The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to grasp the exponential function. Sure, it feels draining. But that is exactly what Bartlett’s diagnosis was in his 1700 times delivered lecture; “Arithmetic, Population and Energy: Sustainability 101”

Well, in our defense who can blame us? Aren’t we all a little too interested in ATLAS/31 travelling on a hyperbolic trajectory through our solar system than the exponential rise in population and the very fact that the heaviest burden on Earth isn’t carbon but people?

 At first, it was just one bacterium.

 Is population still in the room with us?

At first, it was just one bacterium.

Placed in a bottle at 11:00 a.m., it began to divide doubling every minute. At 11:01, there were two. At 11:02, four. By 11:59, the bottle was half full. And at 12:00 noon, it was completely full.

This simple parable, shared by physicist Albert A. Bartlett, reveals how deceptive exponential growth can be. It’s slow, then sudden. Invisible, then overwhelming. And this is not just about bacteria. Human population behaves the same way. Growth seems slow… until it isn’t.

 Why do we care?

As a species, we’ve mastered the art of multiplying driven by our primal instinct to survive, thrive, and pass on our genes. But, too much of anything is bad.

Its implications reach far beyond science.

• Pressure on food, water, housing, and healthcare
• Overcrowded cities and depleted resources
• Environmental pollution and climate change
• Social inequality grows, with limited access to jobs, schools, and support
• Increased poverty and other socioeconomic issues

That final moment, when space vanishes and resources run out? It feels distant until it isn’t.

Why inhabiting MARS is not a solution?

Surely it feels like a fantasy one would entertain but even if we as the earthers somehow miraculously manage to build life on Mars, would it really solve overpopulation? Once again let’s turn to Bartlett.

Bartlett added a twist to his bottle story: what if the bacteria found three more empty bottles at 11:59?

They’d celebrate. But by 12:02, all four bottles would be full.

Even when we expand our resources new technologies, new lands, new energy sources exponential growth catches up. Quickly.

The Answer Isn’t Fear, It’s Understanding.

Population growth isn’t inherently bad. But ignoring its pace is.

But what exactly are the solutions?

• Sex Education
• Access to reproductive healthcare and contraception
• Introducing government policies on family planning
• Sustainable urban planning
• Women empowerment
• Investment in rural development to reduce city overcrowding
•  Responsible resource management and environmental policies

On July 11, 1989, when the global population reached five billion, the UNDP launched World Population Day. Thirty-six years have passed. And yet, we still publish policy papers, and National Geographic still documents images of starving children in Africa. But rarely do we address the deeper issue behind it all population control.

For one last time let’s turn back to Bartlett. After all, he may have said it the best.

Image Courtesy:

Featured Image – https://shorturl.at/G8vaX

Written by : Pruthivi Hapuarachchi