The stats of global health

Live session discussion - task review

The questions on page 1 of the preparation materials were designed to guide you to some of the main points that Rosling was making in his talk. He was not just describing the data that was on the screen. A key idea that runs through his talk is that 'data is often better than people think', and that sometimes our intuitions about the world are incorrect. Compare your notes that you made to the following questions:

1. At the start of the lecture, Rosling describes how he performed a test for his students at Karolina Institute in Sweden. What did he discover that surprised him?

2. How did his students initially perceive the world?

3. What point is he making when he compares Vietnam to the United States?

4. At about 9.30 in the talk, Rosling 'splits the bubbles'. What lesson does he draw from comparing Sierra Leone with Mauritius?

5. What is the purpose of the comparison between Brazil, South Korea and Uganda that he makes at about 12:00?

6. Why does Rosling claim that there cannot be one solution for improving life in Africa?

Live session - critical discussion

1. What interesting trends did you discover while exploring the three data sites on page 1?

2. What do you think might be the causes behind some of these trends?

3. Which assignments might these sites be particularly useful for this term? What information specifically would you look for?

4. What do you think might be some of the causes behind the following trends? Do you think they are set to continue?

   • Wars between countries are declining.

   • Cyber attacks are increasing.

   • Wealth inequality between developing and developed countries is decreasing.

   • Wealth inequality within developed countries is increasing.

   • Opposition to same sex marriage is decreasing.

   • Political tribalism is increasing.