You’ve heard it at one time or another. One of the loudest voices has come from environmentalists.
It’s been cited as a contributing factor to global warming.
The earth, they claim, is burdened to the point of extinction because of out of control population growth.
But the reality is many countries are desperately attempting to increase their populations in large part due to the acceptance of abortion in their cultures.
A case in point is Japan and they’ve turned to a highly unusual solution to reverse the trend .
Japan like many other nations isn’t struggling with too many people. Quite the contrary, they are desperate to increase the number of babies being born each year. What makes them unique is their use of technology to persuade couples to have children.
It’s estimated that by the year 2050, twice as many people in the Land of the Rising Sun will be 70 or older, compared with those 15-30. More than one or two children are unheard of in this progressive nation. They’ve even coined the term “parasite singles” when describing young single adults, particularly women, who enjoy carefree lifestyles while living with mom and dad instead of getting married and having children.
According to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook, there are about 150 countries below the population replacement level, including the United States. Japan is third from the bottom.
All of this is a recipe for extinction of their culture.
This stark reality is driving the research and development of robotic babies as a way to encourage couples to procreate. They believe robots that mimic the interaction between babies and adults will get the parental juices flowing and they’ll decide to make the real thing.
There’s actually some science that may support this theory. Researchers in the US and Australia conducted an experiment by giving teens robotic babies that they’d have to take care of, thus discouraging them from getting pregnant. However, pregnancies actually increased.
Modern ingenuity being what it is has “given birth” to various models of child robots in Japan. Toyota engineers developed Krobo Mini. While not looking like a baby, its interactions simulate one, including a response to sound.
Yotaro resembles a water balloon using projection to simulate the face of a baby with its own emotions that responds to touch. The little darling can even produce a runny nose.
To get the full child experience, technicians have also developed robots simulating children from nine months to two years old called CB2 (CB Square). The video shows a somewhat creepy interaction between a human and . . . whatever.
The bizarre nature of this technology underscores the unmistakable reality that babies are a nation’s most valuable natural resource and that countries will go to most any length to ensure future generations.
Japan like many nations, including the United States, have fallen for the overpopulation myth and are now paying a dear price. If there’s any doubt, take a moment to observe the world around you. How many times do you see imagery of families consisting of one boy and one girl—or even just a single child?
Aside from the rare exception, large families are absent from America’s landscape when it comes to magazines, television and movies.
I’m not just an eager grandparent rooting for TONS of grandchildren. Experience has taught me that life would have been a lot less meaningful, rewarding and fun without my four sons.
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