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"How Hard Could It Be to Repopulate the Planet?" Topic


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837 hits since 30 Jun 2018
©1994-2025 Bill Armintrout
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Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP30 Jun 2018 9:09 p.m. PST

"IN THE 1950S many science fiction writers explored the idea of a global disaster that leaves behind only a single man and woman, who would then have to carry on the human race. According to science fiction editor Gordon Van Gelder, a popular variant of this idea featured a twist ending in which the last man and woman turn out to be Adam and Eve.

"It was one of those stories that science fiction would lend itself to so readily, and newbies would be drawn to it, like ants going to a sugar cube," Van Gelder says in Episode 308 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast.

The idea became so overused that magazines would specifically prohibit writers from submitting "Adam and Eve stories." And while such stories would remain the bane of science fiction editors for decades, the theme of repopulation also produced a number of interesting thought experiments, many of which Van Gelder collected in his recent book Go Forth and Multiply. He says that despite obvious concerns about inbreeding, the idea of one man and one woman repopulating the world isn't impossible…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian30 Jun 2018 9:32 p.m. PST

I recently watched Last Woman on Earth, in which a calamity leaves three people alive – a man, his unhappy wife, and the man's lawyer…

Oberlindes Sol LIC Supporting Member of TMP30 Jun 2018 11:47 p.m. PST

Did Sartre write the original story?

cloudcaptain01 Jul 2018 4:23 a.m. PST

If we could clone Dana Delaney I'm thinking it would be rather simple.

cosmicbank01 Jul 2018 6:55 a.m. PST

It would be tough I am not the man I thought I was 30 years ago.

Personal logo Legion 4 Supporting Member of TMP01 Jul 2018 2:33 p.m. PST

If called on … I will respond and try to do my best. Albeit like many of us … I'm now older that dirt … old fart

Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP01 Jul 2018 3:03 p.m. PST

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Zephyr101 Jul 2018 3:03 p.m. PST

"despite obvious concerns about inbreeding,"

I should think so!

rxpjks101 Jul 2018 5:27 p.m. PST

I read somewhere that 160 is the magic number. 80 of each sex.

Zephyr101 Jul 2018 9:12 p.m. PST

Or track down the location of a surviving genetic/sperm bank & hope some samples remain viable…

Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP02 Jul 2018 11:03 a.m. PST

Good point!.

Amicalement
Armand

Oberlindes Sol LIC Supporting Member of TMP02 Jul 2018 11:49 p.m. PST

If there is a global disaster, most of the survivors will probably be 30-somethings. They are old enough to have developed good analytical and communications skills, and young enough to be strong and able to recover from hardship and injury.

Vague happy memories of the sex drive of 30-somethings gives me every confidence that they will be able to repopulate the planet.

Personal logo Legion 4 Supporting Member of TMP03 Jul 2018 6:11 a.m. PST

Well with 20% of the planet being in India and another 20% in China … That's 40%, that's a lot people. And just statically many would survive.

goragrad03 Jul 2018 8:17 p.m. PST

On the OP of an Adam and Eve situation, i read some time ago that based on genetics that the current population of cheetahs was descended from a base of 50. The article noted that this left them highly susceptible to potential elimination by a disease.

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