Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers | Steven Pinker

November 2024 has me looking at videos like these. In the audience and this comment section you have them, the "intellectuals". You can hear the sigh of relief and the slapping on their fat bellies, as for they can continue on their ill motivated quest for what they deem progress. The wise, white man on the stage, with confidence tells us the world is going to be okay. But he will not motivate his search strategy. He will not discuss the quality of the studies that he is citing. He will not specify the cut-offs used in these statistics or will purposefully not show the numbers that would weaken his argument. Is there progress in some regards? Absolutely. But at what cost. That we will unfortunately find out in a much less entertaining way I am afraid.
EDIT: grammar

I wonder what he thinks now.

The USA Election of 2024 has challenged my belief in "Pinker Optimism". Perhaps Gaza, Ukraine, and the Trump Victory are not outliers but the norm.

The world isn’t getting worse but the powers that be are claiming it is as a way to distract and control.

We have most the solutions to our problems — pollution, poverty, for example — but the improvements would require the ultra wealthy and leadership from ceding an amount of that wealth.

I am Iftitah, a student with the last three digits of my student ID (npm) being 190. I feel that the video provided a lot of inspirational insights. Steven Pinker, as the speaker, conveyed about aspects of life that can be solved, thus giving hope for a better future. I greatly appreciate his optimistic perspective, which encourages us to keep striving despite facing various challenges.

Praja Lohphinesti Subiarto
24083010060
Data Science
G627

In my opinion, The speaker, Steven Pinker, delivers his speech in a clear and engaging manner. He effectively uses data and statistics to illustrate his points about human progress.

Problems:
Pessimism and Fatalism: Pinker highlights the tendency of people to focus on negative news and overlook positive developments. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness and a belief that progress is impossible.
Misunderstanding of Progress: Some people mistakenly equate progress with perfection. They fail to recognize that progress is a gradual process involving setbacks and challenges.

Solutions:
Data-Driven Perspective: Pinker advocates for a data-driven approach to understanding the world. By examining objective data, we can gain a more accurate picture of human progress.
Embracing the Enlightenment Ideals: Pinker emphasizes the importance of the Enlightenment ideals of reason, science, and human flourishing. By applying these principles, we can continue to make progress and address global challenges.
Challenging Negative Narratives: Pinker encourages individuals to challenge negative narratives and promote a more optimistic outlook. By sharing stories of progress and highlighting positive developments, we can inspire hope and action.

Attendance: 31
Name: Aqilla Rasya Ramadhani
NIM: 24082010168

Yes, the speaker seems to have presented both the problem and the solution clearly, presenting both the problem (undervaluing friendship) and the proposed change in thinking (recognizing the value of friendship as a significant relationship) in a meaningful way.

name: Aqela Minahus Mawla Susanto
Nim: 24082010243
Major: information system
And i would like to give my opinion.
In my opinion, what Steven Pinker has conveyed is very clear and detailed, addressing the key points of the topic in such a way that listeners can understand it.
Steven Pinker argues that while 2017 might have felt catastrophic, historical data shows humanity has made progress in areas like poverty, health, and conflict over the past decades. Progress, he explains, is not inevitable but comes through solving problems. Challenges like climate change and nuclear threats should be viewed as solvable issues rather than unavoidable disasters. Pinker emphasizes that striving for a perfect world is dangerous, but continuous improvement is possible if we apply knowledge and innovation to enhance human well-being.

Name : Melinda Citrasena C.
NIM : 24082010247
Major : Information Systems
Class : G627

Steven Pinker’s TED Talk provides an insightful perspective on global progress using statistical evidence. His approach to explaining historical data is both engaging and enlightening. The way he challenges pessimistic views with optimism and facts is highly effective. This talk serves as a reminder of humanity's achievements and the potential for further improvement. Great job!

Name: Hafid Bilal Ar Rohman Saputra
Nim: 24082010067
Major: Information system
Class: G627
2017 was truly the worst year ever as some people believe. to the latest data on murder, war, poverty, pollution, and much more. but progress is inevitable and this does not mean that things will get better all the time says Steven Pinker. instead progress is problem solving and we have to consider things like climate change and nuclear. but there is no limit to the progress we can achieve if we continually apply knowledge to improve society's welfare

It's easy to believe in progress when you are a white man in a world ruled by white men

Yes, there's technology and advanced occidental medicine and now we live longer than 30 years. BUT... is that "progress" available for everyone? I ask you: What's your smartphone made of? And the modern medical machines we use to live longer? What impoverished country did the metals it uses come from? If the current economic, political and philosophical system that makes all of that possible only makes it possible for a very small percentage of the population are we truly talking about progress? And is that progress if it's all built on the oppression and exploitation of the working class and entire countries?

I invite you to read what Walter Benjamin proposes about progress

lol the world is getting worse, far worse. Just on ecological destruction alone, Pinker’s worldview gets wrecked. 60% of the mass of vertebrate species have been destroyed since the 60s alone. Nuclear weapons have proliferated. For the first time since the formation of agriculture societies 12,000 years ago humanity faces a truly existential crisis which threatens our very existence. Not just that, but at least as many as 3 existential crises (ecological destruction, nuclear war, and AI. Governments everywhere are completely owned by corporate and private power effectively eliminating the ability of the masses to influence their societies in any meaningful manner. Poverty and food insecurity has actually risen despite Pinker’s delusions saying otherwise. Wealth concentration is worse than it has ever been since the Industrial Revolution. The 3 richest men on earth own more than the poorest 4 billion people on the planet combined. Mark my words, in 10 years Pinker’s optimistic narrative will be so obviously delusional and at odds with reality that he will be a running joke and nothing more.

I disagree with car accidents in Chicago area , seem so much worse that 10 or 15 years ago

I think the best time was after the Black Plague ended in italy and the young in their 20’s n 30’
Had plenty of land to claim
Grow gardens and have children and the population was so low 😊

All those wars had to free up land and let young people flourish,at least for a few years

My great grandmother had 10 children. Food for thought...

I'm not sure this video aged well.

I'd like to see a US Polio graph in about 10 years.

Focus

So what is progress? It simply means that if we apply reason and science, we can change our destinies and it is associated with 18th century enlightenment philosopher

So what is progress? It simply means that if we apply reason and science, we can change our destinies and it is associated with 17th century enlightenment philosopher.
and it does not mean that every problem everywhere can be solved at a given time. It means that problems are solved with solutions and these new solutions create new problems.

human nature, with all its shortcomings and perversities

a number of and hopeless fatalism

eke out victories

Morose - sad
projectile - missile or bullet
Glummer - more downcast, brooding, gloomy, sullen

is a cognitive bias where people make decisions or judgments based on the information that is most easily recalled or readily available in their minds, rather than on objective data or evidence. like news that recursively portrays negative aspects for example news, highlights, incidence of violence and war, but they hide the progress achieved in poverty, alleviation reduction in was in comparison with past
he says they exploited our morbid interests - which means our inclination towards gloom tragedies, a negative thing indiscriminate pessimism

“Rake the muck - it is used in investigative journalism where unethical politics or its practices such as corruption is investigated or highlighted

Indiscriminate Pessimism refers to a negative outlook or mindset that applies universally, without discernment or distinction. It is the tendency to view all situations, outcomes, or people as bad, hopeless, or doomed, regardless of the actual context or evidence
fatalism - the believe that all events are determined and inevitable, so we should not struggle for change, rather resigned to it

Deep Decarbonization

acite question - it was intellectually stimulating urgent

Perversities it means like the bad aspects of human nature
stardust - it means that we are not special sometimes you believe that humans are special so it is in the believe that we are not special. You use it by saying we are not Stardust.

The statement “human progress is more tragic than utopian” suggests that while human progress has achieved remarkable advancements, it often comes at significant costs, setbacks, or unintended consequences, making it more tragic than ideal. The phrase highlights the complexities and dualities of progress, emphasizing the imperfections and struggles that accompany humanity’s achievements.

The phrase “My worldview has lightened up” means that your perspective on life, the world, or specific situations has become more positive, open-minded, or less burdened by negativity or rigid beliefs. It suggests a shift in attitude toward a more optimistic, forgiving, or understanding outlook.

A data-driven epiphany refers to a sudden realization or insight that occurs as a result of analyzing data. It suggests that the moment of clarity or understanding is not based on intuition or guesswork, but on the interpretation of quantitative or empirical information. He gives statistics to support his argument.

A stirring narrative refers to a story or account that strongly evokes emotions, such as excitement, inspiration, or deep sympathy. It is a narrative that moves the reader or listener, making them feel deeply engaged or emotionally charged. The term stirring suggests that the narrative is capable of stirring up intense feelings or reactions, whether they are of joy, sorrow, anger, or awe.

The phrase “We can combine ideas recursively” refers to the process of continuously or repeatedly integrating ideas in a way that each combination builds upon the previous one, often creating more complex or refined concepts. This idea is inspired by the concept of recursion, which is common in mathematics, computer science, and logic, where something refers to itself or repeats in a structured, self-similar manner.

In the developed world, what he's saying does not hold as much of a sway, as it's a partial-truth, especially coming from a privileged elite like Pinker. Metrics like median housing price to median income, technical barriers to entry level jobs, youth unemployment, below-40 home ownership rate, student indebtedness, fertility rates, gini coefficient, etc. have all gotten drastically worse over the past decades. Fact of the matter is, the low hanging fruits have been devoured by boomers, and the younger folks like myself will have to work twice or thrice harder than our predecessors did to achieve what they have had. It has and will definitely get worse, especially with the advent of AI.

And then....2020 and the regime of biden started. That was WAY worse.

Irrespective of whether the world was any better in 2016 than in 1986 (which is debatable because Pinker is selective with his stats), almost everything mentioned by Pinker is now observably and analytically very bad. The world is palpably more dangerous and less prosperous. Pinker brings to mind Francis Fukuyama, who was so delighted with the fall of the Soviet Union that he famously made a fool of himself by announcing the "end of history". Fukuyama made his claim based mainly on one event, and stated what the neo-cons desperately wanted to believe. Pinker does much the same with his stats, and claims what the TED crowd and other affluent conservatives would like to believe. The world will improve when Pinker and other prophets of plenty stop ignoring the fact that it is the military and financial structures that boomed in the meantime, many times more than any alleged improvement in the lot of the ordinary person. But Pinker like Fukayam is concerned with whitewashing and protecting these structures and so paints a rosy picture.

Steven.. I need an update on this topic 😂.

I doubt how calculations are carried out. Probably they are biased, he should share the data to replicate analysis

I watch this over and over and never tire of the realistic HOPE and feeling of success we deserve to celebrate as a species!

The book Factfulness also tries to explain this and how we are having wrong assumptions towards problem in clear way

We have to consider nuclear weapons, environmental destruction and the chilling effectiveness of disinformation. All the problems are dwarfed by these.

I appreciate your work. Israel works with black American English grammar, for example, [insert plural noun] Israel. Example: Their legal problems Israel. Their legal problems are not stereotypical African American culture.

We REALLY need a refresh of this TED! Come on, Do It!

America was truly “not great” in the fifties-where the supporters of djt would like to get us-we have improved so much since then! I think that those people just want to be released as if all things were wonderful then because they were not restrained.

“You’d think we’d never stop dancing”-because things have truly improved!

Yeah humans are killing natural life on a grand scale. Our existence alone is a threat to it.

Yes there are good people with big hearts that care about all life, but a lot of people are in your face about how they don’t want change or they ignore you. Most are thoughtless.

We’re within the sixth mass extinction because of our species.

Nature and natural life is more important than us. They’re essential to the survival of all life. We’re not.

This opinion in this video is based on how good their lives are, forgetting about others.

This guy must really be enjoying his cushy Harvard tenure and the checks he gets from writing all his soft books

I have read perhaps 800 books on science, philosophy, self improvement. Many of these are truly great, life altering books. This is all to say that Steven Pinker has, in my opinion, written the absolute most compelling, well documented, and readable books explaining why we should be less cynical about human progress. His last two books are simply required reading for modern humans.

The fact that this video only has 40K thumbs up, and not billions of thumbs up, means that this very important message has not reached enough people. Too bad, really. More people need to hear this message.

People subconsciously hate progress because no matter how much progress we make ,it just points out how much better it could be. people get bored easy, and going faster is one of the methods we use of fighting boredom. Supersonic aircraft. Trading safety for speed.etc...