All about money
Typically focused on web comedy, xkcd.com took the time instead to research and create a giant interactive infographic about money which he calls “Money – a chart of (almost) all of it, where it is, and what it can do” outlining how much a dollar can buy, who the wealthiest Americans are, tuition levels, salaries, campaign finances and more.
From the chart, we learned that America’s 400 richest people have a greater combined net worth than the poorest 50 percent of the nation. Some will praise that and say that capitalism is what makes America great and good for those people for becoming top earners, while others will lament the poor distribution of wealth in America.
We also learned that Americans spend as much on cigarettes as we do on cancer treatment. That is astonishing. Additionally, the EPA has a dollar value for human life which is currently $8.4 million, it’s called the Value of Statistical Life (VSL). It’s a number. We get it, but that too is shocking that life can be broken down into numbers.
The full interactive infographic:
It isn’t the most beautiful infographic and it takes a bit to navigate as you zoom in, out, and drag the graphic, but we encourage you to spend some time gaining some perspective on the state of money in America. Click the image below to get started:
Molly McMahan
November 22, 2011 at 8:04 am
I made the mistake of looking before morning coffee. OUCH. Very interesting stuff.