If you believe the United Nations' projections, then at some point today, somewhere on the planet, a baby will be born, who will push the world's population above the seven billion mark.
Now, seven billion is a big number, representing an awful lot of people. What's more, it's a number that is rising with disconcerting rapidity. The world's population passed the six billion barrier just 12 years ago, and has now doubled in just 43 years, within the lifetime of this columnist.
And it's set to carry on climbing. According to the UN's statisticians, humanity is set to reach the 10 billion mark by 2085. Although if they've underestimated our enthusiasm for reproducing, the world's population could double again to hit 14 billion within the lifespan of the babies born today (see chart).
These forecasts have prompted some extravagant hand-wringing among the world's media, with commentators inevitably citing the work of 18th century clergyman Thomas Malthus to evoke apocalyptic visions of the perils of overpopulation.
Malthus, who wrote when the world's population was fewer than one billion, argued that while populations rose exponentially, their food supplies could only grow in a linear fashion. As a result, he concluded that material advances were impossible, and unrestrained reproduction must inevitably lead to famine, war and extinction.
Obviously he was wrong. But that hasn't discouraged a new generation of neo-Malthusians, who believe that the world's growing population faces a whole array of fatal resource constraints.
In the past week, we have heard fresh warnings that India will be unable to feed its growing population over the coming decades. And in recent years, a whole mini-industry of doomsayers has sprung up, dourly forecasting that the world is about to run out of fresh water, oil and gas, and any number of essential minerals.