In a thought-provoking discussion, Aria Babu, a British think-tank professional with a chemistry background, dives into the pressing issue of population decline and pro-natalism. She highlights the economic consequences of crashing fertility rates and envisions a future where cultural diversity may be at risk. Babu shares insights on living in modern Britain, the real challenges around housing and immigration, and the societal implications of family dynamics. The conversation offers a fresh perspective on the urgency of promoting pro-natal values amidst changing demographics.
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insights INSIGHT
Origin of Pro-Natalism Interest
Aria Babu's pro-natalism interest arose from a discussion at an economics camp.
She realized that population decline has dire economic consequences, not overpopulation.
insights INSIGHT
Disaster Scenario of Aging
A disaster scenario involves an aging global population beyond fertility, leading to economic shrinkage.
This could cause governments to collapse and widespread economic decline like Detroit, but globally.
Today Razib talks to Aria Babu, a British think-thank professional who is part of the growing number of young men and women who are taking an interest in population decline and promoting pro-natalism. Babu has a degree in chemistry from University College London, and has long worked in areas related to the study of economic growth and entrepreneurship. Prior to her interest in pro-natalism Babu held conventional views about population growth and its ties to environmental alarmism. But she quickly saw that actually fertility is crashing worldwide, and with that there might be dire economic and social consequences. If that trend is left unchecked, she foresees a worst case scenario of massive economic decline and the replacement of our riotously varied modern civilization by a select few narrow subcultures, like the Amish or Somalis, who continue to favor reproduction as a social value. On the state level, declining populations will likely lead to the rise of culturally stagnant and politically authoritarian societies reminiscent of The Children of Men.
Babu and Razib also discuss what it is like living as an urban professional in Britain in 2024. While the fact that the UK has one megacity can lead to disproportionate focus on London, Babu points out that it allows the entire nation’s intellectual and cultural class to be in close proximity, resulting in powerful synergies. She also argues that the problem in the UK is not immigration, but insufficient housing for larger populations and the lack of a system to allow in very skilled and value-add migrants. Rather than integration into the EU or an American-system, Babu favors an approach closer to Singapore, where the UK goes its own way and crafts its policies to take advantage of specific opportunities offered by blindspots in EU or American politics.
Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning 