Is this a convincing argument? Despite the doubters, rising levels of health, literacy and renewable energy suggest that things have never been better.
Now is the best EVER time to be alive
Is this a convincing argument? Despite the doubters, rising levels of health, literacy and renewable energy suggest that things have never been better.
The year 2025 is not going well. It began with massive wildfires in Southern California and the war in Ukraine is continuing. But many believe that now is the best time ever to be alive. Why might people think this?
Child survival. Last year, a UN report found that child mortality - infants dying before reaching the age of five - had reached record lows.
Solar success. Last year, the EU generated nearly half its energy from renewablesEnergy sources that do not use up non-renewable fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power., much of which comes from solar power, which is said to be accelerating faster than anyone thought possible.
Slimming planet. America and the rest of the world may have, thanks to new medicines, reached "peak obesity", so people could be getting thinner and fitter.
Record readers. Across the globe, the number of people who can read and write has reached nearly 90%, the highest level ever.
Despite the good news, most humans think the world is poorer, unhealthier, and more dangerous than it actually is, and plenty of data suggests the world is getting worse, when it comes to issues such as global carbon emissions or growing inequality.
Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between. Maybe the world is getting better and worse at the same time. Focus on the negative, and it is easy to feel defeated. But, when you focus on the positive, there is no better time than right this minute.
Is this a convincing argument?
Yes! Rising levels of literacy, falling rates of obesity - when you look at the numbers, there are many reasons for hope.
No! Plenty of data suggests that the world is getting worse. Focusing on our problems is not pessimism but realism.
Renewables - Energy sources that do not use up non-renewable fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power.
Now is the best EVER time to be alive

Glossary
Renewables - Energy sources that do not use up non-renewable fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power.