# Peak Humans: Modernity Vs. Tradition

An episode of [The David McWilliams Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1462649946), 20 Oct 2026, 42 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast/e/6ad66031cd6459cf501c8ab5/media.mp3

Broadcasting from the Aran Islands, where the population has crashed from 48,000 to 3,000, we look at what may be the biggest data point of 2026: for the first time ever, the human race is shrinking. The global fertility rate has dropped to 1.8, below the 2.1 needed to replace ourselves, and of 236 countries studied, 219 are in decline. The twist is that it’s happening fastest among poorer, less-educated women in poorer countries, which wrecks the old rule that you have to get rich before you get old. So is modernity itself the culprit, and could tradition stage a comeback? Plus, why AI scepticism sent investors rushing back into bonds this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.