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Disruptive Demographics
Video

Disruptive Demographics

World.Minds, 2018

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Overview
  • Visionary

Recommendation

“Demography, ladies and gentlemen, is truly destiny.” With these dramatic words, Joseph F. Coughlin starts a galloping lecture on demographic trends. The founder and director of MIT’s AgeLab, Coughlin delves into the research behind each trend. getAbstract recommends this talk to R&D professionals, business leaders and strategists.

Summary

A popular proverb says that life’s only certainties are death and taxes. But in the modern world, even death has become unreliable: People are living longer than in generations past. Four demographic trends foretell changes in “mobility” and “motility” – respectively, the ability and the drive to move about within communities and beyond:

  1. An aging population – Life expectancy is increasing. Half of all children born in developed nations in 2007 will likely live beyond 100 years. An aging population affects the labor market, consumerism, and more. China is experiencing labor shortages. Mediterranean villages are emptying as the young scatter and birth rates decline...

About the Speaker

Joseph F. Coughlin founded and directs the AgeLab at MIT.