On Tuesday, Humankind Begins to Die Out

Not our problem, though, so pour yourself a drink and toast the end of times

My hotel was located near this crosswalk once. It is in Tokyo. I am not sure but it might be the widest crosswalk in the world.

Standing on the curb looking across at the tidal wave of humanity preparing to hurriedly cross in my direction inspired awe. It even made me think that there are simply too many people on this earth.

Thousands of people crossing one spot of the earth at one time just to “get to the other side of the street” definitely stops you in your tracks. What happens after they get across that neon-bathed street is even more frightening. These thousands race into an underground bus and train station and stream non-stop for hours on end into buses and trains.

It took me 45 minutes to get out of that station. There were dozens of exits. Eventually, I got back to my crosswalk and almost felt like I was safely home again, quaintly lost among the thousands crossing in the other direction.

Soon, in like 80 years, this lost-in-the-crowd sensation will be a thing of the past.

This week, the world’s population ticks over a historic milestone. But in the next century, society will be reshaped dramatically — and soon…