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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.

7 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 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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