. In the end, though, he's counting on us finding increasingly clever ways to balance on the branch that we're sawing off. He may be right, of course. If so, perhaps we could all meet and discuss it one day over a nice plate of jellyfish with genetically engineered yeast sauce on the side. Delicious.