Hans Rosling

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Hans Rosling (27 July 1948 – 7 February 2017) was a Swedish physician, academic, and public speaker. He was a professor of international health at Karolinska Institute and co-founder and chairman of the Gapminder Foundation, which developed the Trendalyzer software system. Rosling was known for his work in global health and his ability to present complex data in an engaging and accessible manner.

Early Life and Education

Hans Rosling was born in Uppsala, Sweden. He studied statistics and medicine at Uppsala University and later earned a degree in public health from St. John's Medical College in Bangalore, India. He completed his medical training at Uppsala University and became a licensed physician in 1976.

Career

Rosling's career began in the field of public health, where he worked in rural areas of Mozambique during the late 1970s. His research focused on the causes and effects of a paralytic disease that was later identified as konzo. This work led to his doctoral thesis on the subject, which he completed in 1986.

In 1993, Rosling became a professor of international health at Karolinska Institute. He co-founded the Gapminder Foundation in 2005 with his son, Ola Rosling, and daughter-in-law, Anna Rosling Rönnlund. The foundation's mission is to promote a fact-based worldview through the use of data visualization tools.

Contributions to Data Visualization

Rosling was renowned for his innovative use of data visualization to communicate complex global health trends. The Trendalyzer software, developed by the Gapminder Foundation, uses animated bubble charts to display statistical data over time. This tool was later acquired by Google in 2007.

Rosling's presentations, often delivered with humor and enthusiasm, made extensive use of Trendalyzer to illustrate global development trends. His TED Talks, particularly "The best stats you've ever seen" and "How not to be ignorant about the world," have been viewed millions of times and have significantly influenced public understanding of global health issues.

Publications

Hans Rosling co-authored the book Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think with his son Ola Rosling and daughter-in-law Anna Rosling Rönnlund. The book, published posthumously in 2018, emphasizes the importance of a fact-based worldview and challenges common misconceptions about global development.

Death and Legacy

Hans Rosling passed away on 7 February 2017 from pancreatic cancer. His legacy continues through the ongoing work of the Gapminder Foundation and the widespread use of data visualization in public health and education.

Related Pages

• Gapminder Foundation
• Trendalyzer
• Factfulness
• Karolinska Institute
• TED Talks

See Also

• Global health
• Data visualization
• Public health

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