Home / Series / TED Talks / Aired Order / Season 2018 / Episode 135

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

Was 2017 really the "worst year ever," as some would have us believe? In his analysis of recent data on homicide, war, poverty, pollution and more, psychologist Steven Pinker finds that we're doing better now in every one of them when compared with 30 years ago. But progress isn't inevitable, and it doesn't mean everything gets better for everyone all the time, Pinker says. Instead, progress is problem-solving, and we should look at things like climate change and nuclear war as problems to be solved, not apocalypses in waiting. "We will never have a perfect world, and it would be dangerous to seek one," he says. "But there's no limit to the betterments we can attain if we continue to apply knowledge to enhance human flourishing."

English
  • Originally Aired April 30, 2018
  • Runtime 15 minutes
  • Content Rating United States of America TV-PG
  • Production Code StevenPinker_2018
  • Network YouTube
  • Created April 18, 2019 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified April 18, 2019 by
    Administrator admin
Name Type Role
Steven Pinker Guest Star