What are the consequences (political, economic, military, social) of an 'overflowing' populace?
Wikipedia has a great list. It has just about everything I could think of, except for my personal speculation that war would become more frequent. I say that because you have countries that have guns but not butter, and butter but no guns- if you don't mind my mixed metaphor.
On a larger scale, there is a concept referred to as the Malthusian Catastrophe, which states that a population of humans which exceeds the carrying capacity of the Earth will deflate via famine, war, disease, or another, unknown, factor.
How big is too big? Is there a too big?
The loyal opposition! Just for kicks. These dudes think that it's not a problem... They also do the "not all scientists agree" thing with respect to global warming, so I'm inclined to just say religious devout.
The C3PO's! (yes, I'm a geek. here's the reason.) Another one, less hysterical. And, one more. Teh internets have spoken. It's real. I know that isn't and end-all, but... sometimes the crowd is right.
Too big is called carrying capacity in ecology. Carrying capacity is, basically, the largest sustainable population of an an environment.Thomas Malthus, an English clergyman, was the first to suggest that the human population would eventually exceed this number. He said this in 1798. Another old issue. Well, the carrying capacity of the earth varies depending on how you estimate it (duh). The variation, though, is huge, 2-40 billion. (this site) However, the number that is more useful is the American limit: 2 billion. If everyone lived like a middle class American, the carrying capacity is only 2 billion. Keep in mind, though, that carrying capacity is sustainable. before you tell me that the world population is 6.7 billion, give or take a few hundred million. In essence, technology allowed us to escape the geometric progression in a linear world problem, but at the cost of sustainability. My personal estimate of the carrying capacity is optimistic, from what I've read, it seems like lifestyles can be rearranged to allow for 5, give or take 1, billion people. Still, though... We're screwed.
The magic date is 2030, give or take a bit. All of the major forecasts predict a perfect storm around that date.
What advantages are there of a high population?
Other than big parties... More production, and, to a certain point, you have specialization in the economy, which brings you cotton underwear, among other wonderful things.
Other than that, not much I can think of.
What are the largest cities in the world? Can they shed any light on the first question?
The largest city in the world is Tokyo. It is recognized as a central node of the world economy, along with London and NYC; it also has the largest metro economy. Also, it has an absolutely amazing public transit system, and is rated as one of the best (and most expensive) places in the world to live. In the politics of Japan, Tokyo (the greater metro area) is treated as the equivalent of a state (they call them prefectures, not as a city. Japan in general has almost no crime (right here, and Tokyo is the same way.
So yeah... This kinda puts a damper on the apocalyptic predictions of overpopulation. I guess I'll go ahead and just say that the Japanese are really civilized.
Is there a capacity of the Earth? If so, what is it, and how is it calculated?
See the question about how big is too big. Basically, about 5 billion. The calculations are beyond my ability, if I find a good explanation, I'll add a link.
What literature is there on this subject?
Off the top of my head- Hot, Flat, and Crowed comes to mind, but I can't recall the author.
Are there population control laws in places other than China?
Again, the Greeks did it first- Aristotle, among others, first discussed the idea, but with the Christian faith gaining traction after the fall of the Roman Empire, population control was ignored. (be ye fruitful and multiply).
Later, you have Malthus, who said you could have 'positive checks' or 'preventive checks'. Anything that increases the death rate is a positive check, anything that decreases the birth rate is a preventive check. From an ecologist's point of view, the preventive checks are the ones that are insituted voluntarily, and positive checks are the ones imposed by reality.
In the world, only India and China have actual laws, China with their one-child policy, and in India, only people with two or fewer children are eligible for election to local political office.
EDIT: Oh, the law of unintended consequences strikes again! In China, the male-female birth ratio is so far out of whack that there will be something like 30 million more men than women by 2020. They are worried about social insatbility because of this. The irony is crushing- social instability by overpopulation- avoided! Social instability because of large amounts of young men without dates- crap...
More details here.
Will population control laws be needed in the future? If so, what could they be?
I'm going to say that they either will be enacted- or we end up with a Malthusian catastrophe. Personally, I think the best ones would be something like what is used in Ender's Game, progressively worse economic sanctions for every child beyond two. Because not everyone would bow to the sanctions, replacement fertility (2.1) is still achieved. If you needed more, I am moderately intrigued by the idea of a lottery system, as described in the person of Teela Brown in the Ringworld novels.
However, fertility tends to decline with prosperity, so it is possible that the geometric curve of population will flatten and none of this will occur. However, because of the developing world, this is unlikely to occur without extreme upticks in wealth in the developing world.
Could there be a ecumenopolis (planet wide city) like Coruscant in the future?
Well, you'd have to do something with the oceans- so that's a problem. What is more likely is ribbons of city crisscrossing the globe.
If so, what would some consequences be?
This one. I know that there are a lot of Star Wars references here, I promise I'll try to stop.
In sci-fi, most planet cities have extremely volatile weather. The huge amounts of heat produced, with the wind tunnel effects of the skyscrapers produce hurricane force winds regularly, and with the high winds comes lightening storms. Despite the vicious storms, it probably wouldn't rain much, because most or all of the water of the planet would be stored somewhere. Because of that, the humidity would likely be really low, kind of like high-altitude places today.
The above assumes an open air city, instead of a domed planet, like Asimov's Trantor in the Foundation novels. With a domed city, you get the same volatile weather, but it doesn't matter much, except for the damage it may inflict.
Of course, that is all guesswork.
This is getting really long, so I'll stop here, but I get the distinct feeling this is a big topic.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Exploding cars!?!?
WTF?
Cool, but
What is it doing in the song?
I think it's just here to drive home the general sense of "really strange" and "world is falling apart". Not sure though.
How would a car explode? (sure, incinerate isn't exploding, but explosions are more fun!)
Like this.
I was expecting something like the above when I started on this. The actual story is a little less amusing and dramatic:
Sad explosion.
Still, I wouldn't want to be in either of those cars!
The Pinto does this because of, in essence, bad design. The way the gas tank was built, in a rear end collision, shears some valve apart, letting gasoline out of the tank and into the accident. With that much metal colliding, you rapidly get a spark and, boom!
However, there are some dissenting voices. Apparently, the Pinto doesn't do this any more than some other cars, and the deaths attributed to this particular type of crappy design are outnumbered by deaths from other crappy design choices. An absolutly abysmal car, but not any more deadly than most others. However, it does have an elevated fire risk.
Where can I get a Pinto to try this?
Blast! Kelly Blue Book only goes back to 1990! Elsewhere it is...
Hah, internet! I win. The 1976 Ford Pinto would run me about $4,800. (a link, but it might break if the car is sold) However, that is a bit beyond my resources. Oh well. The Pinto I found was in South Carolina anyway (York, to be precise), so it would have been a heck of a trip. That price could be high, there are some auctions, and an older one, as long as it was driven, sells for around $1,000 ish. In any case, Ford Pintos are hard to track down.
Have the Mythbusters done something about burning/exploding cars?
Yes, of course.
Yup. Except this is a hollywood movie myth, not a pinto. Oh well.
How would I put it out once it started burning/exploding?
It looks like your standard ABC would work. You can't use water, because that'll just spread the fire. If you're in a high tech mood, you could use purple-K, potassium bicarbonate. However, you'd need a lot more than one extinguisher and more than one person. From those videos, and depending on how much gas was in the tank, it could be a pretty large fire.
Cool, but
What is it doing in the song?
I think it's just here to drive home the general sense of "really strange" and "world is falling apart". Not sure though.
How would a car explode? (sure, incinerate isn't exploding, but explosions are more fun!)
Like this.
I was expecting something like the above when I started on this. The actual story is a little less amusing and dramatic:
Sad explosion.
Still, I wouldn't want to be in either of those cars!
The Pinto does this because of, in essence, bad design. The way the gas tank was built, in a rear end collision, shears some valve apart, letting gasoline out of the tank and into the accident. With that much metal colliding, you rapidly get a spark and, boom!
However, there are some dissenting voices. Apparently, the Pinto doesn't do this any more than some other cars, and the deaths attributed to this particular type of crappy design are outnumbered by deaths from other crappy design choices. An absolutly abysmal car, but not any more deadly than most others. However, it does have an elevated fire risk.
Where can I get a Pinto to try this?
Blast! Kelly Blue Book only goes back to 1990! Elsewhere it is...
Hah, internet! I win. The 1976 Ford Pinto would run me about $4,800. (a link, but it might break if the car is sold) However, that is a bit beyond my resources. Oh well. The Pinto I found was in South Carolina anyway (York, to be precise), so it would have been a heck of a trip. That price could be high, there are some auctions, and an older one, as long as it was driven, sells for around $1,000 ish. In any case, Ford Pintos are hard to track down.
Have the Mythbusters done something about burning/exploding cars?
Yes, of course.
Yup. Except this is a hollywood movie myth, not a pinto. Oh well.
How would I put it out once it started burning/exploding?
It looks like your standard ABC would work. You can't use water, because that'll just spread the fire. If you're in a high tech mood, you could use purple-K, potassium bicarbonate. However, you'd need a lot more than one extinguisher and more than one person. From those videos, and depending on how much gas was in the tank, it could be a pretty large fire.
Random People
Who are these people?
Lenny Bruce (13 October 1925-3 August 1966) was a foul mouthed comedian and satirist who focused on social stigmas and taboos. He married a stripper, was once arrested for posing as a clergyman; was discharged from the Navy and was discharged for homosexuality. He honed his comedic skills as a stand-up as the master of ceremonies for a series of strip clubs in the San Fernando Valley (ironic, no?). He was banned outright from performing in several U.S. cities. The most humorous instance, however, was in Sydney, Australia. He took the stage and greeted the audience, and was arrested. His greeting was the modernly mild, "What a f***ing wonderful audience." He killed himself with an overdose of morphine.
He is referenced in a huge number of songs (this is the list on wikipedia), including this one.
This is now guesswork, but it is my opinion that the line does mean something, now that I know who Lenny Bruce is. He isn't afraid, and he threw it in people's faces. Reminds me of George Carlin in that respect.
Leonard Bernstien (25 August 1918-14 October 1990) was a composer and conductor. He is arguably one of the best conductors to ever live, if not the best. Also, he was a noted trailblazer in his area, bringing an unusually active and vibrant presence to his conducting. He did not kill himself, he died of pneumonia and a pleural tumor.
However neat he may be, I'm afraid that the only relation to the song (and Lenny Bruce), is that he shook things up. He was new, and different. The verdict here is that maybe R.E.M. where fans of his, but I don't see the connection.
Leonid Breznev (19 Decemeber 1909-10 November 1982) was a Soviet General Secretary from 1964-1982. He was your generally unremarkable oppressive, in the Stalinist tradition, Communist. If you were interested, he was the one who invaded Afganistan (never get involved in a land war in Asia!). He was succeeded by Gorbachev, a far more interesting and less depressing person. He about drank himself to death and was addicted to sleeping pills
My faith that I would find meaning in these names is rapidly diminishing. I have no clue what this dude is doing here.
Lester Bangs (13 December 1948-30 April 1982) was a music journalist. He was one of the best, and was generally caustic in his interview tone. There's just not much else, except he was part of a band for a short period, called Lester Bangs and the Delinquents. He also wrote for Penthouse and Playboy at various points. He killed himself with an overdose of OTC drugs.
I'm really not getting this one. I guess he's here because of a connection to music? Otherwise, I'm lost.
What are they doing in this song?
I can understand what Lenny Bruce is here for, he was someone who felt fine- other people were running around, and he was laughing. Leonard Bernstien was widely well-regarded, so I'm feeling this as a shout-out, not a message. Comrade Breznev is really puzzling me. Why mention a General Secretary? He wasn't even a revolutionary, like the others. If anyone has a thought, please let me know! I need help. Lester Bangs, I think is here for the same, or a similar, reason to Bernstien.
What does anyone else think? I don't have much confidence in any of these, with the exception of Lenny Bruce, I think I get that one.
Is there some significance to them that I'm missing?
Two of them ODed.
Three of them have a connection to music.
Two of them were profane and caustic.
Two of them were involved in the sex industry.
One of them ruled a country.
Three of them did drugs.
Two were leaders.
Three of them 'shook things up' in their respective fields.
All four of them are in this song.
I'm not getting anywhere with correlations. Any ideas? I'm stuck again.
EDIT: Just realized this- Their intitials are all the same. Does that have meaning? No idea, but it's really weird.
And this: Three of them have names deriving from Leonard.
Are they just random?
I don't think so. There are too many commonalities, even if I can't say anything for sure.
Lenny Bruce (13 October 1925-3 August 1966) was a foul mouthed comedian and satirist who focused on social stigmas and taboos. He married a stripper, was once arrested for posing as a clergyman; was discharged from the Navy and was discharged for homosexuality. He honed his comedic skills as a stand-up as the master of ceremonies for a series of strip clubs in the San Fernando Valley (ironic, no?). He was banned outright from performing in several U.S. cities. The most humorous instance, however, was in Sydney, Australia. He took the stage and greeted the audience, and was arrested. His greeting was the modernly mild, "What a f***ing wonderful audience." He killed himself with an overdose of morphine.
He is referenced in a huge number of songs (this is the list on wikipedia), including this one.
This is now guesswork, but it is my opinion that the line does mean something, now that I know who Lenny Bruce is. He isn't afraid, and he threw it in people's faces. Reminds me of George Carlin in that respect.
Leonard Bernstien (25 August 1918-14 October 1990) was a composer and conductor. He is arguably one of the best conductors to ever live, if not the best. Also, he was a noted trailblazer in his area, bringing an unusually active and vibrant presence to his conducting. He did not kill himself, he died of pneumonia and a pleural tumor.
However neat he may be, I'm afraid that the only relation to the song (and Lenny Bruce), is that he shook things up. He was new, and different. The verdict here is that maybe R.E.M. where fans of his, but I don't see the connection.
Leonid Breznev (19 Decemeber 1909-10 November 1982) was a Soviet General Secretary from 1964-1982. He was your generally unremarkable oppressive, in the Stalinist tradition, Communist. If you were interested, he was the one who invaded Afganistan (never get involved in a land war in Asia!). He was succeeded by Gorbachev, a far more interesting and less depressing person. He about drank himself to death and was addicted to sleeping pills
My faith that I would find meaning in these names is rapidly diminishing. I have no clue what this dude is doing here.
Lester Bangs (13 December 1948-30 April 1982) was a music journalist. He was one of the best, and was generally caustic in his interview tone. There's just not much else, except he was part of a band for a short period, called Lester Bangs and the Delinquents. He also wrote for Penthouse and Playboy at various points. He killed himself with an overdose of OTC drugs.
I'm really not getting this one. I guess he's here because of a connection to music? Otherwise, I'm lost.
What are they doing in this song?
I can understand what Lenny Bruce is here for, he was someone who felt fine- other people were running around, and he was laughing. Leonard Bernstien was widely well-regarded, so I'm feeling this as a shout-out, not a message. Comrade Breznev is really puzzling me. Why mention a General Secretary? He wasn't even a revolutionary, like the others. If anyone has a thought, please let me know! I need help. Lester Bangs, I think is here for the same, or a similar, reason to Bernstien.
What does anyone else think? I don't have much confidence in any of these, with the exception of Lenny Bruce, I think I get that one.
Is there some significance to them that I'm missing?
Two of them ODed.
Three of them have a connection to music.
Two of them were profane and caustic.
Two of them were involved in the sex industry.
One of them ruled a country.
Three of them did drugs.
Two were leaders.
Three of them 'shook things up' in their respective fields.
All four of them are in this song.
I'm not getting anywhere with correlations. Any ideas? I'm stuck again.
EDIT: Just realized this- Their intitials are all the same. Does that have meaning? No idea, but it's really weird.
And this: Three of them have names deriving from Leonard.
Are they just random?
I don't think so. There are too many commonalities, even if I can't say anything for sure.
Cheesecake
Yummy...
Who came up with this amazing creation?
/
Well, cheesecake is a blend of eggs and cream, with the cream in the form of cheese. This is the broadest possible definition, but, where did it come from?
The incomparable wikipedia informs me that the first person to write down how to make a cheesecake is the Greek physician Aegimus. He also wrote the first treatise on the pulse. Yeah, your eyes are fine. THE PULSE. The guy is ANCIENT. Before Galen. Before Hippocrates. We're talking oral history of dinosaurs old. Fifth century. B.C. Take that, Twinkies! You fall on taste, and pedigree!
Later on, Cato the Elder wrote and treatise with a cheesecake recipe. Awesome idea, flawed presentation. The name for it was "placenta". You can't make this stuff up, okay?
There are seven common types of modern cheesecake. What I think of as cheesecake, though, is New York style. Mmmmmm. On a more interesting and less tasty note, there are different types of "cheesecake" around the world, which all add their own spin to the dish.
The date of July 30 is, in the U.S., celebrated, at least unofficially, as National Cheesecake Day.
/edit 25 Aug 8:36 p.m.
What is it doing in this song?
The jury is still out on this, but it could just be that it is tasty and related to a birthday party which is there because... why? I don't know.
How can I get some?
/
Well, there are Cheesecake Factory restaurants in Bethesda and Columbia. However, that's a little far, and a little more money than I was planning on. Recipes it is!
/edit 25 Aug 8:36 p.m.
I found it! A website that has 191 delecious ways to overindulge in cheesy, sugary goodness.
Here is a nice, basic one:
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Crust:
1 and 1/2 cups walnuts
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with non-stick spray. Take the walnuts and 1/4 cup of the sugar and pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and mix well. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake in the 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Mix together the sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and place in refrigerator until called for.
Decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar and the vanilla just until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and the almond extract. Beat in the cream slowly until smooth and pour the cheesecake batter onto the crust.
Bake at 300 degrees for 65 to 70 minutes or until almost set. Topt the cheesecake with the sour cream topping you prepared earlier and spread it across the top. Return to the oven and bake five minutes longer.
Remove from the oven and loosen the cake from the pan with a sharp knife but don't remove the rim. Allow cake to cool to room temperaure.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours before removing the rim of the pan and serving.
Serves 16.
This is great! You can do all sorts of things to a basic vanilla cheesecake... raspberries, strawberries... Any kind of berry, really! Or chocolate syrup, I suppose.
What is the best cheesecake made?
There is a book (here it is on Amazon) on this subject. I'm going to see if I can find anything else, or if the book is in the library.
When did cheesecake become popular?
/
Not much of a question anymore, is it? Cheesecake has been around longer than sliced bread. It has been
popular since Aegimus the ancient wrote about them.
/edit 25 Aug 8:36 p.m.
Who came up with this amazing creation?
/
Well, cheesecake is a blend of eggs and cream, with the cream in the form of cheese. This is the broadest possible definition, but, where did it come from?
The incomparable wikipedia informs me that the first person to write down how to make a cheesecake is the Greek physician Aegimus. He also wrote the first treatise on the pulse. Yeah, your eyes are fine. THE PULSE. The guy is ANCIENT. Before Galen. Before Hippocrates. We're talking oral history of dinosaurs old. Fifth century. B.C. Take that, Twinkies! You fall on taste, and pedigree!
Later on, Cato the Elder wrote and treatise with a cheesecake recipe. Awesome idea, flawed presentation. The name for it was "placenta". You can't make this stuff up, okay?
There are seven common types of modern cheesecake. What I think of as cheesecake, though, is New York style. Mmmmmm. On a more interesting and less tasty note, there are different types of "cheesecake" around the world, which all add their own spin to the dish.
The date of July 30 is, in the U.S., celebrated, at least unofficially, as National Cheesecake Day.
/edit 25 Aug 8:36 p.m.
What is it doing in this song?
The jury is still out on this, but it could just be that it is tasty and related to a birthday party which is there because... why? I don't know.
How can I get some?
/
Well, there are Cheesecake Factory restaurants in Bethesda and Columbia. However, that's a little far, and a little more money than I was planning on. Recipes it is!
/edit 25 Aug 8:36 p.m.
I found it! A website that has 191 delecious ways to overindulge in cheesy, sugary goodness.
Here is a nice, basic one:
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Crust:
1 and 1/2 cups walnuts
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with non-stick spray. Take the walnuts and 1/4 cup of the sugar and pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and mix well. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake in the 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Mix together the sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and place in refrigerator until called for.
Decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar and the vanilla just until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and the almond extract. Beat in the cream slowly until smooth and pour the cheesecake batter onto the crust.
Bake at 300 degrees for 65 to 70 minutes or until almost set. Topt the cheesecake with the sour cream topping you prepared earlier and spread it across the top. Return to the oven and bake five minutes longer.
Remove from the oven and loosen the cake from the pan with a sharp knife but don't remove the rim. Allow cake to cool to room temperaure.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours before removing the rim of the pan and serving.
Serves 16.
This is great! You can do all sorts of things to a basic vanilla cheesecake... raspberries, strawberries... Any kind of berry, really! Or chocolate syrup, I suppose.
What is the best cheesecake made?
There is a book (here it is on Amazon) on this subject. I'm going to see if I can find anything else, or if the book is in the library.
When did cheesecake become popular?
/
Not much of a question anymore, is it? Cheesecake has been around longer than sliced bread. It has been
popular since Aegimus the ancient wrote about them.
/edit 25 Aug 8:36 p.m.
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