How new vaccines can help with our antibiotic dependence
New vaccination technology could reduce our reliance on antibiotics.
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How many people does synthetic fertilizer feed?
Are emerging economies deindustrializing too quickly?
As today’s developed countries grew richer, they experienced a process of ‘structural transformation’. Are developing countries following a similar process?Is organic really better for the environment than conventional agriculture?
Depending on the measure, organic farming can sometimes have higher environmental impacts than conventional farming.How much of the world’s land would we need in order to feed the global population with the average diet of a given country?
There are large differences in the land of different diets, mostly depending on how much meat people eat.Historical poverty reductions: more than a story about 'free-market capitalism'
The reduction of poverty has also happened because public spending and redistribution have increased significantly.Income inequality and happiness inequality: a tale of two trends
How could it be that happiness inequality falls with rising income inequality?Collective pessimism and our inability to guess the happiness of others
We tend to underestimate the average happiness of people around us. One possible explanation is that we are positive about ourselves, but negative about those we don't know."Life Expectancy" – What does this actually mean?
How is life expectancy calculated, what does it mean, and what’s the difference between period and cohort life expectancy?Yields vs. land use: how the Green Revolution enabled us to feed a growing population
Crop yields across the world have increased dramatically over the last half-century. But has this kept up with a growing population?Is globalization an engine of economic development?
What was the death toll from Chernobyl and Fukushima?
When we think of nuclear safety, two accidents often come to mind: Chernobyl and Fukushima. What was the death toll and impact of these disasters?Not all deaths are equal: How many deaths make a natural disaster newsworthy?
How many deaths make a natural disaster newsworthy?What the history of London’s air pollution can tell us about the future of today’s growing megacities
London once had local pollution levels as high as some of the most polluted cities in other parts of the world today.There is a 'happiness gap' between East and West Germany
Structural transformation: how did today’s rich countries become ‘deindustrialized’?
Most of the advanced economies of the world have been deindustrializing for decades and have moved into a new ‘post-industrial’ phase of development. This post asks how they got there.Global renewables are growing, but have been partly offset by a decline in nuclear production
To displace fossil fuels we need to increase low-carbon energy. While renewables have been growing, a decline in nuclear has offset some of these gains.Air pollution: does it get worse before it gets better?
Air pollution tends to get worse as incomes rise, then it turns and pollution levels decline.What are PPP adjustments and why do we need them?
Homelessness and poverty in rich countries
How common is homelessness in rich countries, and how does it relate to poverty?The short history of global living conditions and why it matters that we know it
Very few think the world is making progress. In this article, we look at the history of global living conditions and show that the world has made immense progress in important aspects.