The "best stats you've ever seen"

I was flicking around the Ted website this morning and I came across this talk. I'm rarely one for talks/videos regarding the "developing world" (you'll come not to use that term after watching this talk), I've always found them very boring -- as, to be honest, I've very little interest in the third world/poverty etc. This video is very different, what's so fascinating is the presenter's (Hans Rosling) use of statistics: he presents them in a highly aesthetic and visual way. It really is a must watch.

Here's the talk. Also, here's a follow on talk, on the same subject (from a year later), by the same presenter. Don't watch the end of it if you're any way squeamish.

Earthhorse

This is my favourite TED Talk. I haven't watched the follow on. Must do when I get home.

thusspakeblixa

That really is a fantastic video. It really envigorates statistics for me anyway.
Check out Hans Rosling's website - http://www.gapminder.org/ - for more. He has recent stuff up too, but I haven't watched most of it.

Ron DMC

I love the way he commentates the scattergraphs as if they're a horserace.

thusspakeblixa

thusspakeblixa wrote:

That really is a fantastic video. It really envigorates statistics for me anyway.
Check out Hans Rosling's website - http://www.gapminder.org/ - for more. He has recent stuff up too, but I haven't watched most of it.

If you go into that website, and click into Gapminder World, you can use the software that Hans and his team have developed.

I've just been messing around with it for hours, and the sheer amount of graphs you can make is brilliant.

Quick link.

thusspakeblixa

It just struck me that the tagline - "The best stats you've ever seen" reminded me of something.

Then I remembered. It's that ad for JML knives (the ones you get in Heatons). "Is that not the finest slice of a vegetable you've ever seen"

The tagline turned me off a little bit at first.

tallaght01

He's always an interesting speaker. But I'm not sure he's "debunked" many myths.

He's saying that Asia has progressed significantly, which we knew. He says asia and Africa are big continents, with varying degrees of poverty. He says things have improved since the 60s.

He does point out that health is essentially a precursor to economic development. That's an argument medics have been making for years. So, I'm glad he's gotten that across.

My favourite thing about this guy is his mission to get data made public. That's a tough battle. But he's ballsy for trying.

I think he makes some pretty simple points, and glosses over some of the big issues. But he does deal with economic inequality, which is a start. Though he ignored gender inequality.

but if it gets people interested in global health, that's a big step in itself.

Earthhorse

I haven't watched this talk in a while but isn't the myth he debunks that things aren't progressing in the developing world?

tallaght01

I guess it depends on whether that's an "accepted myth" :P

A lot has happened in the developing world, and some countries have made great progress. Others haven't.

Progress is a bit of a subjective word, though. I would have thought that almost everyone agrees there has been SOME progress made in the third world.

Mind you, when you listen to the whole "We've pumped squillions into Africa, with no results" that people often spout as a reason to cut aid, then it may be an important point!

Earthhorse

Yeah, that's exactly the mindset or myth I was referring to. It can be hard to counter that argument sometimes when so much is still so wrong; it's good to have something as articulate and interesting and heck, dare I say it, entertaining as a talk like this to point people towards.

I agree that it's his mission to get data made public, and in a way that is eye-catching, and thus holds people's attention that is as a big part of his appeal. After all, we live in the information age and yet there is such a paucity of real and relevant information brought to our attention on important issues (and, when it is, it is inevitably presented in PowerPoint, thus ensuring it never actually leaves the slide and enters our brains).

Here's Hans' latest video on TED, similar to the other two, but it's still very good.

Earthhorse

Just watched the second and third talk there. The third re-hashes a lot of the first one but he's such a compelling speaker, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Futurism

Hans Rosling is a great speaker. Makes data very accessible and I appreciate the way he attempts to get information/data to the public.

Gapminder.org is great. Thanks for the link.