It’s not the world that’s got so much worse
but the news coverage that’s got so much better. 
-  G. K. Chesterton

Despite the large number of things that are always going wrong with the world, the big picture is remarkably positive.

This can be difficult to get one’s head round – as there are always nasty things happening in a world this big and complicated – below are a series of info-graphics to aid with visualisation. They record the decisive and continuing improvements in human welfare across recent history.

Then and Now – we’ve literally never been in better shape

Below are three charts (provided by the Gapminder Institute of Stockholm) showing the state of humanity in 1800, 1933 and 2009.

Key:

• Y-axis is life expectancy
• X-axis is income per person
• Each dot is a country (colour depending on continent)
• Size of dot is population of that country

Note that:

• Every country in 2009 CE has a longer life expectancy than any country in 1800 CE
• Almost every country is richer in 2009 CE than any country was in 1800 CE
• With very few exceptions every country is relentlessly moving in a positive long-term direction
• Progress has been the norm for human civilisation over the past two centuries

Source: Gapminder

The last 200 years – Professor Hans Rosling Talks us Through Humanity’g Golden Age

Hans Rosling, of the Gapminder Institute in Stockholm, talks us through those charts, in an animated way; demonstrating just how quickly human civilisation is getting its act together (the action starts at 00.30):

Next: My Influences >

Links – worldview section:

• The Human Project
• What I’m Trying to Achieve
• The Long Now (with downloads)
• Gaia and Humanity (with downloads)
• Religious Architecture (with downloads)
• Planetary Economy (with downloads)
• Info-graphics
• My Influences