Behind the scary headlines: Sustained scientific and social progress

Updated 1 February 2025

Life expectancy, 1770-2023; source: Our World in Data

First the bad news

Today there is no shortage of discouraging news headlines, among them (as of 21 Jan 2025):

A war in Ukraine that has dragged on for three years. A war in Gaza that raises questions about the long-term stability of the Middle East. Simmering conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, Niger, Afghanistan, Colombia and Somalia. A constitutional crisis in South Korea. Wildfires in the Los Angeles area that are among the costliest natural disasters in history. A never-ending stream of floods, hurricanes and other destructive

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