Essays on historical demography, methodology, and the stories behind Random Lives.
April 07, 2026
Ranking the largest empires by area is a fairly straightforward exercise. Wikipedia puts the British Empire in the top spot, controlling 35.5 million km² at its peak—about a quarter of the world’s land area. Next come the Mongol Empire and...
Read moreMarch 17, 2026
Despite our obsession with fame, no one actually keeps track of who’s famous. You’d think someone would have figured this out by now—at the very least to power a listicle perpetual motion machine—but global name-recognition surveys are rare. No one...
Read moreJanuary 18, 2026
No one really knows how many people ever lived. Even today, counting people can be hard. Papua New Guinea’s 2024 census was their first in 24 years, with prior estimates ranging from 10 million to 17 million; Afghanistan hasn’t conducted...
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