What do you think are the main factors that have influenced human population over the last 50,000 years?

Question

What do you think are the main factors that have influenced human population over the last 50,000 years?

Answer 1

Norman Borlaug

Plague/other epidemics

The cotton gin

The Haber-Bosch process

Answer 2

To me, environmental epochs, such as the Ice Age, and the uncontrolled spread of bacterial infections, such as the Plague, were major factors in shaping our civilizations.

Answer 3

climate changes

human stupidity

aliens from other planets

Answer 4

development of language (written and spoken)

domestication of plants and animals

ability to store a surplus of food

these are the basic factors that ultimately allowed man to progress technologically by allowing specialized workers/thinkers/etc to concentrate on advancement, instead of getting their own food...