However, although the extrapolation of current trends
and framing these trends within well-tested evolutionary
frameworks is a useful methodological tool for explaining
our likely future, we cannot be 100% certain that this is our
future. Fundamentally, this life history future is dependent
on continued system-level socioeconomic development as
supported by the current industrialized energy regime, as
well as a smooth transition to a new post-industrial energy
regime before 2050. In short, this life history future is fundamentally
dependent on abundant energy globally. This is
not an outrageous assumption (see: [62, 63]). However, if
current trends are significantly ruptured by large socioeconomic
processes related to a collapse of our current energy
regime, and/or a failure to establish a post-industrial energy
regime, we should not expect the life history trajectory outlined
above.