Breaking Point: Human Population by New York University

Human population has been steadily increasing. However, demographers predict that global population will peak around 2085 before entering a phase of decline likely as rapidly as it rose, driven by low birth rates.

This installation draws on such data, taking inspiration from discourse around the maximum number of people that the earth can hold; using a foam globe and a pressure-sensitive interface to connect these concepts to a physical experience. As users apply pressure and squish the physical globe, dots appear on a digital globe, visualizing population growth. Apply too much pressure, and a vibration motor inside goes off, delivering haptic feedback to signify the peak.