Population

Just been reading in today's Guardian that China has a tradition of unwanted girl babies going back centuries. Of course the one-child policy exacerbated it but now they are addressing this problem and apparently succeeding.

I may be repeating myself but I have a friend whose son has a Chinese wife and lives in China. In order to get their baby's birth papers they had to read a booklet on contraception and answer questions on it to prove they understood. I think that sounds a good idea.

I certainly think the bit about insisting couples read about contraception and answer questions is a great idea.

Did anyone read Polly Toynby in the Guardian yesterday? Unbelievable - she must have been brainwashed by George Monbiot.

just noticed spelling: sorry Polly Toynbee. I'm such a hopeless speller

I started educating my grandson - wish I had thought of it with the other older three, but they haven't started producing yet (crossing all fingers) - by giving him a maths problem, about rabbits.
I.e, to work out what happens with two rabbits on a small island.....having ten babies a year, I think it was. For the babies to have ten the next year - and so on. When we got to the sixth year, I asked him how many rabbits, and he started working it out.
I stopped him and said 'None at all'.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

I think it got through, because a few weeks later he said 'Grandma, do you think S (friend of my daughter) has too many children? (Six. Five boys under 7.)

I said 'Well, I wouldn't say it to her...and they're here now...but yes, I do think she has too many.'

(I really cannot imagine what it was like in the 1800s when nearly everyone had six or more - my gggrandfather had 13....)

Infant mortality was high. If you didn't have lots of children, you might end up with none.

There was no way not to, except abstention, was there?

Not until Marie stopes came along. But even the Romans knew about sponges soaked in vinegar and Casanova used condoms.
I suspect a certain amount of the problem was keeping women 'in child' so that they didn't get silly ideas about not having to rely on men!
Don't get me wrong, I am NOT a bra burning feminist, but as a medical student in the sixties, when the ratio was 1 woman to 20 men! You had to be brighter than the men to succeed!
I have always regarded myself as at least equal to any man!
I had to fight for my equality and am pleased that I succeeded!
Ok I've had my rant! Any comments?

Oxon70- I'm confused. I was thinking Fibonacci but that doesn't work. I'm probably missing a vital point. Help me!! I won't sleep!

Fibonacci is basically a spiral. Rabbits are 10 times 10 times ten. I can't remember the mathematical formula. But basically if 2rabbits have 10 offspring. Each of those offspring have 10 offspringetc. Ok?

Yes, thanks jeni that's the way I was thinking. But why "None at all."? Think I'm being thick, somehow.

The idea is that on a limited island with limited resources they would eat all the food and all die of starvation. Disaster scenario for the human population of the Earth. It's not that simple, of course.

Actually, thinking about it if you started with two rabbits, one male one female! Presuming the the offspringare 50% male and female! The first generation would not be so large! But following that it works, allowing for incest!
Does that bother rabbits?
Sorry for this
I've got that sort of mind!

They run out of food! ( unless they can swim to the next island) {rabbits that swim?}

Lots of things eat rabbits. In gact, aren't rabbits just food for other animals?

OK, bagitha that's a fair ecological answer. But the subject was Maths, wasn't it? Oxon7 where are you?

gact?,..... fact.

It was rabbits earlier. One of my favourite number is the googol. Google pinched the name.

bag what are you drinking? I'll have one! Or two!

Rabbit population growth is mathematical. I haven't lost the plot, honest!

If we all have a drink, then give three more people a drink, then they give......it will turn into a GN party? Night night, lovely ladies.

They pinched the googolplex as well!

Ok, I'll believe you! Time for bed for me 'said zebedee ' goodnight all. Last day at work for me tomorrow, thank the great goddess!. More booked for next week. But o ly 3days. I'm thinking, 4days is too much ,in my dotage