What has happened since I was born

I was born in 1937. Look at some of the changes that have taken place in the world since then. Perhaps the best place to look is Gapminder, which you can explore on your own.

Source: Treehugger.com

Growth of the Global Economy

Source: The Futurist

Source: American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Source: Internet World Stats

Most of the countries that exist today did not exist when I was born.

I am pretty sure that most of the scientists who have ever lived became scientists since I was born. I would bet that most of the people who ever got a university degree (B.S., M.S. or Ph.D) did so since I was born.

The United Nations system was conceptualized during World War II, and the key agencies were created by 1950. It was built with only the failed example of the League of Nations to guide its founders. How likely do you think it is that the founders of the United Nations system could predict the world of today? How likely do you think that they understood or cared what our values would be today?

How likely do you think that we would create the United Nations system in the same form that they did, or that we would create it in the form it exists today if we were to start again?

How likely do you think that we could make it better if we started a major reform now?