If true, this brings up deep philosophical problems. Our ‘success’ as a species has been due to our cumulative cultural evolution (CCE). If progress is defined by CCE, then progress traps are the unintended consequences of CCE.

This is yet another possibility and dimensions of CCE bringing about the extinction of our own species, added on top of climate change and the other crisis of the Anthropocene.

It adds to the complexity of the social mess our species has created. One major strategy advocated for population control motivated by dwindling resources is education for girls. Yet this argument is challenged by the fact that inequality points a finger to wealth distribution rather than absolute population numbers. And while one advocates for reducing population, this argument would not advocate for interventions that decrease reproductive efficacy.