A warning from 1972 resonates today

+ dial 988 for mental health help US Edition - Today's top story: What the controversial 1972 'Limits to Growth' report got right: Our choices today shape future conditions for life on Earth [View in browser]( US Edition | 16 July 2022 [The Conversation]( Can human civilization keep growing and consuming resources indefinitely on a finite planet? It’s a central question in environmental thinking and was posed dramatically in a 1972 report called “The Limits to Growth.” Based on computer modeling, the authors concluded that the answer was no and that the options were either to cap growth or face a sudden, sharp decline before the year 2100. Looking back at the report and the controversy it sparked, USC Dornsife economist Matthew Kahn points out some things it underemphasized. For example, scarcity spurs innovation to develop substitutes for resources like oil as they become more expensive. But Kahn also says the report got a larger point right: [Climate change is a major limit to growth](, and the need for strategies to slow its pace grows more urgent by the day. This week we also liked articles about [what evolutionary biologists see as the purpose of love](, [how monsters are depicted in the Bible]( and [why rising food costs are taking such a large toll on low-income people](. Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor Image of Earth’s city lights, created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. NASA/Newsmakers via Getty Images [What the controversial 1972 ‘Limits to Growth’ report got right: Our choices today shape future conditions for life on Earth]( Matthew E. Kahn, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences A 1972 report warned that unchecked consumption could crater the world economy by 2100. Fifty years and much debate later, can humanity innovate quickly enough to avoid that fate? The 988 Lifeline will connect callers with specialists trained to assist with mental health crises, including psychotic symptoms and substance abuse. [What’s the 411 on the new 988 hotline? 5 questions answered about a national mental health service]( Derek Lee, The Ohio State University New federally funded mental health help line features easier access and more consistent regulation. Evolutionary psychology may explain why magical thinking is so central to love. Viva Luna Studios via Unsplash [Why does love feel magical? It’s an evolutionary advantage]( Benjamin Kaveladze, University of California, Irvine; Jonathan Schooler, University of California Santa Barbara; Oliver Sng, University of California, Irvine It’s not logical to believe your relationship is “meant to be.” But believing in destined love may have evolved as a way to keep couples together long enough to reproduce and raise children. - [Monsters are everywhere in the Bible – and some are even human]( Madadh Richey, Brandeis University The field of ‘monster studies’ looks at how texts reflect ideas about what’s evil, weird or scary. - [Swelling grocery bills are pummeling the poorest – who spend over a quarter of their incomes on food]( David Soll, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire Soaring inflation in the US has been driven in part by large increases in the price of groceries – a burden that falls disproportionately on lower-income families. - [Young people in the Middle East struggle to see a promising future]( Georges Naufal, Texas A&M University Political and economic forces across the Middle East and North Africa combine to mean well-educated young people spend years looking for work, which delays their independence and adulthood. - [What makes people willing to risk their lives to save others?]( - [An expert panel has recommended against taking vitamin E or beta carotene supplements for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease – here’s why]( - [Many medications affect more than one target in the body – some drug designers are embracing the ‘side effects’ that had been seen as a drawback]( - [The Supreme Court’s ideological rulings are roiling US politics – just like when Lincoln and his Republicans remade the court to fit their agenda]( - [A case for retreat in the age of fire]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](