Thought excercise: Population statistics of ghosts.

[RainDreamer]

In this thought exercise, let us suspend our disbelief and accept one thing: ghosts are real.

Now, here are several other premises that we will have to also take, to make this exercise more manageable:

1. Only human (homo sapiens) ghosts are accounted for. Animal ghosts, bacterial ghosts, plantal (what's the modern word meaning relating to plant now?) ghosts, etc. are not counted in this exercise. So are ghosts of our evolutionary cousins.

2. Assume all ghosts does not just "move on" or otherwise disappear completely, and instead stay here indefinitely.

3. Assume all ghosts are formed when anyone die, regardless of circumstances, not just violent or situation that makes them bears a grudge.

Essentially, these first 3 premises allow us to just simply count the total amount of ghost existing at the moment by roughly estimate the amount of human deaths since the time of the first homo sapiens. And that would be the first part of this exercise - finding how much ghosts are on earth at this moment.

4. Assume ghosts can only haunt at the place of their death, and cannot move to other location.

5. Assume ghosts have no limits on individuals per area unit - many, many ghosts can occupy the same physical space at the same time.

These next 2 premises allow us to find out the density of the ghosts population, because we can just find the amount of deaths in an area, and thus finding out how much ghosts are there over an area unit. This would be the second parts of the exercise - finding the population density of ghosts.

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tl;dnr: What is the current population of ghost on earth? What is the current density of ghost on earth?

[Shpaget]

100 000 000 000 people have died so far.

http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2002/HowManyPeopleHaveEverLivedonEarth.aspx

Roughly 150 000 000 km^2 of land on Earth

Which gives us the density of 666,66 ghosts per km^2.

[kerbiloid]

I have read in late 1980s: 80 billion people on Earth since the beginning till now. So, ~90..100 billion.

[RainDreamer]

Which gives us the density of 666,66 ghosts per km^2.

What a number. So very spooky!

Now I get some fun statistics to tell for Halloween! Thanks!

[LordFerret]

The expression I've heard a few times was: About 100 billion souls have existed thus far, about the same number of souls as there are stars in our galaxy - meaning there's a star out there for each and every one of you.

[TheSaint]

100 000 000 000 people have died so far.

http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2002/HowManyPeopleHaveEverLivedonEarth.aspx

Roughly 150 000 000 km^2 of land on Earth

Which gives us the density of 666,66 ghosts per km^2.

Well, also realize that those ghosts wouldn't be evenly distributed. Large swaths of the Earth would be almost completely devoid of any ghosts whatsoever, while most of Europe, the Middle East, the coasts of North and South America, and the southern portions of Asia would be packed to the rafters. If this were truth I would have my family ship me off to some remote part of the Rocky Mountains to die, just to avoid the overcrowding in the afterlife.