Scaling in Human Societies

In this article, we consider theoretical limits to human population. Binder et al. (2020) observe that an estimate of the world’s “carrying capacity” generally finds a single limiting factor to growth. That limiting factor might be the world’s photosynthetic capacity, the problem of waste heat disposal, or something else. Estimates... [Read More]

A growing societal scale–rising population and increasing technological prowess–raises the question of what severe risks that scale may pose. [Read More]

Growing scale raises concerns about the stability of ecosystems and resulting risk of harm to human civilization. [Read More]

As societies grow, they may run a risk of depleting critical resources. Here we review some general concepts in assessing natural resource availability and consider a few specific cases. [Read More]

IPAT, I=PAT, or Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology, is a simple framework that allows us to understand how much various factors contribute to an overall impact. Here we consider the development of IPAT and variations. [Read More]