In a news story this this morning I noticed that the UK population is growing at its fastest rate since 1973, a period of severe economic distress. Is there any evidence or studies that show that there is a relationship?

The usual explanation I see is that people stay in more during a recession, but this seems over simplistic.

I wondered if there was maybe a feedback/tipping point effect, so that once a certain percentage of people are expecting, there is suddenly a rapid increase; or if the population reacts as a whole in periods of distress by increasing birth rates?

My father suggested that it could be the poison of the very tiny and rare box jellyfishes around australia: the venom can be bought for scientific purposes but because the acquisition is so elaborate and the yield so slim, one has to pay several 1000€ per microlitre(?). Unfortunately i could not find a source for that price. Somebody suggested an atom of antimatter, but that is not tradeable on any market right now.

What are your suggestions?

Think of this in the way money can be married to people in certain ways by the number of partners, spouses they have and the relationship they have with them. This is not a joke to many people who probably have no concept of the fact they're being exploited.