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About this project

Purpose, motivation, and context

Why this tool exists

What's Left Together was born from a personal reflection: we often take for granted that we'll have "time later" to see the important people in our lives.

Physical distance, work obligations, and the inertia of daily life make us postpone visits, calls, or simply being present. We assume there will always be a next time.

This tool doesn't aim to scare, but to make explicit something that normally remains abstract: if we keep living as we do now, with the same frequency of encounters, how many more times will we actually see each other?

Inspiration

This project is inspired by Tim Urban's article "The Tail End" (Wait But Why, 2015), which visualizes the time remaining with loved ones in a visceral and memorable way. "The Tail End"

Unlike that article, which uses generic estimates, this tool incorporates official demographic data by age, country, and sex, to make the estimate more precise and personalized.

Who this tool is for

People who live far from their family

If you emigrated, study in another city, or life simply took you away from your parents, siblings, or loved ones.

Those prioritizing career or personal goals

If you're focused on professional development or personal projects and feel that "there will be time later" for family visits.

People in long-distance relationships

If you maintain a romantic relationship, deep friendship, or mentorship from afar, and want to reflect on the value of shared time.

Researchers and educators

As an educational tool about demography, life tables, or psychology of temporal perception.

What to do with this information

The goal is not to generate anxiety, but clarity.

  • Prioritize: You might decide to increase visit frequency, take that trip you've been postponing, or simply call more often.
  • Reflect: You might realize that the current balance satisfies you, and that's valid too.
  • Plan: If the number surprises you, you can use it as motivation to reorganize priorities or negotiate more flexible work arrangements.
  • Share: Sometimes, showing this number to the other person can open important conversations about what you both value.

Contact and feedback

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or want to report a technical issue, you can send us a message:

This project is non-profit and maintained out of personal interest. We'll respond when possible.

Important ethical limits

This tool should NOT be used for:

  • Making medical or life insurance decisions
  • Pressuring others to change their behavior
  • Generating guilt or emotional manipulation
  • Individual predictions about when someone will die
  • Any commercial use without explicit authorization

If you feel persistent anxiety after using this tool, consider talking to a mental health professional. Numbers should not replace self-care.