For the July 23 and July 30 shows, we’re looking at the world population explosion, how it is affecting lives, politics and most notably the future of the planet. Our tour guide is L.A. Times reporter Ken Weiss, the author of a five-part series on the subject that literally spans planet Earth.

The first installment was published Sunday July 22. The series also can be read online, as part of a multimedia presentation that includes photo essays, videos and interviews with the world’s leading experts on the subject.

The series, Beyond 7 Billion, will go down as one of the most painstaking and important works of journalism in 2012.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/population/