42 | New Scientist | 7 December 2019How to do good
o
T
HE Athena Hotel in Blackpool, UK,
looks like any ordinary seaside guest
house. Behind the net curtains, it is
anything but. The guests, who typically stay
for months, have been selected because they
share a common mission, one so important
that they can’t waste precious time cooking,
doing laundry or holding down a normal job.
They have come to Blackpool to save the world.
This is the world’s first hotel for “effective
altruists”, people who take an evidence-based
approach to helping others. It was purchased
in 2018 with the proceeds of a cryptocurrency
investment to allow data-driven
philanthropists to dedicate themselves
to improving and saving as many lives as
possible. And yes, Blackpool was chosen for
a reason. The 17-room hotel was a bargain at
£130,000, freeing up the proprietor’s cash to
subsidise the various projects being pursued.
When I first read about this place, I felt a
twinge of guilt. Like many of us, I like to think
I am a good person. I spend a few evenings a
month volunteering with a charity that helps
people with debt problems. I give money to my
church. And I buy the occasional sandwich for
homeless people. Learning about the hotel
made me wonder if I could do good better.
Investigating how turned out to be a
discombobulating experience. My principles
were challenged in ways I never expected, and
I ended up pondering some bizarre questions,
ARnot least how to think about the future of
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Features
When we donate to charity,
we want it to make a difference.
Joshua Howgego investigates
whether an evidence-based
approach can help