A couple of days before Christmas last year I posted Hans Rosling's "200 Countries in 200 Years" video when it went viral on these inner-tubes. Last night I happen to catch Chris Anderson (the curator of TED) on Charlie Rose and he told what he described as the "remarkable story of Hans Rosling" to illustrate the value of the TED talks. Which sent me off to Google, of course, seeing as how I recognized Dr. Rosling's name from the "200 Countries" association. I found this (best viewed full-screen):
Fascinating, and there's more of Dr. Rosling on the TED site... all ya gotta do is google his name. I'm the sorta guy that always found statistics and data rather boring, even though I mucked about with the subject during my IT operations career. Dr. Rosling certainly changed MY perception of stats and here's an excerpt from his bio on the TED site:
What sets Rosling apart isn't just his apt observations of broad social and economic trends, but the stunning way he presents them. Guaranteed: You've never seen data presented like this. By any logic, a presentation that tracks global health and poverty trends should be, in a word: boring. But in Rosling's hands, data sings. Trends come to life. And the big picture — usually hazy at best — snaps into sharp focus.The data DO sing and I sure as Hell wish I had had the operational analysis tools to create presentations like Dr. Rosling's back in the day.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but some of the new data visualization tools can actually make you feel *excited* about giving a heavily data-driven presentation.
ReplyDeleteData visualization is, in large part, what my wife has gone back to grad school to study.
"Excited" is precisely the way I feel as well, Barry. Carrie picked a good field for graduate work, too. I'm thinkin' there's tremendous demand for stuff like Dr. Rosling does... the field is wide-open.
ReplyDeleteBuck, I agree that the data visualization tools on display in Dr. Rosling's lecture are exciting. However, I think one of the main things that makes his presentation so effective is his own enthusiasm and excitement about this material. If the presenter lacks this essential element, all the fancy tools in the world won't help. Plus, Rosling's a pleasant guy, not shrill, and he's very funny. I've sat through lectures where the latest (for the time) tools were used and was still bored because the presenter lacked these elements. And I've been in other exciting lectures involving lots of data where the guy (or woman) used nothing but a chalkboard. But he/she was excited about the stuff being presented and the audience was caught up in that.
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that, I was blown away by this data (and by Rosling's delivery of it). Capitalism is obviously changing the world, making it better for people everywhere. I'm thinking all those liberal politicians (like John Edwards for example, or the "O" himself) who base their campaigns on this redistribute the wealth BS need to go back to the drawing board.
Buck, the best statistical graphic EVER DRAWN was done WAAAAY before computers by Charles Joseph Minard depicting Napoleon's Moscow campaign advance & retreat in terms of losses. Google it--it'll water your eyes! ESPECIALLY considering when it was produced!
ReplyDeleteDan: I've had the same experience with presentations as you have... effectiveness is 98% vested in the skills of the presenter. And Rosling is QUITE good at what he does. Some folks have NO business EVER giving a presentation.
ReplyDeleteVirgil: Minard's graphic in the original French is on The Wiki (I LOVE The Wiki!). It IS cool for 1869, but it ain't Rosling. ;-)