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Pioneering Data Genius Hans Rosling Passes Away At Age 68 (bbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the rest-in-peace dept.

An anonymous reader writes: On Tuesday, Sweden's prime minister tweeted that Hans Rosling "made human progress across our world come alive for millions," and the public educator will probably best be remembered as the man who could condense 200 years of global history into four minutes. He was a geek's geek, a former professor of global health who "dropped out" because he wanted to help start a nonprofit about data. Specifically, it urged data-based decisions for global development policy, and the Gapminder foundation created the massive Trendalyzer tool which let users build their own data visualizations. Eventually they handed off the tool to Google who used it with open-source scientific datasets. The BBC describes Rosling as a "public educator" with a belief that facts "could correct 'global ignorance' about the reality of the world, which 'has never been less bad.'" Rosling's TED talks include "The Best Data You've Never Seen" and "How Not To Be Ignorant About The World," and in 2015 he also gave a talk titled "How to Beat Ebola." Hans Rosling died Tuesday at age 68.

19 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. His dream will never be realized by smooth+wombat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    with a belief that facts "could correct 'global ignorance' about the reality of the world,

    As we are seeing first hand, facts don't matter.

    --
    We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    1. Re:His dream will never be realized by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      And neither does spelling, apparently.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    2. Re:His dream will never be realized by Tablizer · · Score: 2

      As we are seeing first hand, facts don't matter.

      They do matter, many just don't get accurate facts, or get conflicting sub-sets of facts such that they use "gut feelings" to sort them out--and guts are often wrong and manipulate-able.

      We should probably also view T as an experiment. Many whose families lost jobs when factories closed or migrated away probably agree that automation is a bigger threat to that kind of work than China or Mexico.

      BUT enough of them were willing to gamble that T was partly or mostly right about "unfair trade" being the primary cause of such losses that they pulled the lever and let the proverbial fruits spin.

      This is a nation of immigrants who often took great risks in ships and covered wagons to find a new and better life. After all, if you could afford a covered wagon and supplies or sailing ship ticket, you probably had the means to stay put in relative comfort. Those who liked playing it safe stayed home in Europe or what-not.

      As a nation we are inherent gamblers, and T is a big shiny orange slot machine. Whether he spits out more coins than bullsh&t is still arguably open...

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    3. Re:His dream will never be realized by Trogre · · Score: 1

      Oh really? Care to elaborate?

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    4. Re:His dream will never be realized by ZorroXXX · · Score: 1

      - Follow those that seek the truth, run from those that claim to have found it.

      --
      When you are sure of something, you probably are wrong (search for "Unskilled and Unaware of It").
  2. Re:Really editors??? by TWX · · Score: 1

    It sounds like your pubic area has a lot of education but zero real-world experience.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  3. Re:Pubic educator? by imidan · · Score: 1

    The odd thing is, they revised the summary but still left the word 'pubic' there.

  4. He was an inspiration by memoriesofgreen · · Score: 1

    A real genius

    --
    in the long run, we're all dead anyway.
  5. Facts matter more than ever by SuperKendall · · Score: 1, Insightful

    As we are seeing first hand, facts don't matter.

    The election showed us that facts matter more than ever; once the facts of Hillary's emails and treatment of Sanders came to light, she lost even though a lot of people disliked Trump a great deal.

    The media has showed us that a lack of facts of disaster; the approval rating for traditional media is now at something like 14%.

    Facts matter more than ever now, but the facts must be carefully vetted or people will not believe them - with good reason, because so many people are trying to claim things as "facts" that simply are not so.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  6. Re:Bollocks by Jailbrekr · · Score: 1

    As opposed to heresay and anaecdotal evidence, amirite?

    --
    Feed the need: Digitaladdiction.net
  7. sad loss by ooloorie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Rosling was a voice of reason and sanity. He will be missed.

    1. Re:sad loss by ceoyoyo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Judging by the comments so far in this thread the work he so brilliantly started has a long way to go. I hope his foundation successfully continues his legacy.

    2. Re:sad loss by retroworks · · Score: 2

      Back in 2006 or 2007, he identified Journalists as way behind students (who were behind random chimpanzees) in correctly answering questions about "third world". Journalists have been living in 1970 when it comes to "lesser developed countries", apparently blowback to their profession from decades of "if it bleeds, it leads". I had my kids all watch his vids while in high school, there was no one like him.

      --
      Gently reply
  8. Re:Allah is evil by ooloorie · · Score: 1

    I prefer PBAJ to PBUH.

  9. Re:Bollocks by avandesande · · Score: 1

    huge amount of statistical crap

    agreed. I would put that figure at roughly 67.35%, but only when spouting.

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
  10. Reality is a vengeful bitch. by denzacar · · Score: 2

    You are confusing the ability of an ignorant person to shoot its own foot off, despite being told not to do it, by well informed people, cause it will hurt - with irrelevance of the facts.

    Facts matter. Cause facts are reality.
    And reality is a vengeful bitch even when you're paying attention to her every whim.
    You may not have noticed it yet cause it's only starting to rain, and you haven't been paying attention, but that what's coming along down the road is a 4-year-long shitstorm.
    And the shit that will rain will stink for a long time.

    It's what happens when people willfully ignore facts.
    They can consider themselves lucky if they only end up losing that one foot.
    But the market for cheap battery powered wheelchairs will be YUUUUGEEE!!!
    Meaning they will be made in China.

    Which IS something Rosling didn't take into account. That while China and India will rise, USA will sabotage itself.
    Sad.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  11. Population population population by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How has the summary and every commenter so far missed his contribution toward clearly presenting the facts of world population growth? Ideas like "peak child", "population fill-in", that population Is going to level off at 11billion within the next 70 years. I've heard a few people criticize Hans' work in population but they never give facts or citations, which Hans provides in spades.
    DON'T PANIC â" Hans Rosling showing the facts about population

  12. Re:Bollocks by slashrio · · Score: 1

    I miss him already. :(

    --
    "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  13. Re:Bollocks by segedunum · · Score: 1

    You probably didn't mean to, but you've inadvertently made my point for me.