Modern industrial systems were designed around large, expanding populations that enable economies of scale. With fertility below replacement (e.g., South Korea at ~0.75 births per woman), these systems risk stalling, and automation won’t fully substitute lost human inputs. The piece proposes a 'megaproject economy' to sustain high throughput in aging, shrinking societies.
— This reframes growth and industrial policy by tying demographic decline directly to the feasibility of large-scale production and national ambition.
Kelsey Piper
2025.09.08
65% relevant
Piper warns that a collapsing working‑age population in rich countries will have 'bad consequences' and argues for policies to reverse it, aligning with the thesis that modern systems were built around expanding populations and stall when headcount shrinks.
Marko Jukic
2025.06.01
100% relevant
The article’s claim that our 'material and social technology... assume large and growing populations,' illustrated with South Korea’s unmatched per‑capita output and ultra‑low TFR.
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