In this TED presentation, Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, uses some new software to make new points from old data. For me, the primary point is that our common notions about developed and developing countries, particularly along the lines of health and wealth, are often quite wrong. Specifically, Rosling shows that the usual idea that health and wealth are split between developed and developing countries is not really supported by available data. The fact is that we're moving (in some cases quite quickly) towards a world that is more similar in socio-economic terms, even though there are substantial differences between the richest and poorest. And, furthermore, the differences exist within regions and even within individual countries. I think we all know this, but Rosling's presentation, using the tool Gapminder, shows how easy it is to visualize these ideas.

So, our world is not one of "have" and "have-not" regions and countries; it's one world with substantial differences between rich and poor in all regions. So we reallly need to look at our own local context and environment; we need to have access to our own local socio-economic datasets. Maybe with accurate local data we can understand how to make local changes. Speaking personally, I think this can help me move away from a global "us / them" view to one that's local, grounded in my day-to-day experience, and more practical.

Tools like Gapminder, and the software APIs to systems like Google Earth, can enable us to see things differently. And seeing the world differently is one thing we need in order to make a different world.