Harper’s Index

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Every month, Harper’s magazine lists a bunch of random statistics. Most of them like seem reasonable numbers, even though some of them are (as meant) slightly surprising or shocking.

The January list:

Number of suspected different forms of torture used by the Syrian government: 72
Factor women more likely to develop PTSD: 2.5
Penalty NYPD cops for domestic violence: 30d
Penalty NYPD cops rude to superior: 60d
Rank of 2018, deadliest year for cyclists: 1
For pedestrians: 1
% Uber drivers who never tip: 60
Who always tip: 1 (I don’t buy this)
% higher tip by males to female drivers: 12
Value of possessions lost drinking alcohol: $192
That average North Dakotan lost: $380
Number grams plastic ingested per week: 5
% gamers skipped a meal: 38 (gotta be higher)
Skipped a shower: 25

Mins/day teens look at screens: 409-512

(For household incomes >100k, <35k)

states days off for student mental health: 4

Millennials left job for mental health: 1 in 3
Gen-Z left job for mental health: 1 in 2 (Really?)
% schools with police officers: 40 (Really?)
Increase spending since 2013, public schools to monitor email: 2%
#US colleges track prospects web activity: >33
#US states use AI to grade student essays: 21

unaccounted for in 2020 census: 4m

polls closed in US South since 2012: 1327

% of those in Texas: 50
% Republicans, “Dems too extreme”: 76
% Democrats, “Reps too extreme”: 76
Avg tax rate, richest 400 households: 23
Poorest half of US households: 24
% tweets, adults over 50: 29
% US who say they follow news closely: 28
Of black Americans: 46

2

Trying to parse that list is taxing my brain. BBCode is pretty simple to use.

3

Harper’s always cites their sources. Did you check out that for the ones you question?

4

I’m sure the numbers are accurate reflections of the cites. As a Canadian, a police officer in 40% of schools seems surprising. I understand it, but still.

50% of GenZs voluntarily left a job due to mental health issues? Sure, depression and anxiety rates are probably climbing. But that seems like an awfully high number to me.

5

Some of those may be “Working here sucks. It’s making me crazy. I quit”

6

Canadian schools or American schools? That number actually seems low for American schools, since nowadays most public schools have a police officer.