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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 June 2024
Over 5000 years, the world population has grown from 10 million to 8 billion. Yet the number of separate tribes and states has shrunk from tens of thousands to a few hundred, despite an increase in the number of states during the 100 years. This book traces these historical macro-trends, contributing a new perspective through multidisciplinary exploration. The present chapter outlines its structure. Population growth was boosted by the population–technology interaction but is now rapidly slowing down, limited by Earth’s ultimate carrying capacity. Hence, today’s centenarians are unique in human history: the world population more than quadrupled during their lifetimes. The number of states has been reduced by empire growth. Empire sizes have increased in three main phases triggered by breakthroughs in message speed: Runner, Rider, and Engineer Empires.
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