The Tsunmami death toll hit 160,000 today. I was thinking about the number of those lost vs. the number of earthlings who die each day. Then I found this website:
http://www.intellectualloafing.com/activitiesfolder/estimationqsfolder/usdeathrate.htm
It asks that we assume the following:
1) Everyone lives to the age of 75 (rough average life expectancy)
2) There is the same number of people of each age (i.e. the same number of 5 year olds as 65 year olds, people move though life as though on a conveyer belt).
3) The population is constant. This implies that 1/75 of the population are dying each year.
4) Estimate the total population of the US at 260 million.
i.e. 260 million / 75 = 3466666 people die each year
365 days in a year.
Therefore 3466666/365 = 9500 people per day. (in the U.S.)
Follow up Question: What is the global daily death rate?
Estimate the world population at 6 billion (6000 million) and 260 million in the US.
6342 * 6000 million / 260 million = 146,000 people per day.
