Birthrates in this country have dipped below replacement levels for a long time as part of a global infertility crisis. Reasons are varied and far reaching, such as a dwindling workforce and with fewer consumers, who will buy the stuff that keeps our economy going?. However. two University of Pennsylvania neuroscientists define the underlying cause as despair, similar to a sense of hopelessness stemming from increasing inequality, economic uncertainty and social isolation. Their study, in the journal Nature Mental Health, notes that previous simple or singular solutions to the birthrate issues have fallen short. Remote work may be partly to blame, separating young workers from people their own age.