In this video, Hans Rosling uses beautiful data visualization tools in order to
combat preconceived notions of the world (i.e WE and developing countries). Most of
the data shows change over time in regards to certain variables. Some of the notable
discussions involve shifting towards a more even playing field in terms of lifespan,
wealth and health. One, shows the shift over time from countries on average having a
larger family with a shorter lifespan, towards having a smaller family with a longer
lifespan, which was already fairly popular amongst WE countries. Other graphs show,
different types of representation through shifts of income, how countries who developed
health first and then wealth have a faster rate of development, and how the context of
data can affect how data is perceived.
The use of different graphs/data visualization structures throughout the video
greatly enhanced my understanding of the presented topics. Rosling did a great job of
displaying relevant data in a way that easily reflected his “why” factor(s). One thing that
really helped me understand the complex topics as someone unfamiliar with his field,
was how he broke up larger areas of understanding into smaller bits. For example,
some of the data was showcased for different years while some was broken continent,
then region, then country, then county, etc. Rosling excelled by using a tool that makes
complicated data easy to understand and interesting!