Limits to Growth: Bacteria in a Bottle

[dankoepp]

He is an inspiration and i am sad to have learned he passed away. Pax tecum Mr. Bartlett.

[tmjcbs]

It's worrying that this (and similar) videos are viewed and commented on so little. The world's fixation with growth is going to be our downnfall.

[voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang]

this is AWESOME - you captured his whole message in how many minutes? less than 2 minutes! YES. Great slide - everyone needs to memorize this. I said to a neighbor - who said, "we are not seeing any real effects from global warming" - "oh that's the difference between rate and amount."

[PraveenKulkarni]

This example is featured in the Hollywood movie 'Inferno' (starring Tom Hanks) as part of Zobrist's TED-esque presentation (The movie was released on October 14th in India). It's titled "Bartlett's beaker". Prof Bartlett and the beaker analogy are not in Dan Brown's novel.

[volfegan]

We have the answer now: some bacteria would say we are doomed since the 1970s, but all others would not believe even when they are in collapse phase.

[Maxander]

Still need many more views, it seems.

[estebanpreciado]

He really has good explanation and describes the video about bacteria

[cantcifudontopenuris]

Same here, just saw the movie and it made me curious to see what's up with the human population.  Either way, pretty scary thought.

[gwang]

Prof Bartlett could have added the following: suppose the bacteria find THREE new, completely empty bottles in the nick of time, just as big as their current one, and quickly migrate to them. Suppose they keep multiplying as usual. At what time are ALL FOUR bottles full?

Answer: 2 minutes past 12.

[manoliskousloglou]

Professor mentions something quite self-evident: Because of the exponential growth of the population, we are aware of the problem too late to deal with it.
However, I have the impression that life teaches the exact opposite thing: When something grows too late, then we do not make the decision to tackle a problem, simply because we do not know the precise time that we should take action.
On the other hand, when something evolves exponentially, we perceive it, even too late. As a result, we do take action, in panic of course.
I could mention many specific examples but I think that everyone could think of something from their everyday life...

[keithbrierley]

This is an absolute revelation. Unfortunately no one in a position to do anything about population is remotely concerned. Our species is unable to do anything constructive. What seems like progress is, quite often, a retrograde step. One civilisation, still living on this planet in Australia has managed to live for 50000 years without inventing the wheel.

[kermitkiller]

Is there a way to grow bacteria in a jar

[mohsinjawid]

scary but true
we would extinct by ourselves

[kittendivine]

The name of your channel alone makes me subscribe hahahaaa.

[ParadoxPerspective]

I love how they complain that not enough people understand the exponential function, then RIGHT after that, the animation shows a linear growth rate of the bacteria in the bottle....

[DinaStrange]

Only 9 thousand views, when some moronic Kanye West or Rihanna's video count million...humans are doomed.

[frankstudley]

Doubling every minute is only when conditions are perfect. Thinking of human population conditions are being improved all the time. Nature puts a limit on human growth because it takes two people to make another two people after they have been around for at least 14 years. So 7 billion in 2017 could become 14 billion in 2017 plus 14 years, 2031. but of course 28 billion in 2045. Something has to change to slow that growth down Yes Dan Brown suggested one way to do it in his book Inferno. Doubling every 14 years is not normal for any society but maybe every 25 years ? I belive that Al Bartlett was saying that we should be thinking



that there would not be enough space for that number, so we must act now. Dan Brown's Inferno idea does not seem to be a good one to me.

[dieterkonig]

Just found this little animation - fun fact: in the video it is linear growth... 😅

[johntaves]

Al Bartlett speaks the truth, but misses the boat. If we humans have always attempted exponential growth rates, and we also do not notice when we are about to hit the limit, then the obvious conclusion should be that we have hit that limit a long time ago.