Think population of the world-ever wondered where you fit in?
All this recent media chatter about 7 billion people in the world this month is not wholly accurate: the window of uncertainty actually ranges from 6 months before the much-hyped 31st October date and for 6 months after.
However when even the United Nation's population expert (one Gerhard Heilig) suggests that the UN figures come with a 1-2% margin of error, the stats on this 7 billion figure can be taken with a grain or two of salt. The Vienna Institute of Demography suggests with a 95% probability that the figure will actually be reached between January & July 2012. This has not stopped the charity plan International from anointing a girl born predictably enough in india as the 7 bilionth! The varied form of birth data collection as well as accurate census information increases the uncertainty rather than offer any confirmation.
However, the hype has been sufficient for the BBC to have put out this interesting post with a calculation of anyone's own spuriously unique position in the story of human existance! As they state, the number of people on Planet Earth has more than doubled in the past 50 years, so be prepared to be surprised!
So click on, input your date of birth & accept your insignificant part in the human story!
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