the whole world could fit into Texas

[browngrl]

We've all read the claim by the Duggars that the entire population of the earth could fit into one American state/city (can't remember exactly what they claimed). A research group is studying that very question and have just received a grant to do their research. It will be interesting to see what they find. Here's my guess: fundies will not believe anything that might challenge their narrow world view.

Not breaking the link (mods pls let me know if I should) as this is from an article I read on Atlantic:

http://www.aia.org/press/releases/aiab097878

[NoneandDoneinCali]

I heard Florida, which makes me think of this joke from an old 80's movie (Meatballs) where a camp counselor is telling the story about the guy with the hook hand, and Bill Murray's character says "I heard it was a hook on his foot?"

Anyways.

It doesn't really matter if the human population can be condensed into Texas like a tin of anchovies. The fact that we also need oxygen, water and food to survive doesn't seem to register. Not to mention the happiness quotient - who wants to share a studio apartment with 19 other people? Even (in the case of the Duggars) if they are your literal brothers and sisters?

[Bredonny]

It doesn't really matter if the human population can be condensed into Texas like a tin of anchovies. The fact that we also need oxygen, water and food to survive doesn't seem to register. Not to mention the happiness quotient - who wants to share a studio apartment with 19 other people?

This exactly. All seven billion people may fit in Texas, but the problem with overpopulation isn't ROOM, it's resources. You know, like areas to grow food and clean drinking water. Also is all the trash, waste, and pollution people cause. Ever heard of the Pacific trash gyre? It's the size of Texas.......maybe all the fundies could go live there, since after all that's plenty of space for them and their one million kids.

[browngrl]

I heard Florida, which makes me think of this joke from an old 80's movie (Meatballs) where a camp counselor is telling the story about the guy with the hook hand, and Bill Murray's character says "I heard it was a hook on his foot?"

Anyways.

It doesn't really matter if the human population can be condensed into Texas like a tin of anchovies. The fact that we also need oxygen, water and food to survive doesn't seem to register. Not to mention the happiness quotient - who wants to share a studio apartment with 19 other people? Even (in the case of the Duggars) if they are your literal brothers and sisters?

I think those are exactly the sorts of questions the researchers are investigating - ie the issues of food/transportation/sanitation and all the other myriad of things needed to support a population of 7 billion. The whole study seems to be about dealing with the problem of overcrowding/overpopulation and the difficulties the world will be facing in the future as there are greater population pressures. The thing that struck me was how scientists said "ok lets see if this is actually possible "by dealing with the nuts and bolts of the problem whereas fundies just say: "God will provide". Seems like a good illustration of the difference between scientists and fundies.

[hearyoume08]

Not to mention it is already extremely hot here as it is, adding all those people will make it so much worse.

[dairyfreelife]

I had this as a problem once. The answer is yes, technically the entire population can fit into the state of Texas...but there'd be about 26,000 people in every square mile. This does not count resources or things like, you know, shelter and food and jobs and medical care. Just because physically everyone can fit does not mean it would be a good idea to fit the world's 7 billion people into just over 260,000 sq ft of land. This was also done by estimating that each person takes up about two square feet of space.

[Chicken bones]

We Texans seem to have a large personal space boundary (how far we stand near strangers) so I don't think we'd really have enough room for everyone :)

[Anise]

I suspect that the people who use these arguments tend to live in rural areas and as such cannot comprehend what living in crowded conditions is like.

[longskirtlotsakids]

. This was also done by estimating that each person takes up about two square feet of space.

The person who drew up this problem hasn't hung round Wisconsin much. Two square feet would cover just the ass portion of most Wisconsinites.

[AVENues]

We've all read the claim by the Duggars that the entire population of the earth could fit into one American state/city (can't remember exactly what they claimed). A research group is studying that very question and have just received a grant to do their research. It will be interesting to see what they find. Here's my guess: fundies will not believe anything that might challenge their narrow world view.

Not breaking the link (mods pls let me know if I should) as this is from an article I read on Atlantic:

http://www.aia.org/press/releases/aiab097878

And where do these fools think their food comes from?! We need acres and acres of space to grow food for just one person! And the soil needs to rest once in a while and it just so happens that we have to store the waste material somewhere!Ah! Such fooools! I could go on and on but it would be a total waste of my time.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Yes, the whole world would probably fit in Texas, just the same way as the entire Duggar family could probably fit in the shed in my garden-doesnt mean they could comfortably live there.

[nelliebelle1197]

This exactly. All seven billion people may fit in Texas, but the problem with overpopulation isn't ROOM, it's resources. You know, like areas to grow food and clean drinking water. Also is all the trash, waste, and pollution people cause. Ever heard of the Pacific trash gyre? It's the size of Texas.......maybe all the fundies could go live there, since after all that's plenty of space for them and their one million kids.

And since thing like global warming and pollution and raping the earth for resources don't bother them, that last suggestion is PERFECT.

[AuntCloud]

I'm sure the Duggars would replace their house with this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/0 ... 82130.html

in a heartbeat.

[crazyforkate]

Guys, you're missing the real question. How do we convince all the fundies that they can fit in Texas, and then abandon state and leave them to it? (On second thought, Texas has too much going for it - is there a relatively large state no one cares about? I'm pretty sure we wouldn't miss some of our provinces.)

[Trynn]

Alaska's pretty big, and, iirc, has a lot of I inhabited land. The fund ies could alll go there.

[hearyoume08]

I second Alaska.

[Widget]

I vote Utah. It's already got a lot of crazy, just fill 'er up the rest of the way.

[gulag]

Nope, not Alaska. They just can't get through the winter in those dresses...

Besides, the survivalist anti-government crowd has taken over. Where do you think the Michigan Militia went to hide out after the Oklahoma City fiasco? They have message boards inviting like-minded folks up, with instructions on how to get past the Canadian border authorities with trucks full of assault rifles and grenades.

Plus, it's already full of evangelist fundies. They've got Billy Graham's kid.

You'd be surprised how much space they take up and how much oxygen they use.

It's an incredibly stoopid academic exercise anyway. Not even sure what it means. Is the Duggar boy trying to sound clever and intellectual?

[crassy]

I second Alaska.

NOOOOO! Too close to Canada. I don't want them anywhere near me.

[chickie]

We've all read the claim by the Duggars that the entire population of the earth could fit into one American state/city (can't remember exactly what they claimed). A research group is studying that very question and have just received a grant to do their research. It will be interesting to see what they find. Here's my guess: fundies will not believe anything that might challenge their narrow world view.

Not breaking the link (mods pls let me know if I should) as this is from an article I read on Atlantic:

http://www.aia.org/press/releases/aiab097878

The Duggars claim that the world's population can fit into Jacksonville, FL. I don't know if the world's population would fit in that city even if you packed them in like sardines. Maybe they're going to stack them on top of each other when there is no standing room left? If everyone could fit there, no one could live like that. It doesn't make much sense to me.

Here's some info about Jacksonville:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_Florida

Here's some quick stats from the link above:

Area[2]

• Total 874.6 sq mi (2,265 km2)

• Land 747.0 sq mi (1,935 km2)

• Water 127.6 sq mi (330 km2)

Population (2011)[3][4]

• Total 827,908 (11th)

• Density 1,100.1/sq mi (424.8/km2)

• Urban 1,065,219

• Metro 1,360,251

[chickie]

Alaska's pretty big, and, iirc, has a lot of I inhabited land. The fund ies could alll go there.

Alaska is 2/3 the size of the continental United States, which makes it bigger than Texas.

[AVENues]

I vote Utah. It's already got a lot of crazy, just fill 'er up the rest of the way.

It's such a gorgeous state, in fact from a geographical point of view, one of my favs. Too bad it's already f*ed up.

[HoneyBunny]

Dim-Bulb (and fundies in general) like to say that the entire world's population will fit into Jacksonville FL. This is because Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental US. I remember this because, when I first heard him say it, I thought "Why Jacksonville?" and looked it up.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ ... es_by_area

[rward]

I can stick potato chips up my nose, that doesn't make it a good idea.

[ILoveJellybeans]

The Duggars claim that the world's population can fit into Jacksonville, FL. I don't know if the world's population would fit in that city even if you packed them in like sardines. Maybe they're going to stack them on top of each other when there is no standing room left? If everyone could fit there, no one could live like that. It doesn't make much sense to me.

Here's some info about Jacksonville:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_Florida

Here's some quick stats from the link above:

Area[2]

• Total 874.6 sq mi (2,265 km2)

• Land 747.0 sq mi (1,935 km2)

• Water 127.6 sq mi (330 km2)

Population (2011)[3][4]

• Total 827,908 (11th)

• Density 1,100.1/sq mi (424.8/km2)

• Urban 1,065,219

• Metro 1,360,251

To make that work, theyre going to have to ask Erica from Large Families on Purpose to help get everyone organised into that tiny space.