Home > Honors Program > Fall 2006 Colloquium Background
Context for Understanding "Stuff"
In 2004, PBS aired a special entitled World in the Balance. Part of its acclaimed NOVA series, it explored many of the issues that Ryan and Durning address in Stuff. Check out the World in the Balance website.
Explore the following Interactive Links
Human Numbers through Time
View a series of maps that illustrate human population growth over the past 2000 years. If current trends continue, what will population patterns look like in fifty years?Global Trends Quiz
Test your knowledge about the “Developed World,” the “Developing World,” and the “Environmental Challenges” facing us now and in the future. Which of these challenges do Ryan and Durning address in Stuff?Earth in Peril
Explore a series of maps illustrating the human “footprint” on this planet. Don’t miss the link entitled “Cities”—a striking composite photograph of the world’s cities at night!
Just for fun
Check the counters on the World in the Balance homepage. How many babies were born worldwide while you were exploring these pages?