Welcome to a fresh edition of The Crunch, your fortnightly guide to the stories told through compelling charts and data. This week's selection spans political reform in Australia, the stark realities of cryptocurrency gambling, climate change's impact on the American dream, the eye-watering financial demands of the AI boom, and a revealing look at the intimate lives of a generation.
The End of an Era for Victoria's Controversial Voting System
Political attention in Australia is focused on Victoria, now the last state standing in its use of the group voting ticket (GVT) system for electing its upper house. This mechanism allows voters to simply select a party 'above the line,' after which the party itself directs the flow of preferences once its candidates are eliminated.
This system has long been criticised for enabling backroom deals, where minor parties can trade preferences to propel obscure candidates into office ahead of rivals who secured significantly more primary votes. A notorious example of this occurred during the 2018 state election.
The future of GVTs now hangs in the balance. Victoria's electoral matters committee has this week recommended their abolition, prompting a deep analysis of what they are and what alternative models could be implemented to create a fairer, more transparent electoral system.
Four Data Stories Dominating the Fortnight
1. A Devastating Crypto Casino Loss
The ABC has published a harrowing investigation into one man's catastrophic experience with online gambling. The report details how an individual lost over US$180,000 betting in a cryptocurrency-based casino. The losses mounted with terrifying speed, with more than US$40,000 disappearing in just eight days.
Content warning: The original ABC report contains references to suicide.
2. The Growing Crisis in US Home Insurance
Climate change is making homes increasingly difficult and expensive to insure in the United States. In 2020, approximately 222,000 homes in California relied on state-run or state-backed insurers of 'last resort' because private companies refused coverage.
By 2023, that number had surged by over 100,000 as properties become more vulnerable to wildfires and other natural disasters. Reuters provides a stark visual story on how this trend may be creating a vicious cycle, with these non-profit insurers potentially underpricing risk in disaster-prone areas.
3. The Staggering Revenue Needed to Justify AI Investment
Amid countless analyses of the current AI investment frenzy, a chart from the Washington Post stands out. It highlights a jaw-dropping analysis from JP Morgan, which suggests the tech industry will need to generate an additional US$650 billion in revenue every year just to earn a modest 10% return on its vast AI infrastructure investments.
To contextualise that colossal figure, Google's total revenue for 2024 was US$350 billion, while OpenAI's annual revenue is estimated at around US$20 billion. The scale of the challenge becomes immediately apparent.
4. The Subtle Shift in English Readability
Moving beyond simple averages, a story from Works in Progress uses distribution charts to reveal a fascinating trend: the English language is becoming easier to read. This analysis showcases the power of visualising full data distributions, rather than relying solely on summary statistics like means or medians, to uncover nuanced, underlying stories.
Off the Charts: Gen Z's Intimate Lives
In a feature sure to spark conversation, Guardian data journalist Mona Chalabi turns her analytical eye to the sex lives of American Gen Z. Through a series of accessible and thoughtfully designed charts, the article explores a range of topics from the frequency of one-night stands and attitudes towards monogamy to the surprising intersections with political views.
The data provides a revealing, if sometimes surprising, portrait of the intimate habits and attitudes shaping a generation.
