Daily Archives: December 13, 2021

Much has happened since the last Data Dive, so in this COVID-19 super-update, lets do a progress check on some of the most recent and important developments in the world of variants, vaccines and boosters.

Earlier this week, healthcare reporter Will Stribling reported that the Mississippi Department of Health reported the states first case of the omicron variant on Monday, Dec. 6. Omicron is the second most notable variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 after delta, though much still remains to be known about it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC also confirmed omicron likely spreads more easily than the original strain of the virus and continues to urge the tried and true practices against transmission vaccinations, social distancing, and mask-wearing.

To date, 23 states have one or more cases of omicron, including Mississippi. The other states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

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As the virus continues to spread, more children ages five to 11 are getting vaccinated against the virus, with more than 15,000 having at least one dose so far and almost 6,000 being fully vaccinated.

View the data:

Finally, after boosters being restricted to only certain at-risk groups, the CDC now says anyone 16 or older is eligible for a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. However, note that only Pfizer's booster is currently approved for 16 and 17-year-olds. Adults may choose whichever booster is available regardless of their original vaccine.

View the most recent progress on booster administration by age group:

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First case of COVID-19 omicron variant identified in Mississippi

How to get a COVID-19 booster shot

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Omicron, vaccine and booster progress in Mississippi - Mississippi Today

LOWELLVILLE, Ohio (WKBN) A major step to keeping progress flowing along the Mahoning River is underway.

On Friday morning, officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a nearly $3-million restoration project along the river in Lowellville.

You see our fruits of the labor here and government money thats really gonna make a big difference in the village of Lowellville and the whole Mahoning and Shenango Valley, really, said Mayor Jim Iudiciani.

For generations, the Mahoning River was tied to all of the steel mills that sat alongside it, but now, communities along the river are about to see a rebirth.

The work included removing the old concrete dams that restricted water flow for the factories that once lined this river as well as cleaning up some of the pollution that the mills left behind.

We used to come along this corridor. We smelled flue dust. We saw a river that was superheated. We saw, you know, suds. I have pictures of the river where it was, like, filled with suds and debris and just filthy, said Roslyn Torella, of Lowellville.

There is now a boat livery for canoes and kayaks something that the group Friends of the Mahoning River have been pushing for years. Eventually, there will even be a new 13-acre park at the location.

Lowellville was the first community in the area to remove its dam along the river. Eight more remain in place between the village and Leavittsburg.

One of those is in Struthers, Work there to remove the dams and clean up polluted sediment started several months ago.

Like the project in Lowellville, this one will eventually include access for recreation.

Its coming along very nicely. Were hoping to be done in the next couple months. I know the kayak ramps will be up here soon. Were hoping by the end of the year, this is all gonna play into the bigger picture, said Struthers Mayor Cat Cercone Miller.

The Struthers and Lowellville projects are being paid for, in part, through money from the state EPA and Department of Natural Resources.

The next steps in Lowellville include developing a park along the riverside and attracting new investment, something the mayor and others hope will lead to an economic rebirth for this community

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Ceremony marks progress on major Mahoning River project - WKBN.com

Inequities have been widely acknowledged as barriers to achieving global and national goals and targets in HIV, TB and malaria programs. However, the magnitude and extent of underlying health inequalities have remained poorly documented and understood.

Until those inequalities are better identified, and their consequences better understood, it will be hard for programmes to meet peoples real health needs. Now, for the first time, a new report from the World Health Organization and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, systematically assesses the global State of inequality: HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

The report represents an important step forward in understanding how inequalities are hindering the fight against the three diseases. Using the latest available global data for 32 health indicators up to 186 countries, it shows that while national averages of HIV, TB and malaria indicators have generally improved in the past decade, the poorest, least educated and rural subgroups tend to remain at a disadvantage across most HIV, TB and malaria indicators.

Although great strides have been made to expand health services and prevention efforts, we must focus more on reaching the poor, rural and least educated populations who bear the brunt of these diseases, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

The report shows, for example, that available data on HIV testing among men reveals a gap of at least 20 percentage points between the poorest and richest households in 27 out of 48 countries with the gap having increased over time. Many families affected by tuberculosis spend a substantial amount of their income on expenses related to the disease especially if the household is poor. Data from 21 countries show that 20-92% of households spend at least a fifth of their income on TB-related costs. For malaria, the poorest, the least educated and rural groups reported lower levels of timely care-seeking for children under age 5 running a fever.

High sex-related inequalities are also quantified in the report. For HIV, in more than half of the countries, males reported higher condom use than females. HIV testing was substantially higher in women than men in a fifth of countries.

Pandemics thrive on inequalities and exacerbate inequities: we have learned this with HIV, TB and malaria, and we have seen it again with COVID-19, said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. To tackle the inequities, we must go beyond simple notions of equal access or one-size-fits-all and deliberately create compensating inequalities in service provision to focus resources on the most vulnerable. Our new Strategy turbocharges that approach by placing people and communities front and center of the fight against HIV, TB, and malaria and by putting an even greater focus on removing human rights-related barriers to health services.

Despite the challenges, the report shows cases where inequalities are low, or where the gaps are narrowing through faster improvements in intervention coverage among disadvantaged population subgroups. Encouragingly, some countries reported higher insecticide-treated bednet ownership among the poorest households, demonstrating that malaria prevention efforts are targeting and benefiting disadvantaged groups.

The report also illustrates the impact of eliminating inequalities in improving national averages across HIV, TB and malaria. For example, if countries improved the level of HIV testing of all pregnant women to that of the richest subgroup, the overall level of testing would increase from 40% to 64%. The percentage of families facing catastrophic costs due to TB would decrease by at least 50% in half of countries (from a current weighted average of 61% to a potential average of 38%). In the case of malaria, families seeking care for children under 5 years with fever, eliminating economic-related inequalities would mean a 26% improvement in the weighted average across 28 countries.

The report calls for the compilation of more and better data on inequalities. The WHO 2020 global assessment of country data and health information systems found that only half of the 133 study countries included data disaggregation in their published national health statistical reports.

It also calls for regular and dedicated monitoring of inequalities in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria, which should be complemented by other quantitative and qualitative studies. WHO has developed a package of tools and resources on inequality monitoring and continues to support countries to develop their capacities in this area.

Since 2002, the Global Fund has disbursed more than US$50 billion across more than 155 countries to help communities most in need. Through its Breaking Down Barriers initiative, the Global Fund has over the last years scaled up programs that remove human-rights related barriers to services discrimination, gender inequality and violence, criminalization and socioeconomic marginalization. This work, coupled with increased investments in health services for the most under-served, will benefit the national average, bringing countries closer to achieving goals and targets.

Note to the editor:

The Lancet has published a Commentary on the report which can be found at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02756-2/fulltext

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WHO and Global Fund warn inequalities block progress towards ending AIDS, TB and malaria - World Health Organization

WWE Hall of Famer Madusa recently appeared on the Wrestling Inc. Daily to discuss a wide range of topics, including how female legends dont get brought back as often as male legends, and how each era had its own revolution. Highlights are below.

How each era has helped womens wrestling progress to where it is:

I think its spectacular. It circles back to what I was saying, we are where we are at because everybody before that did their job. Every era is an evolution, every era is a revolution, you know? Every era is a learning situation. Either you liked it or you didnt, it was good or it wasnt. But it brought us to this point and its still going to elevate, and it needs to. It needs to elevate or change or the product is just going to stink.

Says legendary women wrestlers dont get brought back as often as men do:

Heres my theory on that. We have men in their 60s out there, signing contracts, still making money, making debuts once every quarter. Why cant a legend woman? We havent changed, she stated. Heres the criteria, every guy, or man, not every, but men would like to say, womens wrestling is better, its gotten better, theyre getting paid, theyre just as equal now, theres intergender wrestling, No. Its still not, it still hasnt changed. Youve got one or two women making a million dollars and the rest arent. When youve got hands and hands and handfuls of men making it.

How society has told women that they are not as worthy when they are old:

When we get a certain age, women all of a sudden just became ugly. Men, bless their heart, they seem to get better looking, right? Thats what society says. But women, people feel that when women get older, they dont need to be seen. Were getting older, we dont look good, whatever the case is. So we dont belong. This is a younger sport; this is a younger persons job. Thats the mentality. Except for, its okay for men to still have the legends work, so our system is still busted.

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Madusa Explains How Every Era Has Helped Womens Wrestling Progress To Where It Is Today: Every Era Is An Evolution - Wrestling Headlines

With Trimble Catalyst, Cooper says surveying out in the field, such as at Australias Lake Tyrell, is really easy.

From farm fields to subdivisions, cultural heritage sites tend to turn up in the most unexpected of places. And when they do, these artifacts can bring development and construction to a screeching halt.

Helping balance the sometimes-competing needs of developing the future and preserving the past are archaeologists like those with Cooper Heritage Management.

If a planned road or building project could put Aboriginal cultural heritage at risk, they call us, says Abby Cooper, a director, principal heritage advisor and historian at Cooper Heritage Management.

An archaeological management consultancy company based in Western Victoria, Australia, Cooper Heritage Management specializes in Aboriginal cultural heritage. This includes preserving such tangible assets as scarred trees (a tree that has had its bark removed to make, for example, a canoe, shield, or dish), stone artifacts, and quarry and meeting sites, along with such intangibles as songs, dances and stories.

The company tends to work for local and state governments, private developers, extraction companies, and Aboriginal traditional owner groups. A typical project involves ensuring that a new development complies with the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act and Regulations. Our job isnt to stop a development, explains Cooper. We want to ensure that a project can move forward in a way that maintains the integrity of the cultural heritage.

For this, she depends on Trimble Catalyst.

An example of a stone artifact recovered from an excavation site.

Trimble Catalyst is a subscription-based GNSS solution offering precise (12 cm) positioning for the location-enabled workforce. With Catalyst, Trimble delivers professional-grade positioning as an on-demand, easy-to-use service. Its simple, lightweight, plug-and-play USB antennawith a simplified set-up when compared to more traditional hardware receiversmakes it convenient for the in-the-field work that Cooper Heritage Management does.

For Cooper, one of the key benefits of Catalyst is that it is quick and easy to use. Before going out on a job, she simply uploads the project area and any previously registered Aboriginal sites onto the Trimble Connect collaboration platform, and syncs the data to Trimble TerraFlex, Trimbles GIS data collection software.

Out in the field its really easy, she says. I just connect up to Catalyst via the Trimble Mobile Manager app on my phone and attach the Catalyst DA antenna to either a 2-meter rover rod or Trimble backpack, depending on the terrain Im working in.

Prior to using Catalyst, Cooper did much of her field work using Trimbles Juno handheld system. But once she had the opportunity to try Catalyst, there was simply no turning back. I was immediately drawn to the color graphics and its simplicity, especially how it lets you upload an entire activity area directly, she adds.

Catalyst also provides Cooper with the right amount of accuracy. While the Victorian archaeological standards require 1 meter accuracy, for most jobs I use the 2-cm level, says Cooper.

However, some jobs dont require such precise accuracy. For example, when working under a dense tree canopy, Cooper tends to use decimeter accuracy as this allows her to conduct the survey faster, which saves money.

I like the flexibility that Catalyst offers, giving one the option to have centimeter-, decimeter-, or meter-level accuracy depending on need, says Cooper. This is a great feature.

Cultural heritage sites tend to turn up in the most unexpected of places, including here, where artifacts indicate human occupation as early as 32,000 cal BP.

Cooper recently used Catalyst to record a stone hut, part of a World Heritage Site, made from basalt lava that dates back 6,600 years. The remnants, which are laid out in a C shape, were recorded at 1- and 2-cm level accuracy.

Using Catalyst, my phone, and a rover rod, I could go around and record the inner and outer circumference, which gave us a very good indication of the shape and size of the hut, explains Cooper. Without Catalyst, we wouldnt have had the accuracy needed to do this.

The company is currently working with a local council on a tourism trail that will run along a local river. Using Catalyst, the Cooper Heritage Management team has recorded 16 scarred trees, one shell middena heap predominantly composed of Mollusk shellsand an artefact scatter, a place that holds material remains of past Aboriginal peoples activities. At the time of writing, the team was heading into the field to undertake excavations to determine whether any sub-surface artefact or shell midden deposits exist along the river.

Its 1-to-2-cm accuracy makes Catalyst particularly ideal for recording these types of in-situ archaeological deposits, adds Cooper.

Cooper in the field, excavating a site in Western Victoria, Australia.

Prior to using Catalyst, these types of projects would require Cooper to record every site on an individual recording form. These forms could range anywhere from three to five pages in length, she says. When youre in the field for days or even weeks on end and finding many sites, this can quickly add up to a lot of paperwork to carry around and keep track of.

To save time on projects like these, Cooper created different templates within TerraFlex that she can use with specific site types, such as scarred trees, artefact scatters and shell middens. This allows her to easily record all the relevant elements for a given site and enter the data directly into Catalystno paperwork needed. The feature also allows her to attach photos to the data, which helps with identifying sites when collating data.

Being able to tailor how we use Catalyst to our needs allows us to streamline the entire operationand even go completely paperless, says Cooper. We dont need to have multiple maps in the field or shuffle through papers, everything is there on one device.

According to Cooper, although development is essential to society, its equally as important to take steps to preserve our pastour cultural heritage. After all, this heritage is what forms our identity as individuals, as communities, and as nations. By giving us a glimpse into where we come from and who we are, it also helps us learn from the past and shape our future.

Catalyst makes striking this balance between progress and preservation so easy I dont understand why every archeology company isnt using it, notes Cooper.

Thanks to its ease-of-use, the right amount of accuracy and ability to customize, Catalyst gives Cooper Heritage Management a distinct competitive advantageone they continually use to protect Australias rich cultural heritagefor generations to come.

Nick Klenske, based in Chicago, USA, is a freelance writer and editor specializing in science, technology and innovation.

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Hitting the Sweet Spot Between Progress & Preservation - Amerisurv

2. What was the goal, promise or prediction explored in the article? Who made it and why?

3. What actually happened? In what ways were the goals or promises met? In what ways did they fall short?

4. What obstacles or challenges were met in trying to reach the goals?

5. What quote, image or detail from the article did you find most surprising, provocative or memorable?

6. Return to the warm-up activity: How does reading the article add to or change your perspective on the idea of progress? In what ways does the case study support the idea that we are making progress as a society? What questions do you still have about our abilities to solve urgent problems?

7. Why do you think The Times created the Hindsight series? In general, do you think that journalism focuses too much on problems rather than progress? What issue or problem would you like to see The Times explore in future installments of the series?

Option 1: Create a one-pager

Especially if members of your class all read about different issues, it might be helpful to synthesize and share what you have learned by creating a one-pager. You can start with a blank sheet of paper or use a template.

Your one-pager should include:

The goal, promise or prediction explored in your article.

At least one quote, statistic or detail from the article about what actually happened and why.

A drawing or other visual element that illustrates something important about the headway made on this problem.

But it might also include:

One word to capture the feeling or emotions that you are left with after reading the article.

One question you still have about promises, predictions and progress.

One quote, statistic or detail from the article about the obstacles or challenges to that original goal.

A prediction about the future of this issue

More images, colors, information and words as needed to help make sense of what you have read for an audience of your classmates.

Option 2: Share the lessons you learned with the Times Headway team

Matthew Thompson, the Hindsight series editor, writes in an introductory letter to readers:

What on earth is progress? The Headway team and I would like you to help us define progress: how we measure it, and how we make it. We dont expect to find simple answers. But the pursuit itself may light the paths to our best futures.

The Headway team invites readers to offer their feedback about progress via a series of prompts at the end of each article. They welcome students 13 and over to post ideas to prompts like these:

What, if anything, surprised you about this story?

What would it mean to make more progress on this issue?

What lessons do you take from it?

Or, share your thoughts by writing to The Times at DearHeadway@nytimes.com. Be sure to include your name and your school.

Option 3: Share your thoughts and opinions about the future with other teenagers.

In a related Student Opinion question based on the article Where Are Young People Most Optimistic? In Poorer Nations, we ask, Are You Optimistic About the Future?

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Lesson of the Day: Are We Making Progress as a Planet? Teaching With The Timess Hindsight Series - The New York Times

CLEVELAND (WJW) FirstEnergy reports that Saturdays strong winds caused power outages for thousands of customers in all of Ohio.

Crews are making significant progress on Sunday as they continue to work through many downed wires and broken poles. FirstEnergy says the majority of customers should be back in service by 11:30 tonight.

Crews made significant progress restoring power to more than 55,000 customers impacted by yesterday's severe weather. They continue working 24/7 to restore service to about 7,300 customers who remain without power. Contractor crews are assisting with restoration efforts. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/LvtUXIHTm9

Nearly every county in Northeast Ohio saw at least some power outages.

As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, around 500 homes are still impacted in Cuyahoga County and a little over 700 in Summit County. Ashtabula County has just under 1,000 without power and Lake County has over 1,000. Find out more on your county right here.

Most Northeast Ohio counties were part of a wind advisory into the evening, but that has been lifted by the national weather service.

FirstEnergy says not to call 911 for updates but go to their website for additional information.

Continued here:

Significant progress made to restore power to thousands after strong winds blast through Northeast Ohio - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

Amazon drivers cheer as they go back to their delivery vans, with systems back online at the Amazon Delivery Station in Rosemead, Calif. Amazon Web Services suffered a major outage Tuesday. The company provides cloud computing services to individuals, universities, governments and companies. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

Amazon drivers cheer as they go back to their delivery vans, with systems back online at the Amazon Delivery Station in Rosemead, Calif. Amazon Web Services suffered a major outage Tuesday. The company provides cloud computing services to individuals, universities, governments and companies.

Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing unit of Amazon, reports its "network device issues [are]resolved" after suffering a major outage on Tuesday, leaving thousands of users unable to access huge portions of the internet, including a broad range of apps.

The outage, which caused slow loading or access failures, began at around 11 a.m. ET and was largely concentrated along the East Coast, according to the company.

It explained, "We are seeing impact to multiple [Amazon Web Services] APIs [application programming interfaces] in the US-EAST-1 Region."

"We are now working towards recovery of any impaired services," an Amazon update said later.

AWS is a cloud computing service that allows companies to rent computing, storage and network capabilities, which is why the outage has shut down or slowed access to such a wide variety of sites and apps across the internet.

Users reported problems logging on to not just Amazon's products Amazon.com, Prime Video, Alexa AI and Kindle but also Netflix, Venmo, Disney+, Ring, Roku, Duolingo, Chime, Fidelity Investments and NPR's own news apps.

Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters.

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Amazon announces progress after an outage disrupted sites across the internet - NPR

The Giants' injured players are making slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Cornerback Adoree' Jackson (quad) was the only player on the list unable to practice Thursday. But quarterback Mike Glennon (concussion) and receivers Kenny Golladay (rib) and Kadarius Toney (oblique) were all upgraded to limited participants in practice.

The Giants remain hopeful that Glennon will clear the league's concussion protocol in time for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Jake Fromm is expected to get his first NFL start if he doesn't.

The progress made by Golladay and Toney is promising, as the Giants will want to have s many of their playmakers available as possible, regardless of who's under center.

Golladay, who was banged up in last week's game, and Toney, who has been in and out of the lineup with assorted injuries, provide the Giants with some deep field speed that they haven't been able to cash in on given their respective injury woes.

The rest of the Giants' Thursday injury report remained unchanged from the previous day. Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle), quarterback Daniel Jones (neck), and receiver Sterling Shepard (quad) were all limited. Jones is not expected to play Sunday as he has not yet been cleared for contact.

Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who had finally come off the injury report last week, is back on it this week, listed as having an ankle issue.

Barkley, quarterback Daniel Jones (neck), and receiver Sterling Shepard (quad) were all projected as being limited during the team's Wednesday walk-through practice.

Jones, who doctors have not yet cleared for contact, visited a Los Angeles specialist to evaluate his neck. Head coach Joe Judge continues to say that Jones's injury isn't considered season-ending at this point, but it looks more and more certain that he will miss his second straight game.

Backup quarterback Mike Glennon (concussion), receivers Kenny Golladay (rib) and Kadarius Toney (oblique), and cornerback Adoree' Jackson (quad) would not have practiced, according to the team's projections. Judge did express optimism that Glennon, who is in the league's protocol, might be cleared in time for Sunday's game.

The plan for Glennon was to practice on a limited basis Thursday and then see if he's able to go full throttle Friday. Quarterbacks are non-contact players, so Glennon won't have to worry about being hit.

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Giants Week 14 Injury Report: Making Progress - NYGiantsmaven

Todays mega-threats are systemic and interconnected. The growing demand for energy and meat helps explain the steady rise in carbon and methane emissions. Coal-belching factories and burning forests are in turn speeding up global warming, increasing the frequency of storms, deepening food insecurity, and imperiling flood-prone cities. The interdependent nature of our biggest challenges and most promising solutions is hard to conceive. Maps can help bring clarity to complexity. Whats more, our human brains are hardwired to engage with them. By providing new perspectives, they can also help reframe seemingly intractable problems.

More than ever, our future seems volatile and uncertain.InTerra Incognita: 100 Maps to Survive the Next 100 Years, we use maps to explain the multi-faceted impacts of our modern civilization. In the process, we reveal the footprint of everything from the melting of the glaciers to extractive mining of rare earths. Maps provide areminder of the uneven nature of our progress and thefragility of our planet and its ecosystems.But they do more than this. They can alsoprovide a roadmap for action. Satelliteimages, especially when layered with additional data, offer insight into how we are changing the planet andpaths to a more sustainable future.

Maps reveal the extraordinary progress we have made in extending life expectancy, improving maternal health, and reducing extreme poverty.

One of the most impressive gains is in the area of education. A glance at maps displaying mean years of schooling around the world in 1950 and 2017 highlights remarkable improvements in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. The improvements in education are breathtaking. In 1950, less than half of humanity had a formal education. By 2050, a century later, most of the world will have acquired at least secondary education.

More kids than ever are getting educated: Most people had less than four years of education in 1950. By 2017, the average years of schooling around the world had more than doubled. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

But all is not well. There are still 120 million children out of school and over 600 million youth who cannot read and write. Despite increasing literacy globally, over 770 million adults are still illiterate. Whats more, todays education systems need to be rapidly upgraded for tomorrows job market.

The realities of climate change are becoming terrifyingly apparent by the year. The origins of this change are also clear: more greenhouse gases were emitted in the last 30 years than the previous 130. This is because the world is burning more fossil fuels, cutting down more forests, increasing meat consumption, and using more fertilizers than ever.

The last five years were the hottest on record: Around the world, 2020 was the hottest year on record. Overall, Earths average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1880s. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Maps show how just ahandful of countries are responsible for most emissions. In the 1980s, the US and Western Europe were the biggest culprits. Today, China releases more greenhouse gases than the US, EU, and Russia combined. There are other culprits too, including Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, just 100 companies extract, process, sell, and use the fossil fuels behind roughly 70 percent of global emissions.

If theres any green lining, its that the world appears to be on the cusp of a climate action tipping point.While COP26 did not go nearly far enough, there are signs of real action on achieving zero carbon and zero deforestation in the coming decades. There is also growing pressure on governments to be more ambitious.Civic movements such as Friday for Futures and the Extinction Rebellion areadvocating for real change.Investor and consumeractivism is also increasing, with notable recent victories against Exxon, Chevron, and Shell. Investors with assets of trillionsare demanding that governments speed up action on decarbonization, and not a moment too soon.

Massive urbanization is another global trend featured in Terra Incognita. The sheer dimensions of todays cities are unlike anything weve ever witnessed. In 1950, there were just three cities with ten million residents or more. Today, there are over 30 and another 500 cities with one million people or more. These cities are key nodes in the global financial architecture and pivotal to the functioning of supply chains. Just a few hundred of them account for over two thirds of global GDP.

Global cities rising: In 1900, there were 13 cities with 1 million inhabitants or more. Today there are more than 500 cities with populations exceeding 1 million people, including at least 34 megacities. These cities are central nodes in international financial networks and global supply chains. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

The rapid expansion of cities, especially in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, is a forcing function for the international system. When fully recognized nation states emerged in the 17th century, less than one percent of the world lived in a city. Today, more than 55 percent of people are urban, and by 2050, the proportion will rise to almost 70 percent. Cities are exerting diplomatic overtures and forging alliancesover 300 of themto channel their interests.

Chinas urban boom: Today, more than 58 per cent of its 1.4 billion citizens live in cities, compared to just 18 percent in 1980. There are officially 662 Chinese cities, at least 160 of which have a million people or more. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Cities, companies, and citizens are also increasingly digitized. Today, there are over 4.6 billion active internet users, up from 3.9 billion in 2019. Over 60 percent of all inhabitants on Earth are connected to some digital device. The Covid-19 pandemic underlined the critical importance of connectivity and the fact that data, more than ever, is the most important strategic asset of the 21st century.

The extraordinarily rapid spread globally of the benefits of the digital revolution is depicted in the maps. But so too is the growing digital divide. For all its promise, this technological revolution can deepen inequality, increase gender biases, and much more. The need to leapfrog and harness digital transformation is evident, as is the need to spread the benefits of other technologies, including vaccines and clean energy.

Internet penetration is leading to digital transformation: The internet is the worlds digital nervous system: download and upload speeds have increased tenfold every five years since the early 1990s. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Several maps featured in Terra Incognita illustrate the material form of our increasingly digital world. The internet, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G aregiving rise to highly integrated networks and connected systems crisscrossing the planet. And with billions of new devices being added to these systems a yearsome 75 billion in total by 2022maps can also help remind us how the attack surface is expanding exponentially.

Our maps depicting automationespecially jobs at risk from robotsraise troubling questions about the future of work. They show how some parts of the world, especially poorer countries, could be hardest hit, as automation removes the middle rungs of the development ladder. There are competing views about how the acceleration of technological change and digitalization will affect employment. Some studies suggest the impacts will be low while others suggest that almost half of jobs in the US and up to two thirds of jobs in some developing countries could be automated in the coming decades.

Will robots take your jobs: Over 2.5 million industrial robots operate around the world, with about 30 percent in auto, 25 percent in electronics, and the remainder in a wide range of factories, warehouses, and other sites. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

The highly differential impact of technological change on different groups of workers has been revealed and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. While some of us have been able to work securely from our homes, others have had to travel to their essential jobs, at times risking their lives, and many have become unemployed.

Inequality within countries and globally has increased as the wealth of the top one percent has soared, while nearly 125 million people around the world have fallen into extreme poverty (having to live with incomes of below $1.90 per day). Maps reveal the extent of these inequalities. The images of the sky at night compares the luminescence of the US and Europe to that of Africa, providing a stark reflection of the fact that New York state alone consumes more energy than 48 countries in Africa.

An unequal world: Lights from space can help illuminate inequality. Lagos, the biggest city in Africa, has over 20 million people. New York state, with just under 20 million people, is about the same size. New York consumes 392 gigawatts of electricity a day compared to just 5 gigawatts for all of Nigeria, a country of 200 million. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

One of the most unheralded achievements is that humans are living longer lives than ever before. For about 150,000 years, average human life expectancy averaged between 20 and 25 years. Then something extraordinary happened. Between the 19th and 21st centuries, life expectancy almost quadrupled. This is due to better diets, medicine, reproductive health, and education. But as the pandemic painfully reminds us, we cannot take this progress for granted.

We are living longer than ever: Life expectancy more than doubled over the past century. Average life expectancy was around 50 in 1960 and is closer to 71.5 today. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Bacteria and viruses are still our greatest enemy. Humanity started winning the war on bacteria and viruses about 100 years ago with the rise of antibiotics and penicillin. But we are overusing them, giving rise to antibiotic resistance. Specialists fear we are approaching a post-antibiotic era, and this would be terrifying, costing hundreds of millions of lives and trillions of dollars in losses. The rise of the anti-vax movement is a more dangerous threat than many fully appreciate. These and other risks are a reminder that global cooperation is more important than ever.

Digital and wireless technologies are reconfiguring and rewiring our politics, economics, and sense of belonging. At the same time, maps are a reminder of the continued influence of geography in shaping our lives and political destiny. Mountain chains, vast oceans, sprawling deserts, and dense forests still continue to exert a powerful influence on the fate of nations.

Maps of global infrastructure reveal the underwater cables, terrestrial pipelines, and transportation networks that connect us. They highlight dense areas of connectivity, but also dark areas that are figuratively and literally off the grid. They also show how our politics remains trapped in a bygone era and has failed to keep pace with the growing complexity and connectivity of all global systems and people.

The maps reveal the multipolar character of our international relations and expose the global reach of certain countries. For example, the map on the US military footprint includes over 800 bases and 200,000 active personnel in over 177 countries. Meanwhile, the map on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative shows the terrestrial and marine investments that include over 2,600 projects spanning over 100 countries. As another map shows, economic power and influence is steadily moving eastward over the past 75 years after 2,000 years of drifting west.

Go east my son: The center of economic gravity can be estimated by weighting locations by GDP in three dimensions and then projecting to the nearest point on earth. The center shifted west between 1000 and 1950 and is now moving (back) east through to 2025. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

The future cannot be predicted with certainty, but it can be shaped. Climate change, the spread of AI, and nuclear weapons are all critical existential threats that could doom us all.

Using maps, our aim is to improve the understanding of the forces that shape the present and how this may evolve catastrophically in the decades to come. By harvesting the progress and addressing the critical challenges, history has taught us that we can change our fate. Our urgent challenge is to engage more actively to contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable world.

Banner Image Credit: NASA

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These Maps Reveal the Profound Progress and Peril of Modern Civilization - Singularity Hub