9 astonishing ways that living standards have improved around the world
Despite the constant stream of bad news we see in the media, the reality is that living standards have improved dramatically across time.
More from Big Think
You are probably a naive realist. Try not to be
Naive realism is the tendency to assume that our view of the world is objective and accurate rather than subjective and biased.
«Biases do not necessarily lead to bad decisions because they help us make those decisions in accordance with our values and motivations.»
People who read live longer than those who don’t, Yale researchers say
A study by Yale researchers finds that reading books in particular returns cognitive gains that increase longevity.
«extended lifespan applied to all reading participants, regardless of “gender, wealth, education or health” factors, the study explains. That’s a 20% reduction in mortality created by a sedentary activity.»
The 5-hour rule: How to turn a wasted day into a successful one
From Benjamin Franklin to Elon Musk, the most successful people in the world share one thing: they allocate time in the day to learning.
«5-hour rule.” In short, this is the rule where we spend one hour a day learning, reflecting, and thinking. The rule dates to Benjamin Franklin»
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
Modern conditions have overwhelmed our brain's attention system, but research shows 12 minutes of mindfulness training a day can help.
«Similarly, a negative mood can signal that something is wrong. That unease can propel you to solve the problem and lift the emotional pall.»
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The year 2020 gave us a glimpse of something radically new: tensions in politics, finance and geopolitics intersecting with a natural shock on a global scale.
«We can afford anything we can actually do. The problem is agreeing on what to do and how to do it.»
Amsterdam Is Embracing a New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Replace Capitalism?
It’s the first time a major city has attempted to put doughnut theory into action on a local level
An optimist’s guide to the future: the economist who believes that human ingenuity will save the world
Oded Galor’s ‘Sapiens’-like history of civilisation predicts a happy ending for humanity. But should we trust him?
Will Real Estate Ever Be Normal Again?
In Austin and cities around the country, prices are skyrocketing, forcing regular people to act like speculators. When will it end?
«Freddie Mac estimated at the end of 2020 that the United States was 3.8 million housing units short of meeting the nation’s needs»
Why Doesn’t America Build Things?
Environmental review laws have become a favorite scapegoat among those who lament our inability to build ambitious infrastructure, but the problem runs much deeper.
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