If food goes scarce, humans could turn to each other for survival. Eventually though, there'd be no flesh left to consume and the human population would soon become extinct—which may happen quicker than you think.
In less than four years, only one human would be left if we all turned into cannibals, according to new research. Undergraduate students studying physics at the University of Leicester in England were interested in exploring the hypothetical situation, so they used a mathematical model to determine the approximate number of days when only a single human would be roaming the Earth.
The team of students calculated the amount of calories an adult male body is worth—about 125,800 calories they conclude—and then estimated that each human would eat a 2,500-calorie diet per day. Using an equation to calculate the scenario, they found that the last human would be left after 1,149 days or a little more than three years.
Related: Placentophagy: Eating Placenta After Birth Borders on Cannibalism, Gynecologist Warns
The findings should be taken with a grain of salt though, for a number of reasons, including that it was published in an undergraduate research journal and that the method used doesn't take into account a long-list of factors which could affect survival. For example, the authors assume that all food would be shared equally, but if the food wasn't, the human population may thrive much longer than a thousand days or so.
"If instead, a small number of people gathered and stored all of the others, they could potentially last decades," the study authors wrote in their paper.
Additionally, people require a different amount of calories based on factors such as activity level, height and sex. But the authors only account for the recommended daily intake for an adult male. They point out that in order to make their model more accurate, they also must consider the caloric output and intake women and children require, which is typically much lower than grown men.
Related: Video: Huge Alligator Eats Another, Revealing Cannibalism is Common
While it's unlikely that worldwide cannibalism will be happening anytime soon, a number of recent cases shed light on the nauseating reality that there are some people out there that perhaps, wish it was. Like the Russian "cannibal couple" arrested last September who are believed to have killed, skinned and ate dozens of people. Or, the Florida teen who tried to eat the face off of a man he murdered.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
