Under the Spell of Malthus.Ronald Bailey's review of Jared Diamond's Collapse ("Under the Spell of Malthus," August/September) was excellent and raised important public policy issues. But Bailey's happy scenario for the 21st century is no more certain than Diamond's gloom and doom gloom and doom n. A deeply pessimistic outlook or feeling. gloom  -and-doom . Many of the improvements Bailey discusses are one-time-only efficiency upgrades or are otherwise self-limiting. In science and technology, astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, progress marches alongside maddeningly simple but seemingly unsolvable problems, in the last 50 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time density of data on computer disks has increased 500 million times while the energy density of batteries has increased only marginally. While we can grow more food than we do now, there is a limit somewhere out there. Vic Arnold Westerly Westerly, town (1990 pop. 21,605), Washington co., extreme SW R.I., between the Pawcatuck River and Block Island Sound; inc. 1669. Its textile industry dates from 1814, and granite has been quarried there since c.1850. , RI |
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