Exponential Growth Debate

Commenters debate whether observed growth patterns are truly exponential, linear, or part of an S-curve, questioning assumptions of unbounded exponential growth and extrapolation risks.

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Keywords

XKCD XCKD R0 xkcd.com i.e COVID VS wikipedia.org stratechi.com exponential exponential growth growth curve linear graph yr decay incidentally rates

Sample Comments

transpy Jun 4, 2014 View on HN

But... but... the exponential growth!

tosseraccount Sep 21, 2015 View on HN

Doesn't all growth have an exponent?

gbog Feb 11, 2013 View on HN

you seem to take exponential growth from granted, I'm not sure why. this seem to be the exception, not the rule.

high_na_euv Jan 27, 2025 View on HN

Why do you assume that exponential growth curve is real?

VikingCoder Mar 26, 2020 View on HN

It's weird, it's almost like this is following the exponential growth that literally everyone said it would.

WithinReason Feb 7, 2022 View on HN

There is no such thing as truly unbounded exponential growth, it's always an S curve

firethief Sep 14, 2019 View on HN

Exponential growth is like that

tasuki Jan 13, 2021 View on HN

Why exponentially? Seems like linear growth to me.

LarryMullins Jan 5, 2023 View on HN

All apparent exponential growth is just an S-curve we haven't found the inflection point of yet.

empath75 Mar 11, 2020 View on HN

They're talking about exponential growth in general, i think.