Thus The Guardian today. “The sad reality is that African victims continue to suffer an excruciating death, while westerners are flown out, treated, treated, and become near-celebrities,” elaborates the newspaper. I was attracted to the article at once, but for one reason alone: I wanted to see whether it addresses the question in the title with any precision. Sadly, it does not. Of course, we value African lives cheaply. But exactly how cheaply is the question worth considering in some detail. How many Africans are worth one American, that is. Or one European, for that matter. I have always been interested in the actual exchange rate, but I have never come across a good one (“Such a Useful Exchange Rate,” October 13, 2001). The same holds for the Dutch and the Ukrainians or Russians, of course. Malaysian Airlines flight 17 is the case in point. Many deaths in Eastern Ukraine were neither here nor there for most Europeans until the downing of the airplane with so many Dutch passengers (“What Price for Killing Two-Hundred and Ten Europeans?” July 29, 2014). What is needed is a proper exchange rate, and the Ebola virus epidemic may offer one at long last. The World Wide Web offers an excellent vehicle for the task, as well. I can hardly wait.