He's got the whole world...

June 29, 2006 1:10 PM

Hans Rosling is on a mission (flash video). The founder of Gapminder (previously discussed here) gives an inspired talk about the third world, while turning statistics into beautiful graphics. Of course, the folks at Google are already all over this.
posted by neurodoc (15 comments total)

Also, be sure to check out the other TED videos while you're there...
posted by neurodoc at 1:10 PM on June 29, 2006

Excellent. Thank you.
posted by dobbs at 1:33 PM on June 29, 2006

The video in the first link is great.
posted by driveler at 1:47 PM on June 29, 2006

Wow--wouldn't you love to be in Hans Rosling's classroom!
posted by yoink at 2:10 PM on June 29, 2006

I read about Rosling's presentation this morning in Pogue's weekly NYT email. I was riveted to his presentation, and will show this to my next class.

Meanwhile, I had to peek at the other TED treats. Al Gore made me laugh out loud. Tony Robbins' presentation was rather entertaining. I was also surprised that he used a number of expletives.
posted by seawallrunner at 2:16 PM on June 29, 2006

Rwanda's mortality, '86-'92, marks a sobering trail in the Google link.

Hans is a remarkable speaker and presents ideas of such reach with amazing clarity. Of course the funky software helps, but teachers of his calibre are priceless.

Thanks neurodoc.
posted by NinjaTadpole at 2:23 PM on June 29, 2006

Gore the stand-up comedian is jaw-dropping. Who knew the lockbox-robot could be so hilarious? Mind you, a touch of the old campaign-trail Gore comes out in the ensuing slide-show.
posted by yoink at 2:35 PM on June 29, 2006

Thanks, neurodoc. The Hans Rosling talk was a breath of fresh air; I've been out of academics for several years, so I've become used to the level of discourse being what you hear in political speeches and the evening news. What a refreshing treat to hear a smart individual expressing his thoughts in a clear and entertaining way.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 4:57 PM on June 29, 2006

I watched all of them but the Pogue (couldn't get thru the first 2 minutes of his singing). They're all worth a watch; Robins is the weakest but the others are very good.
posted by dobbs at 5:21 PM on June 29, 2006

This is awesome. What a great use of technology to make statistics actually useful. More like this, please!
posted by jmcnally at 6:33 PM on June 29, 2006

Another sad story is life expectancy in Botswana 1975-2004. Botswana is one of the African countries ravaged by the AIDS pandemic. This really illustrates what a devastating effect it's had on the country's population.
posted by jmcnally at 6:38 PM on June 29, 2006

great talk!
posted by growabrain at 10:50 PM on June 29, 2006

Is any of this stuff available from alternate sites? I've been unable to get to the new videos for a couple of days. I enjoyed the Gapminder and am interesting in seeing more of what he has put together.
posted by JoKeR at 2:45 PM on July 1, 2006

That is one of the best presentations I've ver seen, especially when the circles start to move around and he's chasing/explaining them.
posted by signal at 7:22 AM on July 5, 2006

Loved how Rosling "twisted" my mindset. We've been gathering data for so long, but far too often the big picture can't be seen. Hans Rosling is doing an incredible service by making the information understandable, and surely that must be the first step to making it actionable. Bravo.
posted by AuntLisa at 3:24 PM on July 6, 2006