X-Message-Number: 585 From: Subject: Birth Control: Necessary but Life-Preventing Date: Fri, 20 Dec 91 8:45:55 MST Thomas writes: > > Immortalism will force serious attention to birth control. Pacific > islanders ... > I agree that much attention will need to be given to population growth-- *IF* we have run out of places to put people! Hi, I'm Dave Droit, new to the knowledge of cryonics and extropy, though I've always had a strong love of life AND indescribable hatred of the thought of nonexistence. I agree with the extropian philosophy that life is precious and should not be taken from others. I extend that philosophy to include the notion that *quality* life should not be prevented, as well. What if YOUR mother or father had exercised birth control just *1* time more than they did? Where would you be now? I am the youngest of four children, and have wondered what it would have been like to have had younger siblings. This may seem strange, but I miss them!! (More correctly, I miss the opportunity to have enjoyed younger siblings.) Since we are optimistically talking about a future of great technological advances, let's think about a future where we have learned how to make this planet MUCH more inhabitable--in terms of available room! I dearly love my children (and already love the thought of great-grandchildren though my own children are only 6 and 9) and sincerely hope that the time will never come that a generation will be not be allowed to enjoy children of their own. Let's make it so! (space colonization is an obvious long-term answer) -- David M. Droit InterNet: Bull HN Information Systems Voice: +1 602 862 5758 Mail Stop Z24 FAX: +1 602 862 4290 13430 North Black Canyon Highway Home: +1 602 996 3110 Phoenix, AZ 85029 [ David, if you look REALLY long-term, population control still appears necessary, even if we scatter throughout space in all directions at almost the speed of light. This is because, unless we change our habits, population will grow exponentially with time (R^T for some R > 1) whereas the space available for that population can grow only polynomially with time ((cT)^3). Eventually, the exponential function will overwhelm the polynomial function (although I am not sure that that will happen within the lifetime of this universe). Alternatively, if most people want to have children yet still keep their population growth polynomial, they may, on average, choose to reproduce less often than now. Rather than doubling their numbers every M years, as they do now, they may double every NT years, for some constants M and N. Fortunately, we have plenty of time to work on this problem. Too many of our other problems desperately require solutions within the next few years... - KQB ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=585