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Thread: Can we have a recount, please?

  1. #1
    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    Default Can we have a recount, please?

    I know there is no absolute answer to this, but what is the best guesstimate for how many humans have ever existed?

    I know I could google an answer, but I want you to impress me with your own google-fu.

    Okay, okay, I'll admit it! I'm too lazy to sort the wheat from the chaff myself!
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  2. #2
    Clueless but well-meaning Hatshepsut's avatar
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    One truism you hear around a lot these days is "there are more people alive on the planet today than existed throughout most of human history."

    So take the current population (X) and add, ohIdunno; about .8X.

    That's my lazy-ass answer.

  3. #3
    Oliphaunt The Original An Gadaí's avatar
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    I believe Cecil had a column refuting that. It seems something like 100 billion people have lived since Adam and Eve ( ).
    http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_085.html

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    Clueless but well-meaning Hatshepsut's avatar
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  5. #5
    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Hatshepsut View post
    Wah hey! That was last updated on my birthday. It must be a sign. I don't know what of, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for another one.
    Last edited by ivan astikov; 12 Jan 2010 at 06:21 AM.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  6. #6
    Clueless but well-meaning Hatshepsut's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov View post
    Wah hey! That was last updated on my birthday.
    Cool, you haven't had a birthday since 2007?

  7. #7
    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Hatshepsut View post
    Cool, you haven't had a birthday since 2007?
    I stopped having them officially at 40, but the date still stands out.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  8. #8
    Sophmoric Existentialist
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    The part that boggles me is the number of ancestors we ought to have is impossible. Going backwards we must very soon arrive at a place where we are all very closely related.

    We each have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 g-grandparents, 16 g-g-g, 32 g-g-g-g, 64 g-g-g-g-g . . . . etc. I'm too lazy to figure it out, but go back 50 generations.
    Sophmoric Existentialist

  9. #9
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by vison View post
    The part that boggles me is the number of ancestors we ought to have is impossible. Going backwards we must very soon arrive at a place where we are all very closely related.

    We each have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 g-grandparents, 16 g-g-g, 32 g-g-g-g, 64 g-g-g-g-g . . . . etc. I'm too lazy to figure it out, but go back 50 generations.
    Well the branches all intertwine after a while as you go back. Especially as you head back to the days before mass movements of people.

  10. #10
    I've had better days, but I don't care! hatesfreedom's avatar
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    The answer is currently as of this minute, 10:20AM EST5EDT, 107,873,918,031 people. Note that I do not count children under the age of 2 as intelligent rational beings worthy of being included.

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