Re: [Phys-l] H. Sapiens

["Rauber, Joel" <Joel.Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>]

I've always been struck by the look of the curve from about 1700 to the present and noticing that on that scale WWII is barely perceptible, in fact about the only event that provides a perceptible glitch on the curve the black death years in the middle ages.  (assuming curves that go back from some date to the current date so that your event is well within the curve.)

_________________________

Joel Rauber, Ph.D 
Professor and Head of Physics
Department of Physics
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007
Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu 
605.688.5428 (w)
605.688.5878 (fax) 

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts"
A. Einstein

> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
> bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of chuck britton
> Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 12:19 PM
> To: betwys1@sbcglobal.net; Forum for Physics Educators
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] H. Sapiens
>
> At 12:00 PM -0500 9/22/10, brian whatcott wrote:
> >   I imagine the granularity of the poll count, gestation time and
> life
> > span underlying annual rates of increase of Human populations is so
> > comparatively tiny, that a continuous function is quite suited to the
> > purpose.
>
>
> EACH of the four horsemen has contributed more than one major
> 'glitch' to this 'continuous function' over time.
>
> Just because a function is continuous doesn't mean that it can be
> easily represented by an analytical expression.
>
>
>
>
> To slightly rephrase a previous quote:
>
> ANY population curve is exponential if you look at a small enough piece
> of it.
> NO population curve is exponential if you look at it over a
> sufficient time span.
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