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Looking at some of these photos, human progress seems self-evident. City skylines keep expanding, people within them switch from horses to cars... But that's just the visuals. How do we actually calculate our advancement?

For this task, many use the Human Development Index (HDI).The HDI provides a single index measure to capture three key dimensions of our development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living.

#2

The Arctic 103 Years Ago Compared To Today

Final score:

354points

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Erin 4 years ago

Oh wow....That's more than a bit alarming.

161points

The Human Development Index utilizes four key metrics: 1) life expectancy at birth – to assess a long and healthy life,

2) expected years of schooling – to assess access to knowledge for the young generation, 3) average years of schooling – to assess access to knowledge for the older generation, 4) gross national income (GNI) per capita – to assess the standard of living.

#3

Chichen Itza 1892 And Now

Final score:

334points

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A Shipper 4 years ago

That's so cool. I've never thought about it but, of course it would have been overgrown.

73points

In 2019, the United Nations Development Programme used the HDI to find out which countries are the most developed. The first place went to Norway, Switzerland came in second, and Ireland was third. The US tied the UK for the 15th spot.

Naturally, the HDI -- just like most similar metrics -- has been criticized. Mostly, for the alleged lack of consideration of technological development or contributions to human civilization. But it remains one of the most used measures worldwide to calculate how advanced countries are.

#4

Bike Ride In Berlin Kreuzberg ( ~1985 / 2018 )

Final score:

328points

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Ben Smith 4 years ago

Much better now

74points

#5

Utrecht, Netherlands 1982 vs. 2020. They Converted The Highway To A Canal

Final score:

304points

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LilicatUK 4 years ago (edited)

A big improvement!

74points

#6

The Shambles In York (UK) Inspiration For Diagon Alley From Harry Potter. Late 1800s And Today

Final score:

304points

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Verena Gitterle 4 years ago

could be in Ankh-Morpork

90points

#7

Bishan Park, 30 Years Apart. Top Pic, 1988. Bottom Pic, 2020

Final score:

293points

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Jeff 4 years ago

Trees!!!

85points

#8

World War I Trenches

Final score:

269points

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Michelle Line 4 years ago

Much much better now.

71points

#9

Moscow Pictures 20 Years Apart

Final score:

244points

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Norma 4 years ago

I love seeing the older buildings renovated/maintained/lit so beautifully!

64points

#10

The Flatiron Building, New York (1917 And 2012)

Final score:

235points

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Ben Smith 4 years ago

Stands the test of time

67points

#11

Atomic Bomb Dome - 75 Years Later

Final score:

230points

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ProductofNZ 4 years ago

They left it largely untouched. There is still masonry debris surrounding the building. It is theorized that the atom bomb detonated above this building as the walls were not blown out by a horizontal blast wave but rather a vertical force that caved in the roof.

90points

#12

The Banyan Tree In Maui. Top Photo Taken By My Grandfather While He Was Stationed There During Wwii. Bottom I Took Without Knowing His Photo Existed

Final score:

228points

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LaDonna Hulcy 4 years ago

I have this same picture! it's a beautiful spot.

39points

#13

The Changing Face Of St Bartholomew-The-Great's Gatehouse In Smithfield, Which Was Built In 1595 And Some Point Bricked Over. It Was Bombed During A Ww1 Zeppelin Raid Knocking Off Some Bricks Revealing Its Tudor Half-Timbered Facade. It Was Restored To How It Looks Today. 1916 vs. Now

The Changing Face Of St Bartholomew-The-Great's Gatehouse In Smithfield, Which Was Built In 1595 And Some Point Bricked Over. It Was Bombed During A Ww1 Zeppelin Raid Knocking Off Some Bricks Revealing Its Tudor Half-Timbered Facade. It Was Restored To How It Looks Today. 1916 vs. Now

Final score:

220points

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MrTree1779 4 years ago

I've always loved timber framing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_framing

36points

#14

My Hometown, Approx 100 Years Ago vs. My Pic From Last Week.... Not So Much Has Changed...

Final score:

207points

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Michelle Line 4 years ago

Love the blend of photos!

22points

#15

My Great Grandfather And I Trained At The Same Location, Exactly 100 Years Apart. He Left For France Shortly After This Was Taken In 1917

Final score:

204points

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Norma 4 years ago

This is amazing!

29points

#16

Singapore 2000 vs. Now

Final score:

203points

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Michelle Line 4 years ago

I don't think there's anything from 2000 that's still there today.

47points

#17

1920 / 2020 . San Francisco, Ca

Final score:

195points

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Maria Vasilieva 4 years ago

I have a whole book "then and now" about SanFrancisco ... the city went through several fires, earthquakes, and boom of Silicon Valley and ... it still keeps a lot of Victorian charm mixed with hipster style graffiti. It's so different, I love SF

57points

#18

Early Los Angeles Compared To 2001

Final score:

189points

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Cip IESAN 4 years ago

Find 5 differences between the two pictures.

98points

#19

The Former Island Of Urk - The Netherlands 1930 vs. 2020

Final score:

176points

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ProductofNZ 4 years ago

History: A Dike was added in 1939 and later, land reclamation took place. No more Island of Urk.

73points

#20

From Fascism To Kebabs, Durham 1934 vs. 2020

Final score:

174points

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Caged Beer 4 years ago

A positive change I think!

110points

#21

Buckhurst Hill Station (London Underground Station) - (1875 - 2020)

Final score:

168points

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sbj 4 years ago

Nice!

24points

#22

University Of Montana ~150 Years Apart

Final score:

143points

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$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

Taking away the native people's land. :(

173points

#23

Dubai Marina (2000 - 2020)

Final score:

143points

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LaDonna Hulcy 4 years ago

Sad

48points

#24

The Trams They Are Changing ( 1990 / 2018 )

Final score:

126points

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Mark Wilson 4 years ago

Berlin, by the way

49points

#25

1820 Industrial St, Los Angeles

Final score:

124points

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NMN 4 years ago (edited)

So... that pic is not from 1820... nor the building in the back. More like some decades ago maybe?

25points

#26

I Just Made This To Show Just How Much Melbourne's Skyline Has Grown In 20 Years...

Final score:

123points

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True Blue 4 years ago

We are going to big to fast but I still love Melbourne

16points

#27

Dresden In Ww2 vs. Dresden Now

Final score:

122points

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Nadine 4 years ago

How can humans do that to one another

58points

#28

The Development Of This City In Georgia

Final score:

122points

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Scagsy 4 years ago

Bottom one looks like a motherboard

97points

#29

Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, USA

Final score:

103points

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Michelle Line 4 years ago

According to Wiki: "In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce began a contract with the City of Los Angeles Parks Department to repair and rebuild the sign. The contract stipulated that "LAND" be removed to spell "Hollywood" and reflect the district, not the "Hollywoodland" housing development."

67points

#30

Subang Jaya, Selangor. 44 Years Apart

Final score:

78points

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Jaded Queen 4 years ago

the damage it does to nature in name of development. No body ever think about eco-friendly alternatives until it's too late. No problem if built fewer buildings and established greenery . It is such a wasted opportunity. There could be a large area of lush green . But noooo .Places like California and Australia have burned due to contribution by all over the world. And still only wildlife nd plantlife suffers largely. They have bleed the earth. Humans will pay with their burning and blood. Earth demends your head . Die disgusting selfish people . Suffer horribly

21points

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#31

Nuremberg, Germany 1936 vs. 2020

Final score:

22points

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Michelle Line 4 years ago

Wow. Knowing you are standing where Hilter once stood...

9points

#32

260-268 Elizabeth Street New York Tenement Building A Century Apart. The Life Stories That Building Holds!

Final score:

22points

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A Shipper 4 years ago

My grandfather grew up in a tenement very near there. Looks horrible.

2points

#33

Glittertind, Norway (1902 vs. 2020)

Final score:

21points

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depicus 4 years ago

Another very sad comparison

3points

#34

Building A Streetcar System In 1911 That No Longer Exists Today - Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Final score:

20points

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Scyth 4 years ago

The Texas of Canada, I heard a Canadian call Saskatchewan.

1point

#35

Taal Volcano, Philippines. Before And After The Eruption

Final score:

20points

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sbj 4 years ago

Just Wow! Aah well the power of mother nature

3points

#36

Growing Up We Could See Farmland For Miles. Now We Look Out At A Neighborhood Staring Right Back At Us

Final score:

19points

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depicus 4 years ago

That's sad

2points

#37

Castro St, San Francisco, Ca. 1940s And Now. Pics From Cable Car Museum Twitter.

Final score:

18points

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B 4 years ago

Horrible then, worse now. I miss trees...

2points

#38

North Side Of Chicago, Il. 1890 vs. 2020

Final score:

17points

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Aunt Messy 4 years ago

Is it the same location? Because that's the corner of Lawrence and Damen, near where I live. There's no way to know if that's the same place because there are no landmarks..... Many of the buildings in the area date from before WW1. In the 1880s and 90s, people were building summer cottages (cottage meaning large five and six bedroom houses) in the area to get out of the city in the summer.

10points