Albert Allen Bartlett (March 21, 1923 – September 7, 2013) was an emeritus professor of physics at the

University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado sys ...

, US. Professor Bartlett had lectured over 1,742 times since September, 1969 on ''Arithmetic, Population, and Energy''. Bartlett regarded the word combination "

sustainable growth Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The desir ...

" as an

oxymoron An oxymoron (usual plural oxymorons, more rarely oxymora) is a figure of speech that juxtaposes concepts with opposing meanings within a word or phrase that creates an ostensible self-contradiction. An oxymoron can be used as a rhetorical devi ...

, and argued that modest annual percentage population increases could lead to

exponential growth Exponential growth is a process that increases quantity over time. It occurs when the instantaneous rate of change (that is, the derivative) of a quantity with respect to time is proportional to the quantity itself. Described as a function, a q ...

. He therefore regarded

human overpopulation Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

as "The Greatest Challenge" facing humanity.

Career

Bartlett received a B.A. in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

(1944), and an M.A. (1948) and Ph.D. (1951) in physics at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Bartlett joined the faculty at the

in September 1950. In 1978 he was national president of the

American Association of Physics Teachers The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was founded in 1930 for the purpose of "dissemination of knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." There are more than 10,000 members in over 30 countries. AAPT publications includ ...

. He was a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

and of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. In 1969 and 1970 he served two terms as the elected chair of the four-campus faculty council at the university. He won the

Robert A. Millikan award The Robert A. Millikan award is a medal given to individuals who provide notable contributions to the teaching of physics. The award was established in 1962 and is awarded by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). The winner receives ...

Views on population growth

Bartlett viewed

as a

contradiction In traditional logic, a contradiction occurs when a proposition conflicts either with itself or established fact. It is often used as a tool to detect disingenuous beliefs and bias. Illustrating a general tendency in applied logic, Aristotle's ...

. His view was that modest percentage growth will equate to huge escalations over relatively short periods of time. Over time, Bartlett argued, compound growth can yield enormous increases. For example, an investor earning a constant annual 7% return on their investment would find his or her capital doubling within 10 years. He applied the same exponential power to

human population Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

, and argued this would have calamitous results. He argued that a population of 10,000 individuals, if it were to grow at a constant rate of 7% per annum, would reach a population size of 10 million after 100 years. Bartlett regarded what he viewed as the failure to understand

as "The Greatest Challenge" facing humanity, and promoted

sustainable living Sustainable living describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. It is referred to as zero wastage living" or "net zero living". Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their e ...

; he was an early advocate on the topic of

overpopulation Overpopulation or overabundance is a phenomenon in which a species' population becomes larger than the carrying capacity of its environment. This may be caused by increased birth rates, lowered mortality rates, reduced predation or large scal ...

. He opposed the

cornucopian Cornucopianism is the idea that continued progress and provision of material items for mankind can be met by similarly continued advances in technology. It relies on the belief that there is enough matter and energy on the Earth to provide for the ...

school of thought (as advocated by people such as

Julian Lincoln Simon Julian Lincoln Simon (February 12, 1932 – February 8, 1998) was an American professor of business administration at the University of Maryland and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute at the time of his death, after previously serving as a ...

), and referred to it as "The New Flat Earth Society". J. B. Calvert (1999) has proposed that Bartlett's law will result in the exhaustion of petrochemical resources caused by exponential growth of the world population (in line with the

Malthusian Growth Model A Malthusian growth model, sometimes called a simple exponential growth model, is essentially exponential growth based on the idea of the function being proportional to the speed to which the function grows. The model is named after Thomas Robert ...

). Bartlett made statements relating to sustainability:

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function."

and his ''Great Challenge'':

"Can you think of any problem in any area of human endeavor on any scale, from microscopic to global, whose long-term solution is in any demonstrable way aided, assisted, or advanced by further increases in population, locally, nationally, or globally?"

Death

Bartlett died on September 7, 2013.

Books

''The Essential Exponential For the Future of Our Planet'' a collection of essays by Professor Bartlett (2004).
Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Influence and legacy

In August 2013, a month before Bartlett's death, the Environmental Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder offered training on giving his presentation; the team "came together because they believe so strongly in Dr. Bartlett's message and want to ensure it continues to be delivered well into the future".

Notes

References

Professor talks at an exponential rate
Energy Bulletin article by Todd Neff. Retrieved July 2011

External links

*
2008 Video interview with Albert Bartlett by Atomic Heritage Foundation
Voices of the Manhattan Project
Professor Bartlett's website
contains background, articles, book "''The Essential Exponential''", and links to his talk, "''Arithmetic, Population, and Energy''". Retrieved July 2011
Professor Bartlett's page at the University of Colorado
Retrieved July 2011

Retrieved July 2011
"''Arithmetic, Population, and Energy''" by Professor Albert Bartlett
Free audio and video 57 minute lecture. Retrieved July 2011

Text of lecture (extracts). Retrieved July 2011

– Exponentialist website. Retrieved July 2011

Ecofuture website. Retrieved July 2011

article by Professor Bartlett. Retrieved July 2011
''Thoughts on Long-term Energy Supplies - Scientists and the Silent Lie''
article on energy and population in Physics Today (2004). Retrieved July 2011
''Clean Coal Technology''
Speech by Andrew McNamara MP on clean coal and report by Professor Bartlett * (Part 1 of 8), (parts 2-4 are linked). Retrieved July 2011 * (Part 5 of 8), (parts 6-8 are linked). Retrieved July 2011
Arithmetic, Population & Energy
@Google (entire video). Retrieved July 2011
Lecture by Professor Bartlett about the exponential function
@Vimeo. Retrieved December 2013
hour-long interview with Professor Bartlett by CU Outreach
@Vimeo. Retrieved December 2013
BLIND SPOT, Documentary, Population & Energy
Retrieved July 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bartlett, Albert Allen 1923 births 2013 deaths American physicists Colgate University alumni Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences alumni Science teachers Sustainability advocates University of Colorado faculty University of Colorado Boulder faculty Scientists from New York (state) Fellows of the American Physical Society