How many people actually understand charts, graphs, and spreadsheets? Likewise, how often are these displays of data constructed to make us think a certain way? Thanks to the innovation of Hans Rosling and others we can now sift through our own data however we want to in a way that is simple and understandable. This is a great innovation for health since it allows everyone to understand various indicators of good health around the world. Listen to Hans Rosling’s TED talk and check out his program called Gapminder. I recommend the “Africa is not a Country” installation of Gapminder.

Tags: Africa, data, development, Gapminder, global development, Hans Rosling, health, TED