🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <862824010.27724@dejanews.com>, hefeng@cz3.nus.sg writes:
>Hi! I've got a question here I don't whom I'd ask.
>This is a commonsense question so I guess it really doesn't matter.
>Anybody should be able to answer it.
>Now: a normal person has two parents, and four great parents, and 8 great
>great parents, and 16......
>therefore whenever we trace back one generation, the number of our
>ancestors doubles. But if we go back the years, the population decreases!
>Therefore there will be a time when the no. of one's ancestors equals the
>total population! and after that, even greater!
>This is nonsense. But where did I go wrong?

By overcounting.  You're implicictly assuming that all the ancestors 
are different people.

Mati Meron                      | "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars.uchicago.edu         |  chances are he is doing just the same"