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Is life better than ever for the human race?

September 25, 2023

GZERO Staff

Is life better than ever? Measuring human progress today | GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

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Was the Beatles' Paul McCartney right - is it getting better all the time? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer and Harvard psychologist Stephen Pinker talk about human progress and how we define it. Sure, it's great that we're not currently being chased by saber-toothed tigers. Life is better than death. Health is preferable to sickness. Freedom? We'll take it over tyranny any day of the week. In short, we know life is better today than it was for most of our ancestors, but how do we measure that progress? And at what point does the technology that has improved our lives come back to bite us? We're looking at you, AI.

Pinker shares his counterintuitive take on the state of the world. How does his optimism (as welcome as it might be) stack up against the undeniable sorry state of the world today? From war in Ukraine to a persistent pandemic to a resurgence of extreme global poverty, things feel...bad. And yet, Pinker remains relatively positive.

Watch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld and on US public television. Check local listings.

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Port workers union suspends strike with tentative deal

Members of the International Longshoremen's Association strike for higher wages and protection from automation outside Red Hook Terminal in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 2, 2024.

Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

The International Longshoremen’s Association announced late Thursday it would suspend the two-day-old strike across America’s East and Gulf Coast ports after reaching a tentative deal with their employers.

IMF's Kristalina Georgieva: We help countries build resilience to handle shocks

- YouTube

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In a GZERO Global Stage discussion at the 79th UN General Assembly, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva expressed pride in the institution’s proactive response during a period marked by global crises. Georgieva emphasized that the IMF’s role extends beyond financial aid by helping countries build strong policies and institutions, ensuring resilience in the face of shocks.

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Britain gives back key islands to Mauritius

The British government on Thursday announced it would return the Chagos Islands, a group of tiny atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean, back to Mauritius — while retaining its joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia.

REUTERS

The British government on Thursday announced it would return the Chagos Islands, a group of tiny atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean, back to Mauritius — while retaining its joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia.

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Is life better than ever for the human race?

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Port workers union suspends strike with tentative deal

The International Longshoremen’s Association announced late Thursday it would suspend the two-day-old strike across America’s East and Gulf Coast ports after reaching a tentative deal with their employers.

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Britain gives back key islands to Mauritius

The British government on Thursday announced it would return the Chagos Islands, a group of tiny atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean, back to Mauritius — while retaining its joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia.

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50: The annual inflation rate in Turkey fell below 50% for the first time in a year this week, with prices rising by a mere 49% since last September.

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Is life better than ever for the human race?

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More from GZERO Media

The International Longshoremen’s Association announced late Thursday it would suspend the two-day-old strike across America’s East and Gulf Coast ports after reaching a tentative deal with their employers.

With the baseball playoffs in full swing and the US presidential election looming, I’ve been thinking a lot about one of the most polarizing figures in America: a serial liar, an unrepentant womanizer, a convicted criminal, and a charismatic hero to millions, writes Senior Writer Alex Kliment.

At least nine people were killed in airstrikes on central Beirut early Thursday as Israel intensified its campaign in Lebanon — while also vowing to retaliate for Iran’s missile attack on Tuesday.

Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney,campaigned alongside Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Thursday in Ripon, Wisconsin, the town where theRepublican Party was founded in 1854.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

The British government on Thursday announced it would return the Chagos Islands, a group of tiny atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean, back to Mauritius — while retaining its joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia.

On Wednesday, three members of Haiti’s interim governing council and two other high-profile Haitians were charged with bribery by an anti-corruption agency.

In a Global Stage livestream discussion from the 79th UN General Assembly, Ian Bremmer explained the concept of a "geopolitical recession," a term he uses to describe the growing disconnect between global power dynamics and existing international frameworks.

50: The annual inflation rate in Turkey fell below 50% for the first time in a year this week, with prices rising by a mere 49% since last September.