Recent research suggests there will be a significant reduction in the birth rate over the course of the next century. What would this mean if it were true? In this podcast we discuss the accuracy of population forecasts, the assumptions they are based on, and the relationship between the number of people and factors such as productivity and societal innovation. We also attempt to predict some of the implications of an aging population with fewer children and ask whether there is an optimal number of human beings. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - BBC coverage of declining fertility https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53409521 - The ‘Lump of Labour’ fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy - Derek Parfit’s repugnant conclusion https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/repugnant-conclusion/ Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44 Image via PickPic