How do you present complex data? Look at these visualizations

(cross post from www.ulvog.wordpress.com)

Check out how to present multiple pieces of data from every country on the planet over a 40 year trend in such a way that anyone can get your point.  Professor Hans Rosling has a way of showing extremely complicated data so you can get the idea in a few minutes.

Some examples:

Rate of urbanization correlates to economic development  – visual graph of the portion of population in urban area and GDP per capita for 200 countries over 40 years in less than 5 minutes

Fertility drops with increased life expectancy – As life expectancy grows, number of children per family drops – fertility rate and life expectancy for all countries in the world since 1962 in under 3 minutes

Economic growth and life expectancy – 200 years of data for 200 countries – previously discussed here

I mention these for two reasons.

First, to give an idea on how to present very large volumes of complex data.  Incredible ways to communicate data so it sinks in to the brain, not just present it so it stops at the eyes, as Professor Rosling says.

Second, to get you interested in the 10 and 20 minute presentations by the professor.  Check them out at Youtube.  Great stuff.

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