Education: Humanities grads dropped by 50+% from 2010 to 2020
The linked post is, to some extent, trying to explain why there seems to be an increase in political activism. I don’t know about that but the data in the…
Environment: Per Capita CO2 emissions over time for 5 countries
It is interesting that the per capita peak was in the 1960s. All of these countries, except China, peaked in the 1960s. US Fertility Rate Chart Not sure this is…
Follow up: The Soviet economy will overtake the U.S. economy between 1984 and 1997
Samuelson was 100% wrong. For decades, since its 1961 edition, students of economics had read in Paul Samuelson’s textbook the following sentence: “The Soviet economy is proof that, contrary to…
Demographics: Up to 20% of legal registered voters in some states are legal immigrants
Source: Midterms 2022: The Changing Demographics of the Electorate In addition to many other factors, this change in population demographics – and the demographics of the legal voting population –…
Demographics, Media: Population trends in the U.S. and California
The pop media seldom does good reporting on the population demographics issue. This report, though, from the Orange County Register, is excellent, with clear and easy to understand charts. I…
Automation: Automation in modular home construction
Architect Belinda Carr tours a modular home construction factory in Switzerland, showing how automation improves efficiency, accuracy and quality, safety and more.
EVs: Is range the main criteria to be concerned about? No.
Source: The truth about electric car range: how far an EV will really go on a full charge While good range is useful, fast charging is probably more useful. I…
Demographics: The demographics of Czechia
The immigration solution that works for some (but not all) countries: However, the fact that Czechia’s population is now bigger than at the time since the collapse of Communism is…
Demographics, Economy: Effects of lower fertility rates on global economy
This article is spot on. Most developed economies have been graying, thanks to low birth rates and rising life expectancy. As a result, the labor force as a proportion of…
Demographics: The next generation after the “millennials” will be smaller than the “millennial” generation
Among millennials, especially, the fertility rate is very low. Between 2007 and 2012, the birth rate among Americans who came of age after 2000 dropped by 15 percent, to the…
Demographics: Why some might not support immigration
This text appears in the book Empty Planet (highly recommended): A 2016 Pew Research poll showed that 60 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that immigrants “strengthen our country…
Demographics: “The aging population”
“The world is aging” is a correct and true statement but I suspect it is misleading to most readers (see below): The world is aging, and our economy is shrinking.…
Global: How much global travel was done in 1954?
Amongst heads of companies in 1954: 93% of large company CEOs had traveled internationally 89% of mid-size firm CEOs 86% of small firm CEOs Source: The Influence of Foreign Travel…
Demographics: Canada sees fastest population increase in 65 years – almost all due to immigration
Canada’s population grew at the fastest pace since around the height of the baby boom, with immigration responsible for nearly all of that growth. Source: Immigration Drives Fastest Canada Population…
Public health: Beef consumption linked with less depression
Nutrition studies are notorious for problems with self-reported data, correlation without causation, and even cherry picking so … ‘We found that higher beef intake may be protective against major depressive…