Space or Snip?

So apparently when I was born I was the 5,339,825,872nd person alive on planet Earth and the 80,426,362,696th person to have lived since history began. Absolutely standard I know.

Now, besides the fact that I can’t say either of those numbers aloud, it did get me wondering if there will ever be a point when the Earth will reach its maximum population and can no longer support the human race.

A crazy thought I know, but it does seem that if the Earth keeps gaining people at its current rate, then surely at some point in the future, with old people living longer and dirty scum bags having children younger and younger, that soon the Earth will have to put out its ‘No vacancies’ sign.

Then what do we do? Have gladiatorial battles to kill off the weakest of us? Have enforced games of Russian roulette? There will of course be only so much food to go around so we may even be forced to turn to cannibalism in this bleak, bleak future.

I can see it now, being able to buy ‘Dave and chips’ or ‘Steve, mash and gravy’.

A world where humans are packed in tighter than sardines in a tin is of course thousands and thousands of years away but entirely possible. We cannot stop people having children just as much as we cannot help people living longer.

You sci-fi fans out there are going to love this next bit.

At this current point in time, space travel and even accommodation is coming on leaps and bounds and that too got me wondering if someday, we will all live in space stations, just visiting the Earth for a nostalgic holiday or lad’s weekend away.

Will people talk one day of which planet has the best nightlife, Jupiter, Earth or Mars? Or which has the best theme park, Saturn or Pluto?

This is one possible fun solution to the issue of overcrowding on Earth or do we take the less favourable route of things like a one child policy, enforced sterilisation of women or even mandatory ‘snips’ for men.

Living in a space station or having my testicles assaulted by a sharp implement. I know which solution to overcrowding I prefer.