X-Message-Number: 14690
From: 
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 03:12:32 EDT
Subject: Re: CryoNet #14652 - #14662

In a message dated 10/11/00 5:03:20 AM,  writes:

<< Message #14652
References: <>
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 12:12:33 +0200
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Overpopulation and the threat to human survival >>

I strongly agree with Stodolsky and recommend a book by the late great 
economist Julian L. Simon which effectively rebuts all arguments about 
overpopulation and the limits of growth [Princeton U Press, 1996].  When I 
mention cryonics to my highly educated friends they always cite 
overpopulation and growth-resource limits as reasons why it is a bad idea.  
These politically correct ideas pervade intellectual circles, promoted as 
they are by insect biologists like Paul Ehrlich and Edward O. Wilson.  Wilson 
is a very good writer with many good ideas about how the sciences fit 
together but his crystal ball is very cloudy.  In his recent book, 
Concilience, he makes the assinine assertion that Rawanda is a good model for 
what we can expect of our human civilization in the future!  You will be 
impressed by the extent of Simon's documentation of the counterarguments,  
all based on real data.  We should derive some comfort from the fact that the 
empirical data is all on our side.  What the other side has is "models" and 
inappropriate extrapolations from other species.

Ronald Havelock, PhD, OD
Knowledge Transfer Institute
Shady Side Maryland

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