Robert Zubrin makes the case that innovation and innovative people and scientific progress increases resources.
Hitler and Malthus made the case that there is only so much to go around and you must fight and kill for it.
However, there was 1 billion people at the time of Malthus and they had the equivalent in todays dollars of GDP $180 per person.
Malthus made the case that there was finite resources and we had to stop population growth.
But now there are 7 billion people with the equivalent of $9000 GDP per person.
7 times the population, 50 times the wealth (7 squared) and 350 times the total wealth (7 cubed)
Some say the US has used too many resources, but they say this in rooms lighted by the invention of Edison.
The US has 4% of the world’s population but has made 50% of the inventions.
The world will be better with more wealthy and educated people.
If China and India have caught up to the USA then innovation will increase ten times.
We are threatened not by too many people but by too many people who believe that there are too many people.
If colonize Mars then it is tangible proof that we have more than the resources of Earth.
It is precisely because there is so much trouble on Earth that human creativity is boundless and we are expanding resources with innovation.
We are not living at the end of history but at the beginning of history.
People think of 1492.
People think of Columbus setting sail in that year. That is what mattered.
In 1492, the Borgias took over the Papacy. There was several big peace treaties and other developments.
But no one but history buffs remember the politics or other supposedly important things.
The true course of history is the invention of the sail, the steam engine, trains, combustion engines, cars, trains, airplanes, rockets, movable type, printing presses, internet, medical advances, and the great explorers and colonization.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.