Eh, the models don’t take into account that higher population density will depress happiness for a portion of the population. Otherwise, making more people means more happiness always, even if you’re stacking them like sardines due to lack of space. I don’t know how a combination of virtual reality and expansion into other environments (sea and space) would change things (presumably for the better). It is a bit more complicated than the analysis in that article though.
If the people who do radical life extension do not have kids, then there are no net changes in global population caused by radical life extension. The malthusians should be able to understand this.
If those of us who want radical life extension also insist on having kids as well, then there is an issue, especially if there is no large scale space settlement.
The article does a good job of illustrating why I’m not a utilitarian.
Radical life extension will slow depreciation of human capital and reduce people’s discount rates leading to major investment in all long-term activity such as space settlement.
Eh, the models don’t take into account that higher population density will depress happiness for a portion of the population. Otherwise, making more people means more happiness always, even if you’re stacking them like sardines due to lack of space. I don’t know how a combination of virtual reality and expansion into other environments (sea and space) would change things (presumably for the better). It is a bit more complicated than the analysis in that article though.
If the people who do radical life extension do not have kids, then there are no net changes in global population caused by radical life extension. The malthusians should be able to understand this.
If those of us who want radical life extension also insist on having kids as well, then there is an issue, especially if there is no large scale space settlement.
The article does a good job of illustrating why I’m not a utilitarian.
Radical life extension will slow depreciation of human capital and reduce people’s discount rates leading to major investment in all long-term activity such as space settlement.