Random News Articles

Nothing like a brisk wind up under them free radicals.

Just imho, not researched, but...

The issue is the ratio of workers to non-workers as the population ages, as the workers are the ones who need to not only provide the care staff, but also pay for the healthcare, pension, etc.. which gets exponentially more expensive as more people get older and people live longer.

I'm not sure it's self correcting, unless the lack of care and resources leads to more elderly people dying. Which I guess would be one reason that a lack of growth would be considered a bad thing - thousands of elderly people living in poverty or dying from lack of care.

In the long run this would lead to lifespans shortening, which might even things out. But that's effectively putting us back in the dark ages.

Japan might luck out in that advances in AI and Robotics might counteract the reduction in younger workers. Though AI and Robots don't pay taxes. Or buy products. And someone has to pay for the AI and Robots. 

Taxpayers also pay for things like schools, infrastructure etc.. so those could also be squeezed.

In a global economy the country's economic output doesn't exist in a vacuum. If the country's economy is weak relative to other countries then imports (food, energy, etc..) can get much more expensive leading to a cost of living crisis, plus more younger people departing to work overseas, plus a loss of power and influence globally.

All of which could lead to people having less kids, reinforcing the cycle. (until things get so bad that we're back to 3rd world conditions and people need to have loads of kids to work, look after the parents, and so some remain after a few die off).

Things can also get very unbalanced internally. All the young workers move to Tokyo because that's where the jobs are, leaving all the rural areas as empty, underfunded ghost towns with no schools and services, and only a load of elderly people taking advantage of the cheap houses. (though this might even out in the long term, especially if remote work is acceptable). But if the rural areas have no schools then are the young families gonna move there even if the houses are cheap?

A lack of population growth isn't exactly a bad thing in and of itself, but the demographics need to be sustainable.

The current system isn't sustainable basically.

Personally I think it's utterly broken but I'm in no position to offer any fixes, but it's similar to how I can tell an engine is fucked but can't offer any mechanical advice. It feels similar.

I don't think we'd see a total collapse of society but there is a good question about who is going to pay for the healthcare and pensions of the aging population.

Infinite growth isn't sustainable. Chances of an alternative system coming into place is slim though given how all the power and money funnels up towards people with a interest in keeping late stage capitalism going for as long as possible.

But as birthrates fall, the argument is that the economy will potentially start to struggle as there's less money coming in to support the increasing number of old fogeys not working for longer.

Immigration can help plug that gap but seeing how xenophobic many countries currently are it's not seen as a good option.

I'm part of the problem maybe as I'm never having kids.

I personally look forward to being a head in a jar on a robot.

Fear me (until I reach some stairs)!

Not quite, my calculation has 6000 feet if it was freefall would take 19 seconds.

cubby - yeah, my bad, it’s 32 feet per second per second, so this was terrifying but a lot less than free fall after the first second.

yeah, think they're saying that 6000 feet bit is controlled, albeit emergency, descent

but the injuries are reported from people hitting *the ceiling* which would imply periods where the plane was dropping *faster* than gravity

my only scary plane story involved a large American lady shouting actual verbatim "oh my god we're all gonna die", lightning forking off the wings, two attempted landings before last second max power screaming engine aborts & an eventual divert to Newark "before we run out of fuel"

... and as grim as that was, it didn't come close to people bouncing off the fucking ceiling.

Long time ago my mates were on a budget flight to Belgium when some people and bags hit the ceiling. I don't think there were any real injuries, so it wasn't as bad as this. But scary apparently as there were a few people rather stressed out at the airport before the return flight.

Luckily I was on an earlier flight.

That was sky sharing a video from 5 years ago. Journalism at its best

Anyway- what a headline…

Microplastics found in every human testicle in study

www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/23/the-truth-about-asian-hornets-how-terrified-should-humans-and-honeybees-actually-be

No fucking thank you

Jeez. All that fuss and they're not even Asian GIANT Hornets. They're just regular little Asian Hornets.

I had no idea Livenation was a collection of smiling teenagers.