Global population data is in crisis – here’s why that matters

When certain groups of people are systematically undercounted, they become invisible to policymakers.

Jessica Espey, Associate Professor, School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton • conversation
March 26, 2025 • ~7 min

How records of life's milestones help solve cold cases, pinpoint health risks and allocate public resources

Vital records document the birth, death, marriage and divorce of every individual. A more centralized system in the US could help public health researchers better study pandemics and disease.

Paula Fomby, Professor of Sociology and Research Associate in Population Studies, University of Pennsylvania • conversation
Feb. 15, 2023 • ~10 min

Old age isn't a modern phenomenon – many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too

Nasty, brutish – but not necessarily short. Here’s how archaeologists know plenty of people didn’t die young.

Sharon DeWitte, Professor of Anthropology, University of South Carolina • conversation
Aug. 10, 2022 • ~8 min

The dip in the US birthrate isn't a crisis, but the fall in immigration may be

Immigration has historically offset America's low fertility rate, but the recent dramatic drop in immigration threatens that trend.

Adrian Raftery, Boeing International Professor of Statistics and Sociology, University of Washington • conversation
June 21, 2021 • ~7 min

How a new way of parsing COVID-19 data began to show the breadth of health gaps between Blacks and whites

Getting the real answers on health gaps requires a deep dive into the demographics.

David R. Buys, State Health Specialist and Associate Professor, Mississippi State University • conversation
Sept. 16, 2020 • ~6 min

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