Hans Rosling: Let my dataset change your mindset

www.ted.com Talking at the US State Department this summer, Hans Rosling uses his fascinating data-bubble software to burst myths about the developing world. Look for new analysis on China and the post-bailout world, mixed with classic data shows.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

[@wingsonthebus]

My favorite TED-Talk. I do not exaggerate when I say that it has taught me more than any class I've ever taken in America's modern "education" system.

[@yasedky]

this is absolutely mandatory to watch! actually, i will watch it several times to make sure that i am fully aware of the data that is mentioned here. I highly encourage everyone to watch this video to the end, and hopefully a more mindful generations with these concepts can help out to shape our world.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Pause the video at 00:23 to see the URL of the software online (Gapminder).

[@Tranceformable]

Thank you for more Hans Rosling! My roommates and I love him. We laughed so hard during the Sweden race.

[@myfavization]

the best comment this guy makes when he says, students are just stating their views based on the year their teacher was born...!! lolz

[@Trazynn]

A new Rosling talk! Awesome. He's got some very lucky students.

[@spartan9180]

a perfect example of an EXCELLENT TED talk. 5 stars!

[@spyglass71]

i think this is a re-post because i've seen this before but it's still amazing to watch & learn

[@jackywushengzong]

Yay, Singapore represent!

[@michaelyang6315]

love it

[@daobagua]

You seemed to have missed his entire point. He is not saying there is no HIV problem in parts of Africa, he is saying that we should be more specific about who we are discussing, so that we can better focus on the real problem, learn more effective ways of dealing with the issue, and solve the problem faster. I think he also combines that with a sense of hope, that our charities are not going to waste, but they are making a difference, this hopefully will promote more charity. Cheers.

[@GronTheMighty]

This guy has made two speeches on ways to use statistical data now that both blew my mind completely - KUDOS to Hans Rosling ; and that's coming from a proud Dane :)

[@JeffreyM641]

best pickup line ever

[@bmiko289]

As a follow up because I need more characters: These are just questions about the foundation in which he interprets the data. The data clearly shows that there have been some extremely positive effects in opportunity for life around the world, but does it correlate to sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness or simply to increase in population, demographics, consumption and an increase in the monetary supply.

[@SergeantBase]

Such an optimistic worldview! I love it!

[@thechosenvin]

feel like cheering as he goes on..

[@coolgreyoneabby]

@passtillborn Population is the size of the dots in the graph. The key to dot size correlating to population size was to the right of the graph

[@JohnTaylor5675]

There's a very strong relationship between health and how long you live. There are always exceptions, but for the most part, it's been pretty definitively shown that if you live longer, it's because you lived healthier and more actively. If you look in the video where he points to income per capita, the calculation is shown to be inflation adjusted. So, yes, it does mean exactly an increase in purchasing power. Not definitive proof. But lower child mortality rates are strong evidence for it.

[@ZaphodBeeblebrox]

Wow - one of the best talks I have found so far - and I watched dozens and hundreds over the last few months... He said the tool is freely available - I could not find it - maybe someone has a link?

[@petitio_principii]

www.gapminder.org/tools/ Sorry, couldn't answer five years ago.

[@otivaeey]

data, very good data presentations.

[@Paulginz]

I already said that I do believe in a strong genetic factor to intelligence, and do not claim that all men are born equal in that sense. It is also pretty much certain statistically speaking that some races will score better on IQ than others, even after removing non-genetic factors. What I am contesting is whether or not the difference is significant compared to other factors. (I doubt we even have the data to make a reliable genetic IQ ranking of races.)

[@SchinTeth]

Interesting speach, somewhat hard to follow on points but nonetheless very interesting

[@sigmasultan8906]

Watching this from a low income(

[@willowtreephoto]

whats all that at the end? is it a BMW commercial trying to appeal to TED watchers?

[@TwistedMesses]

That's a good point. They should add inflation to this tool. It might put America a bit lower on the bracket when the value of currency is considered, and who knows the difference in other currencies.

[@SiliconBong]

Good Answer Squirenetic.

[@maxpegasus1]

Haven't I heard this speech before?

[@Squirenetic]

Read, "Guns, germs & steel" by Jared Diamond

[@Paulginz]

The question marks were intended to indicate that I was asking questions. It's understandable however that you misinterpreted them as signs of sarcasm, given the median public in the youtube comment section. The US makes AK-47s by the way. (Though I guess old russian ones are cheaper.) I just thought that the US was the top producer and exporter in pretty much every category of weapon... so it was a natural suspect.

[@d3str0y3rport]

this is the webpage gapminder org

[@Paulginz]

Anyone alive today comes from a gene line(s) that was fairly successful in evolutionary terms ;-). My off the wall guess is that you are mixing two distinct measures of success: - Social measures of ability (IQ, economic success etc) - Evolutionary measures of success (How many great great grandchildren you have) That said, I do agree that political correctness can have a destructive effect on science. I would however like to see a genetics article claiming that all men are created equal.

[@pentagramparsons]

@meadowfabricsdotcom Please, spelling errors in comments are common, fingers fly over the keyboard, so thats really nothing to spazz out over. And for being a professor, there are a lot of professors et al out there who dont know the first thing about the world, being a professor does not mean you cant or shouldnt scrutinize what they say. Pointing out flaws is not ranting. No gods, no leaders. Question authority.

[@Paulginz]

Food plants are not a good example to prove your point. Lots of the food plants we have today are the result of hybridization. We couldn't have achieved such results using just artificial selection to keep the "best" (at least not in any reasonable amount of time).

[@Squirenetic]

IQ is affected by a number of factors, including: Nutrition, especially during childhood and education (learning to think in the way that IQ tests measure). If you had been given no more than a bowl of rice a day as a child, and hadn't had access to education, chances are you'd make even worse points than the ones you're trying to make now.

[@astrakancafe]

it'll work out somehow

[@otivaeey]

"It's the world department, and we have high hope in you", what is the world department? Can I involve?

After you.

[@vasa107]

A new perspective that obviosly disturbs a lot of people with a backward kind of perspective.

[@Paulginz]

I'm not making stuff up. I just made a rough estimate assuming 1 generation = 20 years. (The recent african origin theory puts the migration at about 60.000 BC). I said 3000 generations, not 3000 years. The racial difference physically isn't so huge. The difference between sexes is many times greater (just look at two skeletons). However, average IQ doesn't depend much on sex. (Although other tests or parts and cognition do vary). I'd expect the racial difference to be much smaller.

[@Ezplain]

i know its such applicable knowledge rather than irrelavent like every graph he puts up slaps your old mindset to hell

[@adj789]

How dare he mention the positive things America does for the world /sarcasm

[@CognosSquare]

statistics ftw!

[@bmiko289]

(3)-Questions for Mr. Rosling and Viewers: 1. Does longevity of life directly correlate to health and well being? Or does it mean that people are provided the opportunity to live longer with health problems that inhibit living life in an active fashion? 2. Does the increase in income mean higher purchasing power for goods and necessities of human life? $1 a day in 1970 surely does not equate to 1$ a day in 2007... 3. Do child mortality rates provide proof for healthier youth and our future?

[@screenflicker1]

they were average people with above average determination

[@thpt]

Increasing family planning availability greatly decreases infant mortality rates. Abstinence-only education farmed out to the world by the previous administration has harmed everyone soooo much.

[@Paulginz]

That's not how breeding works if you want long term results. Genetic diversity is CRITICAL to the long term survival of a group or species. The most obvious reason is adaptability. (our social nature leads to division of tasks as a second reson). High genetic diversity can also have a direct effect on the fitness of a single offspring. This is why pure-bred animals will often be beaten by a good cross-breed. IN-BREEDING is a genetic poison. Introducing "outsiders" is almost always beneficial.

[@omghai2u]

opinions are subjective

[@pentagramparsons]

@Ledwix He explicitly says theres no hiv epidemic in Africa, gives no regard or option for the public to view the population numbers. The graph says plenty of percentage numbers,less about population. People infected in South Africa is about 6 million in a country of 44 million. Thats not an epidemic? And about the race issue? Whos viewing it as that? Illitaracy in the US concerns about 4 million people nationwide,real problem in America,a nation of nations in all but name. Is that a local one?

[@pcuimac]

Did you see to many "Andromeda Ascendant" shows? Do you think of yourself as a "Nietzschean"?

[@mkarnerfors]

Ugh... you are joking, surely. Swedish all wrong for the english language. We (yes, I'm a swede too) speak with the tip of our tongues. English is more spoken with the back of the tongue. So when you suddenly start speaking english with the tip of the tongue, it just gets, bleah, complete torture to the ear. :-P Oh course the opposite apply too: a natve english-speaking person trying to talk in swedish, ending up with that drawl that unavoidably comes with trying to use the back of the tongue.

[@Adveloq]

No, but something similar to it.

[@MeatMutant]

"A thank to the US taxpayers !" is awesome.

[@omghai2u]

yes we are not equal because of our upbringings. but you cant try and tell me that if one of those minorities you are talking about was raised in what could be universally agreed upon a good home, with out any of the negative influences that plague their lives today, that they wouldstill follow in the same path

[@DigitalAssassin]

It's a BMW ad paying for TED.

[@jwfcp]

it doesnt spread disease. what makes a better society? 1-3 kids or 5-7? people getting their bone on every day is a given.

[@Paulginz]

That doesn't sound right. Does south America even have large enough production facilities for it's own consumption? (Or are we talking about weapons that the US sells to south american armies who then resell them to mexico?)

[@Squirenetic]

Please good sir, lay off the caps lock key. Condom usage in the world is being actively discouraged by a number of institutions, one of them being the catholic church. In countries (Sweden for example) which are sexually liberated and where condoms carry no stigma, but rather are seen as a given in a new sexual encounter, rates of STD's are correspondingly low. Men in sexually repressive socities are also more prone to visit prostitutes, who become hubs of STD spread. If you want figures, google

[@Paulginz]

PS: Your opinion that races are "too different" to have diverged in only 3000 generations doesn't count as constructive evidence. This is not my area of expertise, and I think we can at least agree that neither position is untenable. On the other hand, If we can resume the previous topic and/or you can point me to some statistical study that supports attributing the racial IQ divide to genetics (or even better, some data), that would be very kind.

[@jwfcp]

Yes, except YOU dont decide what is best. What is best is what is best for having survived to reproduce. how do all horses survive to breed when there are too many horses to be supported by the environment? The best survive.

[@pcuimac]

Did you think for one second? How can you call producing 6*10^9 cars and fueling them with carbon based liquids sustainable? It would only be possible if we used 100% energy from sun and wind and hydrogen cell technology and if we recycle all the materials from old cars. But that solution is nowhere in sight. We will have plus 6 degree celius in 2050 if we go on like we did the last 50 years. Educate yourself.

[@Paulginz]

Recreative sex has at the very least recreative value. If recreative sex had no value prostitution wouldn't be much of a business. You overestimate the value of reproductive sex because you use narrow-minded self-centered interpretation of evolution. IMHO there is a complex trade-off between quantity and quality of life. Hence a significant improvement of humanity's quality of life as a whole can be a more productive life goal than maximising #offspring (both personal and total).

[@FlameDarkfire]

Skinny as a rail, can inhale a bowl of ramen, and can put a Saiyan to shame at DDR. Yep, about what I’d expect of a Japanese man.

[@ChadMILLER0]

No one chastizes anyone else for praising America. There's no conspiracy. It's just that America seldomly does something praiseworthy. USA #1! ...in arrogance, and not much else, lately. So, yay, US mandates that its data are public domain. It's really excellent. But, witness serious erosion of that, just recently. Representatives in congress (all Republican) have many times tried to close the open publication of NOAA and NHS data, so that private weather companies can make money off of it.

[@Shigren]

I think its kinda cute. *cough* I mean i'm gonna go eat some steak and do some push ups.

[@XRG124]

On your 2nd point as are you that naive to think that he wouldn't adjust for inflation.

[@zeytelaloi]

jag vet xD

[@helenicepaula4877]

Vichi não Deus para ver ...

[@Paulginz]

Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand your position. Are you saying that the scientific literature covers the issue and concludes that we are unequal, covers the issue and concludes that we are equal, or doesn't cover the issue? I don't think race is the determining factor. It's a fact anyone can observe that IQ (to choose an arbitrary measure) has a genetic component, and no serious biologist since cold war russia will deny that. Poverty and segregation statistically explain the divide.

[@Squirenetic]

hearing others sharing your native language speak English with an accent is horrible because it reminds you of the fact that you probably have a similar accent even though you don´t want to acknowledge it or can't hear it yourself. I find Mr. Rosling very hard to listen to for this very reason, though I happily endure it for the quality of his content.

[@DaDunge]

Singapore is a tax haven city sate though it's not really the same as a real country with territorial extent.

[@Maestroxxx1]

tytytytytytyty ^^

[@jwfcp]

oh how is "your" kind is so much better, when you cant even put together a sentence? why would the "bad strains" of people even need to be remedied? if "they"re so "bad", then they wont be able to provide for their children by being a productive part of society. oh wait "they" can and thats all that matters.

[@labonka]

Mathematical pornography, like most TED.

[@jwfcp]

I discussed the claims you made about yourself, so no, it wasn't ad hominem.

[@jwfcp]

Yeah, thats kinda my point, why are you on such a high horse about what others do their selves with who they choose? double standard much?

[@nekedemus]

Gapminder(dot)org

[@jwfcp]

Who's famous for it? hannibal lector isnt real Buffalo Bill isnt real Freddy Krueger isnt real Norman Bates isnt real I dont think you could build a rocket either.

[@leafsoup]

bmw has sponsored TED for like... Ever?

[@Paulginz]

Yes, promiscuous people who don't use protection are the main spreaders of STDs. (This includes classical western adultery and classical western prostitution. (But not strictly regulated legal prostitution)) However, I don't understand where "across genders" comes into the picture. (e.g. lesbian sex is in general safer than heterosexual sex)

[@qaewwadscc3981]

Biases within biases, fallacies within fallacies that all you have huh Hans? Good on you then, sticking with what you know.

[@pcuimac]

Why are you shouting all the time? The time since people came out of africa to different parts of the world was rather short. We did only adapt our skincolour and minor features to local conditions. But the brain is our most valuable feature. All populations are under pressure to be intelligent and develop tools to survive. So there is no cause for some human population to become so dumb that you can measure it. You only want to rationalize you being a racist. (sorry for bad english)