[draugadrotten]

Productivity doesn't need to scale up indefinitely - it just needs to be able to scale up until it's enough.

Silly but simple thought experiment: - 10 people on an island - 2 people can pick enough coconuts for all 10 to eat well - Using a ladder, productivity picks up enough so 1 person can pick enough coconuts for all 10 - A coconut picking robot is developed, picking enough coconuts for all 10 The coconut picking robot's productivity can't scale indefinitely but it doesn't have to.

I am sure you can see the implications of using robots in the real world.

Edit: Speaking of babies, prof. Hans Rosling's TED talks are mandatory. http://www.ted.com/speakers/hans_rosling http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_religions_and_babies

[kilbasa]

I think if you measure productivity in terms of coconuts over man hours, productivity could rise indefinitely if it's at all possible to make robots that repair themselves and don't require any non-renewable resources.

Anyway, I think the first people to lose their jobs would be the ladder makers.