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Oops, Scientists May Have Severely Miscalculated How Many Humans Are on Earth (www.popularmechanics.com)

submitted 1 month ago by fne8w2ah@lemmy.world to c/science@lemmy.world

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[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago (2 children)

“When dams are built, large areas are flooded and people need to be relocated,” Láng-Ritter said in a press statement. “The relocated population is usually counted precisely because dam companies pay compensation to those affected.”

So the locals are incentivized to inflate their numbers?

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But the dam companies are incentived to verify the accuracy.

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

You could end up with Waking Ned Devine, where everyone in town vouches for everyone else because they all stand to benefit.

[–] corvi@lemm.ee 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

You can’t just say, “I have 20 people living in my home, just make the check out to me.” The dam company is going to be verifying who they’re paying.

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

The dam company is going to be verifying who they’re paying.

Are they, though?

Or are they just going to sign off and pass the bill on to the government?

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Precisely. I'm not buying this one at all. In a third world country, they're paying peanuts, these companies don't give a fuck if it's $50 or $100.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 1 points 1 month ago

And seriously underpay.