Can We All Just Move to Texas?
So, you've probably heard the old chestnut: "You could fit the entire world's population in Texas." Well, let's dive into this absurdly large hypothetical.
Texas-Sized Problems (or Lack Thereof?)
Texas, the Lone Star State, is huge. I mean, really, really huge. It’s like someone accidentally drew a state the size of a small country. And yet, the idea of cramming every single human being on the planet into this one state is... well, it's a lot to unpack.
Let’s do some quick math, shall we? Texas is approximately 268,596 square miles. The current world population is around 8 billion. If we divide the state's area by the number of people, each person would get about 0.000033 square miles. That's roughly the size of a small bedroom. So, in theory, we could fit everyone in Texas. But would we want to?
A World of Hurt
Imagine the traffic. The lines for the bathroom. The never-ending search for parking. And let's not forget about the economy. Can you imagine the real estate prices? Or the cost of living? Texas would become the most expensive place on Earth, overnight.
Plus, what about resources? Water? Food? Electricity? The demand would be astronomical. And let's not even get started on the environmental impact.
The Human Tetris Challenge
Of course, this is all assuming we could somehow magically transport everyone to Texas. And that we could convince everyone to live in tiny apartments stacked on top of each other. And that there would be no crime or conflict. And that aliens wouldn't invade.
So, while it's technically possible to fit everyone in Texas, it's definitely not practical, desirable, or even remotely feasible. Let's just appreciate Texas for the big, beautiful state it is, and leave the world population where it is.
How to...
- How to calculate population density: Divide the total population by the total land area.
- How to appreciate open space: Go for a hike.
- How to avoid claustrophobia: Don't move to New York City.
- How to understand scale: Look at a map.
- How to solve world hunger: Support organizations working on food security.
