Counts of natural disasters rose sharply in the late twentieth century, and it is tempting to read that as proof that the planet is becoming more hazardous. Our World in Data analysis finds that most of that increase reflects improved reporting rather than a surge in events. Better satellite monitoring, global databases and the spread of communications meant that small floods, storms and earthquakes that once went unrecorded were suddenly logged. The record therefore captures how well we observe the world as much as how the world behaves. Researchers separate the two by looking at the events that were always big enough to be noticed. The distinction matters for reading the statistics correctly.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.