Then we are the last generation and nothing matters. Sad, isn't it? I'm trying not to cry.
You know, there's an argument that if your soul/consciousness is occupying a randomly selected body (whatever that means - don't take it too literally) you'd expect to be occupying a body during the time when there are the most human bodies to occupy. 6% of all humans who were ever alive so far are alive right now.
It's not really rigorous because some consciousness has to occupy this body and that consciousness would make the same argument, but it's a weak inkling of an argument that the future probably has less humans than the present.
It doesn't imply we're the last generation. The last generation to live like this maybe, but not the last. It seems somewhat clear that modern society is incompatible with humanity to a degree. I think in the all it means humanity regresses to the mean, the population drastically shrinks and people live much simpler lives.
People are already doing that lmao and the general population is so apathetic that they simply don't care cheap flights and buying crap from Temu will cook us to death, they don't care that late stage capitalism has made it harder and harder for people to have families. Even if the replacement rate is magically fixed tomorrow there's still gonna be a long gap and hard times ahead.
It's still far off but I wouldn't be surprised if these were the earliest signs of societal collapse. It does seem impossible to avoid, going in cycles.
Collapse happens slowly, and then all at once. I assume humanity will eventually go through a "regression to the mean" and the collapsed birth rate is the pendulum gearing up to swing in that direction at full force.
Then we are the last generation and nothing matters. Sad, isn't it? I'm trying not to cry.
You know, there's an argument that if your soul/consciousness is occupying a randomly selected body (whatever that means - don't take it too literally) you'd expect to be occupying a body during the time when there are the most human bodies to occupy. 6% of all humans who were ever alive so far are alive right now.
It's not really rigorous because some consciousness has to occupy this body and that consciousness would make the same argument, but it's a weak inkling of an argument that the future probably has less humans than the present.
It doesn't imply we're the last generation. The last generation to live like this maybe, but not the last. It seems somewhat clear that modern society is incompatible with humanity to a degree. I think in the all it means humanity regresses to the mean, the population drastically shrinks and people live much simpler lives.
People are already doing that lmao and the general population is so apathetic that they simply don't care cheap flights and buying crap from Temu will cook us to death, they don't care that late stage capitalism has made it harder and harder for people to have families. Even if the replacement rate is magically fixed tomorrow there's still gonna be a long gap and hard times ahead.
It's still far off but I wouldn't be surprised if these were the earliest signs of societal collapse. It does seem impossible to avoid, going in cycles.
Collapse happens slowly, and then all at once. I assume humanity will eventually go through a "regression to the mean" and the collapsed birth rate is the pendulum gearing up to swing in that direction at full force.