24 Scientific Reasons To Be Glad You’re Alive Right Now

When you look at it like this, now is a very good time to be alive.

Life expectancy has doubled over the last 150 years.

Life expectancy has doubled over the last 150 years.

At least in the US, where people can expect to live to around 80. Averaged over the whole world, life expectancy was 70 for someone born in 2011.

WHO / Via gamapserver.who.int

If you'd been born in the 1800s, you probably would have died by this point.

If you'd been born in the 1800s, you probably would have died by this point .

But you haven't! Yay!

Via were-all-madd-h3re.tumblr.com

And it probably would have been of something horrible, like consumption (tuberculosis), or cholera, or whooping cough.

And it probably would have been of something horrible , like consumption (tuberculosis), or cholera, or whooping cough.

That thankfully are much less widespread these days.

CDC / Via en.wikipedia.org

A few decades ago, HIV would have been a death sentence. Now, people with HIV can live almost as long as they would have without it.

A few decades ago, HIV would have been a death sentence. Now, people with HIV can live almost as long as they would have without it.

Providing they catch it early and get access to the right medication, people with HIV can expect to have an almost normal lifespan these days.

Flickr: 85182154@N00 / Creative Commons


View Entire List ›

BuzzFeed - Latest