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50 Ways the World is Getting Better

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Summary

This article discusses the immense progress seen in the world over the past few decades, citing 50 facts from four books that show how human ingenuity and innovation have created massive progress in areas such as poverty, life expectancy, natural disaster fatalities, air travel safety, education, healthcare, and more. Despite the negative news that dominates the headlines, this article serves as a reminder that progress is being made and the world is improving.

Q&As

What books have been written recently to show how much progress the world has seen?
The books that have been written recently to show how much progress the world has seen are The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert Gordon, The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, Factfulness by Hans Rosling, and Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker.

How has the percentage of people living in extreme poverty changed in the last 20 years?
The percentage of people living in extreme poverty has almost been cut in half in the last 20 years.

How has the violent crime rate in the US changed since 1990?
The violent crime rate has been on a downward trend since 1990 in the US. Just under 14.5 million crimes were reported in 1990 and by 2016 that figure was well under 9.5 million.

How has the real price of plane travel changed since the late 1970s?
The real price of plane travel in the US has fallen by more than half since the late 1970s.

How has the fraction of the population living past their 65th birthday changed since 1870?
The percentage of the population living past their 65th birthday was only 34% in 1870 but jumped to 56% by 1940 and 77% by 2000.

AI Comments

👍 This article is an excellent reminder of just how much progress the world has made in the past few decades. It's inspiring to see how far we have come and how much further we can go!

👎 The facts in this article are interesting, but it fails to acknowledge the immense amount of work that still needs to be done. There is still a lot of poverty, inequality, and injustice in the world today.

AI Discussion

Me: It's called "50 Ways the World is Getting Better" and it's about how much progress human ingenuity and innovation have made over the years, even if it doesn't always feel like it. It cites a lot of statistics and facts about how much better the world has become in terms of poverty, healthcare, education, and more.

Friend: That's really interesting. It's so easy to get caught up in all the bad news and forget how much better things have gotten in the last few decades.

Me: Absolutely. It's important to remember that progress is happening, even if it doesn't always feel like it. And it's inspiring to think that we can be a part of making the world even better.

Action items

Research and learn more about the progress the world has made in the last two centuries.
Share the article with friends, family, and co-workers to spread awareness of the progress we have made.
Take action to support organizations and initiatives that are working to make the world a better place.

Technical terms

Availability bias: The tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events with greater “availability” in memory, which can be influenced by how recent the memories are or how unusual or emotionally charged they may be.
Gross World Product: The total value of all goods and services produced in the world in a given year.
Labor force participation ratio: The percentage of the population that is employed or actively looking for work.
Life expectancy: The average number of years a person is expected to live.
Necessities: The basic needs of life, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
Retirement: The period of life after a person has stopped working and is no longer actively involved in the labor force.