From: "JACK L. URETSKY (C) 1996; HEP DIV., ARGONNE NATIONAL LAB, ARGONNE, IL 60439" <JLU@hep.anl.gov>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 17:31:06 -0500 (CDT)
Hi David-
You write:
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Some scientists have predictied that the earth was close to its population
limits for decades, maybe centuries? However, somehow we manage to support
larger and larger populations. Where and when will it end? If we're honest
I think we recognize that we have a finite earth and there must be some limit,
but when it comes to what the limiting factors actually will be and when they
will kick in even the most astute among us can do little more than speculate.
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A closely related question that you might want your students to
consider is: How will we know when we have reached (as distinguished from
exceeded) the limit?
Regards,
Jack
"I scored the next great triumph for science myself,
to wit, how the milk gets into the cow. Both of us
had marveled over that mystery a long time. We had
followed the cows around for years - that is, in the
daytime - but had never caught them drinking fluid of
that color."
Mark Twain, Extract from Eve's
Autobiography