In the modern world, large and even. Poverty is an eternal problem. Billions of people live on the edge. Deterioration of access to drinking water

The global problems of our time are considered from two different angles: the security of man and the planet. That is why more and more difficulties arise in the harmonious existence of people on Earth without harm to the outside world. In order to realistically assess the criticality and the need for urgent changes in life, we suggest reading an article that describes the problems of our time and possible solutions.

The main global problems of our time

Increasingly, news releases shock people with horrific statistics about violence, accidents, emissions into the atmosphere, the depletion of earth's resources and the approach of a global catastrophe. When robots with artificial intelligence are engaged in developed countries, some nationalities disappear from the face of the Earth due to lack of medical care and clean water.

People have ruined the environment so much that in order to restore the balance, a number of difficult decisions will have to be made, which will be massive. One person cannot change the whole world, but imagine if 7 billion people want to help each other at the same time.

For such cases, there are many organizations that look at the global problems of humanity and how you can contribute to solving them.

Consider the main problems:

• Food security.

The number of hungry people in the world has increased significantly over the past few years. Every ninth person in the world usually goes hungry and, as a result, suffers from nutritional deficiencies. At first glance, it may seem that the problem is the lack of processed food, but this opinion is erroneous. People simply do not have enough money to buy healthy food.

• Health problem.

In addition to malnutrition, there are many other problems affecting human health on a global scale. In the past, the focus of scientists and health organizations has been on infectious diseases: hepatitis, cholera, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. Increased access to clean water and improved sanitation education have reduced the spread of transmissible diseases worldwide. However, this does not mean that efforts to improve sanitation should be abandoned.

Currently, the global medical community is engaged in the study of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Infectious diseases now kill 70% of people, and low-income countries are the hardest hit. This problem is pronounced in Thailand, South Africa, Mexico and India.

• The need for gender equality.

The next problem arose in connection with the historical conditions that built social barriers to women's economic and personal freedom. Despite the fact that many efforts have been made to alleviate this problem, it has not been completely eradicated.

In many patriarchal countries, women are deprived of their rights from an early age. They are not allowed to go to school, they do not allocate funds for higher education, and they believe that a woman should stay at home. As a result, women still earn less than men. Such inequality leads to a waste of potential and hinders cultural and technological progress. Unprotected women are increasingly victims of violence and aggression.

• African needs.

A series of alarming UN statistics point to the urgent need for Africa's humanitarian support. The region has the highest child mortality and the number of people living with HIV in the world. It has the highest rates of stunting among children, the highest number of deaths from road traffic accidents and the lowest rates of literacy. The birth rate in Africa is increasing, but more people are suffering from these problems every day.

• Global environmental problems.

There are three main environmental issues listed by the UN. These include threats to terrestrial and underwater habitats, climate change and resource depletion. According to UN statistics, forests are being depleted at a rate of 13 million hectares every year.

Most of the planet is covered with water. The oceans absorb carbon dioxide and produce about 30% of oxygen. Despite its importance, the ocean is under threat. Overfishing threatens the extinction of many species.

• Global problems of the world requiring political solutions.

These include the safe use of nuclear technology, respect for international law and peace, the promotion of the decolonization of countries, and the efficient functioning of democracies. The main threat to human life is the person himself. The world is constantly shuddering from the results of terrorist attacks, wars, testing of new weapons and migrations. In pursuit of new lands, politicians and aggressors destroy thousands of human lives and deplete the resources of nature.

Global problems require global action. When it comes to solving major social problems using innovation, new business models or global agreements, many experts agree that the success of the solution is purely political, not technical.

Ways to solve global problems of the world

The UN has produced a report called Millennium Development Goals, which is an important reminder that change is possible when we act. Here are 10 highlights from the report:

• From 1990 to 2015, more than 1 billion people were lifted out of extreme poverty. The poverty rate in developing countries fell from 47% to a projected 14%.
• The number of out-of-school children of primary school age has almost halved since 2000, from 100 million in 2000 to 57 million.
• Since 1990, child mortality has more than halved. In 1990, 12.7 million children under the age of 5 died. In 2018, this number dropped to 6 million.
• Maternal mortality has decreased by 45% since 1990.
• Between 2000 and 2013, new HIV infections fell by 40%.
• Between 2000 and 2015, more than 6.2 million malaria deaths were averted, mostly among children under 5 years of age.
• Since 1990, 2.6 billion people have gained access to an improved source of drinking water.
• The number of hungry people in developing regions has almost halved from 23.3% in 1990-1992 to 12.9% in 2016.
• Here are possible solutions to the actual problems of mankind.

The problem of peace and war can be solved in the following ways:

• control over the manufacture of weapons;
• a ban on the use of nuclear weapons and their alternatives;
• careful control of the arms trade and smuggling;
• harsh sanctions for aggressor countries.

By adhering to these elementary conditions, it is possible to significantly reduce the number of victims and the consequences of military operations.

To avoid an ecological catastrophe it is necessary:

• enhanced protection of endangered organisms;
• optimal use of resources from the local to the global level;
• measures to protect the environment from the impact of factories, plants and other enterprises;
• prohibition of experiments on animals;
• creation of new reserves.

The demographic problem will be helped by a series of actions aimed at gender equality, protecting women from violence and free access to general education anywhere in the world.

It is possible to avoid the shortage of fuel and raw materials by introducing alternative sources of energy and heat. One of the main obstacles to this is the high cost of energy processing equipment.

The problem of hunger should be tried to solve in this way:

• expansion of land for cultivation and farming, and not for concrete development;
• creation of new lakes and pastures;
• automation of small farming business and financing of enterprises engaged in the cultivation of natural food products.

The waters of the oceans are also in urgent need of rescue. For this you need:

• definition of clear areas for fishing, oil production;
• replacement of port equipment that makes emissions into the ocean waters;
• strict control over the level of water purity and intensive actions for its purification;
• a ban on the release of nuclear waste and chemical weapons.

Also, do not forget about the rules for maintaining cleanliness outside the planet when exploring outer space.

One of the main problems is the difference in the development of many countries. Technology, automation, the level of education and medicine are so different that it further reduces the possibility of a peaceful existence of peoples. The only solution to this problem is to help lagging countries and support them at the international level.

The problems of humanity are increasing in number every day. This happens for a number of reasons, in the center of which is a person. Wars, waste disposal, industrial enterprises, the creation of new types of chemical and nuclear weapons, deforestation and water pollution - the scale of destruction that man brings to the planet is becoming terrifying. To avoid a catastrophe and save resources for the life of descendants, every inhabitant of the Earth must be involved.

QUOTE #1

“We have a situation of internal stability, confidence that the country will continue to develop in a stable way. This is probably the most important thing. The economy has changed dramatically - said Vladimir Putin on December 19, 2019.

What is the stability that the President is talking about?
Our economic growth rates, according to the most optimistic estimates, which Rosstat constantly presents us with, are about 1%. All economists know that these are conventions. The structure of production and the structure of exports are steadily deteriorating. Raw material exports are growing, and modern production is shrinking. At the same time, foreign direct investment in the Russian economy is falling. In 2015-2018, they more than halved. And most of them (60%) are directed to the mining sector.

Therefore, something else is unconditional: the lack of economic growth and a noticeable drop in living standards over the past five years. This is despite the fact that, according to the World Bank, Russians are four times poorer Here is how this indicator is calculated. The per capita wealth of the average Russian includes an assessment of:
- human capital (earnings throughout a person's life);
- natural resources (renewable and non-renewable); produced capital (mainly buildings and structures, equipment);
- foreign assets (foreign property and obligations of the country).
Human capital occupies the largest share in wealth (in the Russian Federation - 46%, in OECD countries - 70%), natural capital - another 20%, produced capital accounts for 33%, foreign assets - the remaining 1%. During the period from 2000 to 2017, the total wealth of Russia in constant 2017 prices increased by 73% - from 753 trillion to 1306 trillion rubles. The per capita indicator for the same period increased, according to the World Bank, by 76%, to 8.9 million rubles. (152.5 thousand dollars). However, this amount is only a quarter of the wealth of a typical resident of developed OECD countries (includes 36 developed countries). The stagnation of real incomes and the fall in oil prices significantly slowed down the growth of this indicator. residents of 36 developed countries (OECD members). According to the World Bank, Russia will need a hundred years to catch up with developed countries in terms of human capital. That's the kind of stability.

In general, the proportion of the economically vulnerable population, that is, the proportion of people who live hard and poorly, is not at all the same as official statistics show us. Official statistics tell us that this share is approximately 12-13%. But if you calculate by purchasing power, it turns out that 28% of the Russian population in 2018 lived on about 700 rubles a day. Despite the fact that both the level and inflation of tariffs in housing and communal services and food prices are quite tangible.

The economy minister said that the first half of 2020 is "already lost for Russia in an economic sense." According to the minister, at the beginning of next year, the economy will face very weak consumer demand. And weak consumer demand means that poverty is expanding, people's incomes are falling.
The problem of consumer demand in our economy is not new. It has been in existence for at least twelve years. And we offered a cardinal solution to this problem. This is a famous program."Earth-Houses-Roads" . The free transfer of land to citizens for the construction of individual housing, together with the infrastructure built by the state, would create the very necessary demand that determines the pace of economic development of the entire country. All European countries emerged from the post-war crisis in this way. And in Russia it ended only with an unsuccessful experiment in the Far East.

Now unfolding before our eyesanother story that economists will be talking about for decades. This is the construction of a gas pipeline to China, a few hundred kilometers from Tomsk, where only 8% of the inhabitants have access to natural gas. Everyone else uses wood and coal.
In general, 65% of Russian residents do not have access to gas supply. Even 15% of Gazprom's income would be enough to solve this problem in favor of Russian citizens. But instead, we are building a gas pipeline to China with our own money, which the Chinese need only in case of a war in the Sea of ​​Japan. It is no coincidence that the Power of Siberia project is surrounded by secrets, the main of which remains the price of gas supplied to China. The media claim that the level of secrecy of the Chinese gas contract is comparable to the issues of strategic weapons: only a few people in Russia know the true figure and the formula for its calculation under the agreement. And again, the program proposed by Yabloko"Gas for every home" remains an impossible dream.

QUOTE #2

“As for the withdrawal of foreign troops, there are no foreign troops there. There are local police, local self-defense forces, - Putin assured, answering a question about the situation in the Donbass. -And where did they get tanks, heavy artillery? Listen, in many "hot spots" of the world, various kinds of conflicts and hostilities are taking place, moreover, with the use of tanks, artillery, and so on. Where do they get it from? Apparently, from those structures, states that sympathize with them.

What can I say? Such views and "sympathies" of the president are seriously dangerous for our country.
Russia needs a completely different policy and other sympathies. Russia needs peace, not war. We need a state of public good, not private interests. We need the principle of human conservation, which would regulate the ratio of freedom and responsibility. And the state power, which should stop treating people as hindrances. Russia is vitally important internationally recognized borders, which now do not exist and without which our country cannot exist in the modern world. Russia cannot afford a policy of hybrid and other proxy wars in very dubious interests on completely foreign territories.
Russia needs peaceful developing neighbors: Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - who would have every reason to be friends with Russia, and not fear her. The success of our neighbors in the development of their state institutions and in the economy is also our success. We need a belt of stability and prosperity around our country, not the other way around.
We need - and this is the most important thing - trust in the country: trust within the country, trust of citizens to each other and between citizens and the authorities. This is exactly what it is impossible to build a modern society and a modern economy without. And this is precisely what, under no circumstances, can categorically ensure the existing political regime. The modern world economy is based largely on trust and understanding. And where this is not the case, crises and recessions occur. The current political system does not allow creating an atmosphere of trust in the country either on the part of citizens to the police, or on the part of citizens to the courts, or on the part of citizens to the state, or to each other, or in business - in nothing. This is the dead end of the system.

We need a state of public interest, that is, a state that works for everyone. Just as we need a policy of peace and trust with our neighbors. But instead, we are immersed in a political culture of primitive authoritarianism. This political culture must be pushed aside and replaced by a completely different one. Russia vitally needs freedom. Because freedom is life without fear. Because all citizens of Russia have the right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and poverty, and freedom from fear. When these four freedoms are realized, then it will be the Russia of the people, and not the country of officials, groups and thieves.

We present to your attention a video lesson on the topic “The essence of global problems. Relationship and interdependence. In the course of the development of civilization, complex problems constantly arose before mankind. In this lesson, we will discuss what contributed to the aggravation of the problems in the 20th century and consider their essence, affecting the planetary scale. We will learn about the classification of global problems of mankind, about their interrelation and interdependence.

Topic: Global problems of mankind

Lesson: The essence of global problems. Relationship and interdependence

In the course of the development of civilization, global problems began to arise before humanity. Today, humanity is faced with the most acute global problems that threaten the very existence of civilization and even life itself on our planet.

The term “global” itself originates from the Latin word “globe”, that is, the Earth, the globe, and since the end of the 60s of the XX century it has become widespread to refer to the most important and urgent planetary problems of the modern era affecting humanity as a whole. .

Global problems of our time is a set of socio-natural problems, on the solution of which the social progress of mankind and the preservation of civilization depend. These problems are characterized by dynamism, they arise as an objective factor in the development of society, and for their solution they require the combined efforts of all mankind. Global problems are interconnected, cover all aspects of people's lives and concern all countries of the world.

Global, or worldwide (universal) problems, being the result of the contradictions of social development, did not arise suddenly and only today. Some of them, such as the problems of war and peace and health, have existed before and have been relevant at all times. Other global problems, such as environmental ones, appear later due to the intense impact of society on the natural environment. Initially, these problems could only be private (single) issues for a particular country, people, then they became regional and global, i.e. issues of vital importance to all mankind.

The main features of global problems:

1. Problems that affect the interests of not only individuals, but may affect the fate of all mankind

2. They lead to significant economic and social losses, and in case of their exacerbation, they can threaten the very existence of human civilization.

3. Global problems are not solved by themselves and even by the efforts of individual countries. They require purposeful and organized efforts of the entire world community.

4. Global problems are closely related to each other.

The main problems of mankind:

1. The problem of peace and disarmament, the prevention of a new world war.

2. Ecological.

3. Demographic.

4. Energy.

5. Raw.

6. Food.

7. Use of the oceans.

8. Peaceful space exploration.

9. Overcoming the backwardness of developing countries.

Rice. 1. Poverty and poverty in Africa ()

The development of a classification of global problems was the result of long-term research and generalization of the experience of several decades of studying them.

In modern scientific literature, attempts are being made to comprehensively consider the whole variety of global problems. Since all these problems are of a socio-natural nature, since they simultaneously fix contradictions both between man and society, and contradictions between man and the natural environment, they are usually divided into three main groups. Researchers have proposed many classification options.

Classification of global problems:

1. Problems that are related to the relationship between the main social communities of mankind, i.e. between groups of states with similar political, economic and other interests: "East - West", rich and poor countries, etc. These include the problem of preventing war, international terrorism and ensuring peace, as well as establishing a fair international economic order.

2. Problems related to relations in the system "man - society": the development of culture, the effective use of the achievements of scientific and technological revolution, the development of education and health

3. Problems that are generated by the interaction of society and nature. They are associated with the limited capacity of the environment to endure anthropogenic loads. These are such problems as the provision of energy, fuel, raw materials, fresh water, etc. The environmental problem also belongs to this group, i.e. the problem of protecting nature from irreversible changes of a negative nature, as well as the task of the reasonable development of the World Ocean and outer space.

Rice. 2. Lack of drinking water in Africa ()

Global problems are interconnected.

Rice. 3. Scheme of interrelations of problems of a global nature

Currently, humanity and the leading countries are actively fighting against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their use. The UN General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. In addition, treaties were signed between the main nuclear powers (for example, START-1, START-2, ABM).

The largest countries in terms of the number of armed forces:

5. Russia.

The problem of arms proliferation and disarmament remains relevant. The military bases of the United States and NATO members on the territory of many countries pose a particular potential danger.

Rice. 4. US military base in Turkey ()

Homework

Topic 11, Item 1

1. What global problems of mankind do you know?

Bibliography

Main

1. Geography. A basic level of. 10-11 cells: Textbook for educational institutions / A.P. Kuznetsov, E.V. Kim. - 3rd ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2012. - 367 p.

2. Economic and social geography of the world: Proc. for 10 cells. educational institutions / V.P. Maksakovskiy. - 13th ed. - M .: Education, JSC "Moscow textbooks", 2005. - 400 p.

3. Atlas with a set of contour maps for grade 10. Economic and social geography of the world. - Omsk: Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Omsk Cartographic Factory", 2012. - 76 p.

Additional

1. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. prof. A.T. Khrushchev. - M.: Bustard, 2001. - 672 p.: ill., cart.: tsv. incl.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections

1. Geography: a guide for high school students and university applicants. - 2nd ed., corrected. and dorab. - M.: AST-PRESS SCHOOL, 2008. - 656 p.

2. Africa // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.

Literature for preparing for the GIA and the Unified State Examination

1. Thematic control in geography. Economic and social geography of the world. Grade 10 / E.M. Ambartsumova. - M.: Intellect-Centre, 2009. - 80 p.

2. The most complete edition of typical options for real USE assignments: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: Astrel, 2010. - 221 p.

3. The optimal bank of tasks for preparing students. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Textbook / Comp. EM. Ambartsumova, S.E. Dyukov. - M.: Intellect-Centre, 2012. - 256 p.

4. The most complete edition of typical options for real USE assignments: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2010. - 223 p.

5. Geography. Diagnostic work in the format of the Unified State Examination 2011. - M .: MTSNMO, 2011. - 72 p.

6. USE 2010. Geography. Collection of tasks / Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 272 p.

7. Tests in geography: Grade 10: to the textbook by V.P. Maksakovskiy “Economic and social geography of the world. Grade 10 / E.V. Baranchikov. - 2nd ed., stereotype. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2009. - 94 p.

8. Unified state exam 2009. Geography. Universal materials for the preparation of students / FIPI - M .: Intellect-Center, 2009. - 240 p.

9. Geography. Answers on questions. Oral exam, theory and practice / V.P. Bondarev. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2003. - 160 p.

10. USE 2010. Geography: thematic training tasks / O.V. Chicherina, Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 144 p.

11. USE 2012. Geography: Standard exam options: 31 options / Ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2011. - 288 p.

12. USE 2011. Geography: Standard exam options: 31 options / Ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2010. - 280 p.

Materials on the Internet

1. Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements ( ).

2. Federal portal Russian Education ().

Problems that do not concern any particular continent or state, but the entire planet, are called global. As civilization develops, it accumulates more and more of them. Today there are eight main problems. Consider the global problems of mankind and ways to solve them.

Ecological problem

Today it is considered the main one. For a long time, people used the resources given to them by nature irrationally, polluted the environment around them, poisoned the Earth with a variety of waste - from solid to radioactive. The result was not long in coming - according to most competent researchers, environmental problems in the next hundred years will lead to irreversible consequences for the planet, and therefore for humanity.

Already now there are countries where this issue has reached a very high level, giving rise to the concept of a crisis ecological region. But the threat looms over the whole world: the ozone layer that protects the planet from radiation is being destroyed, the earth's climate is changing - and man is unable to control these changes.

Even the most developed country cannot solve the problem alone, so the states unite to solve important environmental problems together. The main solution is considered to be the rational use of natural resources and the reorganization of everyday life and industrial production so that the ecosystem develops naturally.

Rice. 1. Threatening scale of the environmental problem.

demographic problem

In the 20th century, when the world's population passed the six billion mark, everyone heard about it. However, in the 21st century, the vector has shifted. In short, now the essence of the problem is this: there are fewer and fewer people. A competent family planning policy and improvement of the living conditions of each individual will help to solve this issue.

TOP 4 articleswho read along with this

food problem

This problem is closely related to demographic and consists in the fact that more than half of humanity is experiencing acute food shortages. To solve it, it is necessary to use the available resources more rationally for food production. Experts see two ways of development - intensive, when the biological productivity of existing fields and other lands increases, and extensive - when their number increases.

All global problems of mankind must be solved together, and this one is no exception. The issue of food arose due to the fact that most of the people live in areas unsuitable for this. Combining the efforts of scientists from different countries will significantly speed up the solution process.

Energy and raw materials problem

The uncontrolled use of raw materials has led to the depletion of mineral reserves that have accumulated for hundreds of millions of years. Very soon, fuel and other resources may disappear altogether, so scientific and technical progress is being introduced at all stages of production.

The issue of peace and disarmament

Some scientists believe that in the very near future it may happen that it will not be necessary to look for possible ways to solve the global problems of mankind: people produce such an amount of offensive weapons (including nuclear) that at some point they can destroy themselves. To prevent this from happening, world treaties on the reduction of armaments and the demilitarization of economies are being developed.

The problem of people's health

Humanity continues to suffer from deadly diseases. The advances of science are great, but untreatable diseases still exist. The only solution is to continue scientific research in search of drugs.

The problem of using the oceans

The depletion of land resources has led to an increase in interest in the World Ocean - all countries that have access to it use it not only as a biological resource. Both the mining and chemical sectors are actively developing. This gives rise to two problems at once: pollution and uneven development. But how are these issues resolved? At the moment, scientists from all over the world are engaged in them, who are developing the principles of rational oceanic nature management.

Rice. 2. Industrial station in the ocean.

The problem of space exploration

To master outer space, it is important to unite efforts on a global scale. Recent studies are the result of the consolidation of the work of many countries. This is the basis for solving the problem.

Scientists have already developed a mock-up of the first station for settlers on the moon, and Elon Musk says that the day is not far off when people will go to explore Mars.

Rice. 3. Model of the lunar base.

What have we learned?

Humanity has many global problems that can ultimately lead to its death. These problems can be solved only if efforts are consolidated, otherwise the efforts of one or several countries will be reduced to zero. Thus, civilizational development and the solution of problems of a universal scale are possible only if the survival of man as a species becomes higher than economic and state interests.

Topic quiz

Report Evaluation

Average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 1523.

The word "creative" used to be synonymous with "disorganized." Today we want to see a person creative and free-thinking, we admire when a non-standard approach is found to a task.

There are two methods for solving problems:

• Analytical- you select solutions, and then determine which one is correct.
• Intuitive (Insight method)- the solution comes to your mind ready-made.

It's hard to go beyond when trying to solve a problem analytically, but insight is the best way to do it.

Scientists have checked Insight solutions are correct more often than analytic solutions both methods and found that the insight method gave more correct answers than analysis. Brain scan showed The Origins of Insight in Resting-State Brain Activity: in people who solve problems in this way, the anterior cingulate gyrus is activated. This area monitors conflicts between brain regions and allows you to identify opposing strategies. With its help, a person can see non-obvious ways to solve a problem and direct attention to them.

In addition, during epiphanies, people noted more scattered attention. It allows you to see the whole without focusing on the specific.

Scattered attention is typical for a person in a relaxed state and high spirits. You are not fully focused on the task, but you are not in the clouds either. Perhaps that is why most insights come to people in, for example, in the bathroom. If you have such an insight, with it will come the confidence that the decision is correct. And, judging by the scientific data, he should be trusted.

No matter what method of problem solving you use, you do it better than your not-so-distant ancestors.

We are smarter than people who lived 100 years ago

Since 1930, IQ test scores have been on the rise. The Flynn Effect: A Meta-analysis by three points every decade. This trend is called the Flynn effect, after the professor who discovered it, James Flynn.

This pattern has several reasons:

• The quality of life has increased. The nutrition of pregnant women and babies has improved, the number of children in the family has decreased. Now people are investing in the development and education of their children until they graduate from the university.
• Education has improved.
• The nature of work has changed. Mental labor, as a rule, is valued and paid more than physical labor.
• The cultural environment has changed. In today's world, people get much more incentives for brain development: books, the Internet, a variety of communication, not limited to where they live.
• People are used to questions from IQ tests. Since childhood, we have been able to solve such problems and use abstract thinking, so we do it better.

We are much more fortunate than our grandparents, but our children will not necessarily be smarter. Already now, in developed European countries, an anti-effect has been discovered The negative Flynn Effect: A systematic literature review Flynn: after the 2000s, the growth of intelligence stopped and even began to decline.

Scientists suggest that the impact of the environment has reached its peak: there is simply nowhere better. People already eat well, have one or two children, and go to school until the age of 16-23. They cannot have fewer children or study longer, so it is not surprising that intelligence has stopped growing.

We have become better at solving problems on paper, but does this affect real life? After all, a person is not a machine, and mistakes often come from an incorrect assessment of information and the characteristics of our perception.

We lack critical thinking

People tend to make mistakes and see only one side of the problem. One example of this kind of thinking is the availability heuristic, where a person evaluates the frequency and possibility of an event by the ease with which examples come to mind.

Using this method, we rely on our memory and do not take into account real statistics. For example, a person is afraid to die from a terrorist attack or a tornado, but does not even think about a heart attack or. Just because TV shows more high-profile cases.

Anchor effect can be attributed to such errors. Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases when people's decisions are influenced by arbitrary data obtained from the environment. This effect is well demonstrated by the experiment of psychologist Daniel Kahneman. The subjects were asked to spin a wheel of fortune, which randomly dropped the number 10 or 65. After that, the participants had to estimate the percentage of African countries in the UN. People who saw 10 on the wheel always said a lower number than those who got 65, even though they knew it was completely unrelated.

The likes follow us everywhere. Learning to notice them is very important, especially in today's world, where fake news and myths are pouring in from all sides.

To avoid falling victim to illusions, learn to question all information, choose reliable sources, and evaluate your beliefs from time to time, even if they seem to be the only true ones.

Also, for the development of critical thinking it is useful to communicate with a wide range of people. Usually we are drawn to those who share our views. But to develop the habit of critical thinking, we need people we know who disagree with us. They will throw up a lot of topics for reflection and, perhaps, make us reconsider our beliefs.