{"id":977,"date":"2019-09-19T12:14:17","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T12:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=977"},"modified":"2019-09-19T12:14:17","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T12:14:17","slug":"prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/","title":{"rendered":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world\u2019s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

But only eight people turned up. \u2018It just didn\u2019t compute in 1993,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Some 25 years later the idea that wellbeing \u2013 of planet and people \u2013 is about more than economic growth, and that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is insufficient to measure life satisfaction, is widespread. There have been papers,\u00a0commissions<\/a>\u00a0and conferences on the topic. The\u00a0UN Sustainable Development Goals<\/a>, launched in 2015, drive nations towards measuring \u2018beyond GDP\u2019 by committing them to indicators for 17 targets ranging from affordable, clean energy to gender equality.<\/p>\n

Concerns about the climate, environment and inequality are behind the upswell of interest for finding new measures with which countries can chart their progress alongside today\u2019s GDP figures, according to academics and politicians.<\/p>\n

Our present definition of prosperity, says Sandrine Dixson-Decl\u00e8ve, co-president of global think tank Club of Rome, is measured by markers such as high levels of individual affluence, resource use and educational levels, all of which often come at an unsustainably high ecological expense.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is increasingly clear that all countries are still in a phase of \u201cdevelopment\u201d. In essence, no country, whether labelled \u201cdeveloped\u201d or \u201cdeveloping\u201d, has achieved an appropriate balance between human and social prosperity and the respect of planetary boundaries,\u2019 she said. \u2018This is not a minor issue, but today\u2019s greatest existential challenge.\u2019<\/p>\n

But attempts to actually integrate alternative prosperity measures into policy to improve wellbeing \u2013 whether as rafts of indices or as one single indicator that summarises it all \u2013 face numerous obstacles.<\/p>\n

\u2018Everyone wants to go beyond GDP but exactly what it is they want (is not clear) … there are very different approaches and there is not a single winner,\u2019 said Marco Mira d\u2019Ercole, statistician at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).<\/p>\n

Experiments<\/strong><\/p>\n

The variety of national experiments underway underlines his point. The New Zealand government, for example, in May launched its\u00a0budget\u00a0<\/a>framed around wellbeing, with priorities such as reducing child poverty and supporting mental health. Scotland, more than a decade ago, set itself a\u00a0\u2018purpose\u2019 to achieve wellbeing, sustainability and equality<\/a>. Out of this came a list of outcomes that are tracked with indicators so the government can be held to account.\u00a0Italy,<\/a>\u00a0meanwhile, passed a law in 2016 mandating the government to choose a set of wellbeing indicators – and then justify its budget choices based on them.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a completely huge task. It\u2019s a new story we are trying to write together,\u2019 said Dr Fabio Bacchini, of the Italian National Institute for Statistics, who also leads a project called\u00a0MAKSWELL<\/a>\u00a0examining how wellbeing indicators can be adopted into policy.<\/p>\n

The main challenge, he says, is building mathematical models that can forecast how the indicators Italy has selected would change as a result of different policy ideas.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018Everyone wants to go beyond GDP but exactly what it is they want (is not clear) … there are very different approaches and there is not a single winner.\u2019<\/p>\n

Marco Mira d\u2019Ercole, statistician at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Within that there are several hurdles, he says. Firstly, finding an indicator that actually measures the problem you are trying to solve. Italy has begun with four indicators \u2013 carbon dioxide emissions as a proxy for environmental performance, income inequality, average income and rate of non-participation in work.<\/p>\n

A second hurdle is that if the indicator shows an improvement \u2013 for example, if incomes become more equal \u2013 how do you know that it was the result of the government\u2019s policy rather than something entirely unrelated?<\/p>\n

Ivan McKee, minister for trade, investment and innovation in the Scottish government, which has been measuring itself against 45 indicators for over a decade and recently increased them to 81, agrees that attribution is tricky: \u2018The challenge, of course, comes when a metric moves in a direction and you\u2019re not always sure which of the policy measures you took had that impact\u2019.<\/p>\n

Still, spreading awareness internationally about these experiments is important for policymakers, he says. \u2018It\u2019s much easier for a government to make that step if they\u2019re aware that others have done it and they can learn from what has happened,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Timeliness is also critical. Governments must show they have delivered at least within an election cycle and preferably quarterly. \u2018An argument could be made \u2013 and many people make it \u2013 that unless you are able to produce wellbeing measures with the same frequency as GDP (i.e. quarterly), demand for them would be very limited,\u2019 said Mira d\u2019Ercole.<\/p>\n

Yet, if you want to track changes in income distribution \u2013 one of the more tangible wellbeing indicators \u2013 you would until recently have faced a three-year time lag in obtaining that information in most European countries, he says. After significant investment some countries have reduced this to two years or less.<\/p>\n

Some indicators are at a more developed stage than others. Those that gauge household income and how equally it is distributed are more advanced than those that show how the environment is performing, says Mira d\u2019Ercole. Choosing an environmental indicator can be politically fraught \u2013 for example what should be included in calculating a nation\u2019s carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

Technology may help tackle some of these problems: satellite sensing to pick up indices of wealth and poverty; crowdsourcing to measure people\u2019s perceptions of where they fit in the income distribution, says Mira d\u2019Ercole.<\/p>\n

Prosperity vision<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dixson-Decl\u00e8ve believes that the European Commission\u2019s plans for\u00a0its next research funding programme<\/a>\u00a0need to change fundamentally if governments are serious about redefining prosperity.<\/p>\n

\u2018First, we need to understand what this new prosperity vision looks like. And then we need to innovate for prosperity. And within the innovation we need to look at the way that DG R&I (the European Commission\u2019s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation) is structured so that it can start to look at its resources and its funding in a very clear manner with the right metrics,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

The social sciences should be funded better so that they can be encouraged to innovate in the way the hard sciences and technology have done, she says. For example, they need to find ways of determining the costs of the adverse effects of greenhouse gases as a step towards providing businesses and consumers an economic incentive to reduce their emissions.<\/p>\n

She and others say pressure to change is mounting. Dr Bacchini attributes it to the rise of the \u2018green agenda\u2019 in Europe. Dixson-Decl\u00e8ve thinks public pressure is increasing as we reach \u2018tipping points\u2019 \u2013 from climate emergencies to persisting income inequalities.<\/p>\n

Prof. Oswald, who is now behavioural economics expert at the University of Warwick in the UK, acknowledges attitudes are different from in 1993, but he thinks that putting wellbeing centre stage is still \u2018too much of an intellectual wrench\u2019. It will happen with the next generation, he predicts.<\/p>\n

\u2018The lead story on the news every six months will be the happiness index,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Sandrine Dixson-Decl\u00e8ve and Ivan McKee will be speaking at a session on\u00a0Redefining Prosperity<\/a>\u00a0at the EU\u2019s\u00a0Research & Innovation Days<\/a>\u00a0to help shape the scope of EU research and policy on AI from 2021-2027.<\/em><\/p>\n

European Research & Innovation Days<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0European Research & Innovation Days<\/a>, which will take place in Brussels, Belgium, from 24 to 26 September, are designed to bring together policymakers, academics, industry, civil society and entrepreneurs to discuss how research and innovation can help tackle the major issues facing the EU over the next decade.<\/p>\n

The idea is to seek a wide range of opinions from experts and interested parties about priorities for the first four years of the EU\u2019s upcoming \u20ac100 billion research funding programme,\u00a0Horizon Europe<\/a>. In addition to conference sessions, policymakers from the EU and national administrations will be available throughout the event in a space called Horizon Village to gather further input from participants.<\/p>\n

The event, which is set to be an annual affair, consists of a\u00a0policy conference<\/a>\u00a0to shape the Horizon Europe work programme, an\u00a0innovation hub<\/a>\u00a0for innovators and investors to network, and a public exhibition called\u00a0Science is Wonderful!<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world\u2019s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come. But only eight people turned up. \u2018It just didn\u2019t compute … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":316,"featured_media":978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[303,304,305,299,228],"class_list":["post-977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brain-behavior","tag-economics","tag-gdp","tag-happiness","tag-social-sciences","tag-society"],"yoast_head":"\nProsperity is about more than money. But what else should count? - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world\u2019s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come. But only eight people turned up. \u2018It just didn\u2019t compute ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-09-19T12:14:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Aisling Irwin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Aisling Irwin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Aisling Irwin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e83541e32d03643ff153c4edd112d573\"},\"headline\":\"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-09-19T12:14:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1399,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/girls-462072_1920.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"economics\",\"GDP\",\"happiness\",\"social sciences\",\"society\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Brain & Behavior\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2019\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/\",\"name\":\"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count? - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/girls-462072_1920.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-09-19T12:14:17+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/girls-462072_1920.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/girls-462072_1920.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1280,\"caption\":\"The idea that wellbeing encompasses more than economic growth is widespread, but the problem is deciding what to measure. Image credit - Cherylholt\\\/ Pixabay\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/977\\\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e83541e32d03643ff153c4edd112d573\",\"name\":\"Aisling Irwin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3c0f9a126ff416fd189b170e7d82ca3350e022ae3dd403001a11b09cb5de3a4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3c0f9a126ff416fd189b170e7d82ca3350e022ae3dd403001a11b09cb5de3a4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3c0f9a126ff416fd189b170e7d82ca3350e022ae3dd403001a11b09cb5de3a4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Aisling Irwin\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/aislingirwin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count? - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?","og_description":"More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world\u2019s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come. But only eight people turned up. \u2018It just didn\u2019t compute ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_published_time":"2019-09-19T12:14:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1280,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Aisling Irwin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Aisling Irwin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/"},"author":{"name":"Aisling Irwin","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/e83541e32d03643ff153c4edd112d573"},"headline":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?","datePublished":"2019-09-19T12:14:17+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/"},"wordCount":1399,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg","keywords":["economics","GDP","happiness","social sciences","society"],"articleSection":["Brain & Behavior"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2019","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/","name":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count? - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg","datePublished":"2019-09-19T12:14:17+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"caption":"The idea that wellbeing encompasses more than economic growth is widespread, but the problem is deciding what to measure. Image credit - Cherylholt\/ Pixabay"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/e83541e32d03643ff153c4edd112d573","name":"Aisling Irwin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c0f9a126ff416fd189b170e7d82ca3350e022ae3dd403001a11b09cb5de3a4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c0f9a126ff416fd189b170e7d82ca3350e022ae3dd403001a11b09cb5de3a4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c0f9a126ff416fd189b170e7d82ca3350e022ae3dd403001a11b09cb5de3a4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Aisling Irwin"},"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/aislingirwin\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-fL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1663,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1663\/bottling-the-smell-of-happiness-to-help-treat-depression\/","url_meta":{"origin":977,"position":0},"title":"Bottling the smell of happiness to help treat depression","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"March 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It may sound like something out of a fantasy movie, but scientists hope to be able to bottle the smell of happiness so it can be used to help people with phobias or depression. Our bodies produce different scents when we feel happy or afraid. These so-called chemosignals \u2013 which\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-Ken-DouglasFlickr-licensed-under-CC-BY-SA-2.0.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-Ken-DouglasFlickr-licensed-under-CC-BY-SA-2.0.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-Ken-DouglasFlickr-licensed-under-CC-BY-SA-2.0.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-Ken-DouglasFlickr-licensed-under-CC-BY-SA-2.0.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":894,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/894\/shoppers-cant-afford-energy-efficient-cars-homes-researchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":977,"position":1},"title":"Shoppers \u2018can\u2019t afford\u2019 energy efficient cars, homes – researchers","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"July 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by: Alex Whiting Europeans can slash their fuel bills and have a significant impact on curbing global greenhouse gas emissions by buying more energy efficient cars, homes or even fridges \u2013 but many do not because of higher initial cost of green products, mistrust in EU energy ratings, and lack\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Switching to more efficient appliances can save people money over time, although they are often more expensive to buy. Image credit - Photo Mix","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/modern-kitchen-1772638_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/modern-kitchen-1772638_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/modern-kitchen-1772638_1920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/modern-kitchen-1772638_1920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/modern-kitchen-1772638_1920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/modern-kitchen-1772638_1920.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":754,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/754\/trusting-self-driving-cars-is-going-to-be-a-big-step-for-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":977,"position":2},"title":"\u2018Trusting self-driving cars is going to be a big step for people\u2019","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"April 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Self-driving cars are set to bring one of the biggest changes to our global transportation system in decades, but their potential to increase road safety should not be over-emphasised if we want to increase people\u2019s trust in automated vehicles, says Dr Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Bonnefon from the Toulouse School of Economics, France,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"When self-driving cars start to operate in a real-life context, it could be transformative for people's perception of autonomous driving, says Dr Bonnefon.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/5554433852_ca581d33d0_o.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/5554433852_ca581d33d0_o.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/5554433852_ca581d33d0_o.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/5554433852_ca581d33d0_o.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/5554433852_ca581d33d0_o.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/5554433852_ca581d33d0_o.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2143,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2143\/the-beautiful-game-theory-using-mathematics-to-resolve-human-conflicts\/","url_meta":{"origin":977,"position":3},"title":"The Beautiful Game Theory – using mathematics to resolve human conflicts","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Game theory mathematics is used to predict outcomes in conflict situations. Now it is being adapted through big data to resolve highly contentious issues between people and the environment. Game theory is a mathematical concept that aims to predict outcomes and solutions to an issue in which parties with conflicting,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brain & Behavior"","block_context":{"text":"Brain & Behavior","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/brain-behavior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/1-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/1-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/1-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/1-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/1-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/1-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1982,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1982\/going-beyond-gdp-to-measure-what-really-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":977,"position":4},"title":"Going beyond GDP to measure what really matters","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"March 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Rising GDP is often prized by politicians, but there\u2019s more to fair and prosperous sustainability than economic growth. \u00a9 Singkham, Shutterstock The publication of the latest EU Transitions Performance Index (TPI) provides an important opportunity to assess how countries are progressing towards fair and prosperous sustainability beyond headline growth figures.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Social Sciences"","block_context":{"text":"Social Sciences","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/social-sciences\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/mar-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1682,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1682\/how-pandemic-driven-preprints-are-driving-open-scrutiny-of-research\/","url_meta":{"origin":977,"position":5},"title":"How pandemic-driven preprints are driving open scrutiny of research","author":"Rex Merrifield","date":"April 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Covid-19 has changed the way many people live and work. It has also had an impact on the ways many scientists collaborate and carry out their research \u2013 and how they release their findings. The need for speed in the fast-changing research landscape of the pandemic put pressure on biomedical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Policy","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/sigmund-LCun3uxh-z0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/sigmund-LCun3uxh-z0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/sigmund-LCun3uxh-z0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/sigmund-LCun3uxh-z0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/sigmund-LCun3uxh-z0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/sigmund-LCun3uxh-z0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}