John Harte

Professor of Ecosystem Sciences, University of California, Berkeley

Appears in 1 story

Born: July 8, 1939

Education: Harvard University, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

The bet that tested whether humanity is running out of everything

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Active in ecological research

In 1980, biologist Paul Ehrlich—who had warned that hundreds of millions would starve to death in the 1970s—agreed to bet economist Julian Simon on the price of five commodity metals. If inflation-adjusted prices rose over the decade, Ehrlich wins; if they fell, Simon wins.

Updated May 30