☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

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

youtu.be

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.
From Your Site Articles

More from GZERO Media

Waltz out of White House, as Rubio adds more to his plate

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speak with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation on Ukraine-Russia peace talks, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2025.
Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS

US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz will exit his post, CBS News first reported, and will be nominated as ambassador to the United Nations. The move brings a premature end to the Floridian’s tumultuous White House stint, one that has been marred ever since he accidentally added a journalist from The Atlantic to a Signal chat discussion about US attack plans in Yemen.

Trump-appointed judge strikes down use of wartime powers to fast-track deportations

Illegal immigrants from El Salvador arrive at the Comalapa international airport after being deported from the U.S. in Comalapa, on the outskirts of San Salvador.
REUTERS/Ulises Rodriguez

A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas just dropped a legal bomb on the president’s immigration playbook. US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. on Thursday ruled that Donald Trump overstepped his authority by invoking the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants without due process.

Australians head to the polls in pivotal federal election

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton at campaign rally Fullarton, Adelaide on day 34 of his 2025 Federal Election Campaign in the seat of Sturt, Thursday, May 1, 2025.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Voting is underway in Australia’s May 3 federal election, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeking a second term for the Labor Party. His main challenger is Peter Dutton, leader of the center-right Liberal Party and the broader Coalition since 2022.

South Korean court throws likely next president into jeopardy

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, speaks during a policy agreement ceremony with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea, on May 1, 2025.
Chris Jung via Reuters Connect

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung had a rough day on Thursday.

Why the US-Ukraine minerals deal is a win-win

- YouTube

youtu.be

What is the importance of the so-called minerals deals, which have now been concluded between Ukraine and the United States? What is the importance of the visit by the Danish King Frederik to Greenland? Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, shares his perspective on European politics from Stockholm, Sweden.

Michael Waltz runs out of time in Washington, headed for UN post

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz walks to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on April 3, 2025.

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz will exit his post, CBS News first reported, and will be nominated to be ambassador to the United Nations. It brings a premature end to the Floridian’s tumultuous White House stint, one that has been marred ever since he accidentally added a journalist from The Atlantic to a Signal chat regarding US attack plans in Yemen. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will replace Waltz, holding his role on an acting basis.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.