The Prerequisites Problem

A new angle on birth rate and other moral panics.

Let’s commence with this video. I don’t love the narrator’s voice, and some of the points are generic, but in general, it tells a pretty good story:

Since I myself realized that my “boys” (sperm) don’t swim good, I’ve thought a lot about fertility and birth rate challenges beyond just myself and my spouse. It’s an interesting topic, and while no one in the throes of raising three kids would ever think about it, it does have a lot (perhaps even a lot) of downstream implications for broader society, work, propping up the elderly, etc.

This above video makes a point that has definitely been made before, although it’s not a common point in these discussions. Here’s the basic breakdown:

1. Find a flux capacitor and head back to, say, 1952.
2. Then, more people were willing to have babies while in college, or while finishing their education.
3. Admittedly, that is partially (largely?) a function of females not having as many choices for their…