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Debunking third-world myths

 
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:17 pm    Post subject: Debunking third-world myths Reply with quote
A really incredible lecture about the state of the "Third World".

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/92
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mindmetoo



Joined: 02 Feb 2004
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Now only if I could download it to watch on my PDA.

Oh wait.

http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/HANSROSLING_high.flv

That might be the flash video. (I got software to convert flv to video formats.)

Last edited by mindmetoo on Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:40 pm; edited 1 time in total
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
mindmetoo wrote:
Now only if I could download it to watch on my PDA.


You can! On the right hand side there is a link to download it.
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mindmetoo



Joined: 02 Feb 2004
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
thepeel wrote:
mindmetoo wrote:
Now only if I could download it to watch on my PDA.


You can! On the right hand side there is a link to download it.


Ah yes. Mp4 tho. My pda won't play mp4. Apple and their rights. I think I figured out a way to get the flv format. I have a firefox add on that's usually pretty good at sucking the flv from youtube and various other sources.
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
What is the firefox ad on?
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mindmetoo



Joined: 02 Feb 2004
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
thepeel wrote:
What is the firefox ad on?


https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006

It's got a weird interface but it will suck down the flash video file usually. Never been able to find a progress bar. It seems to dl the video about 2x speed. So a 1 hour video might take 30 minutes to DL. Maybe 4x speed. I dl'd a 2.5 hour Randi video in what seemed about an hour+.

Once you get the flv file I use this app:

http://youtubedownload.altervista.org/

to convert the flv into various formats. One nice feature is it will just dupe down the audio only in the form of an MP3. Some videos (like lectures) are just as "watchable" as mp3 sound files on your mp3 player.
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm bumping this. Cause it is seldom that positive news is aggregated like in this video.

Anybody else watch it?
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mindmetoo



Joined: 02 Feb 2004
PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 1:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
thepeel wrote:
I'm bumping this. Cause it is seldom that positive news is aggregated like in this video.

Anybody else watch it?


I watched it. Interesting graphs. I don't much disagree with his points. Although I think you're going to find that people here who agree will be motivated to watch it. If you want to generate some debate, I'd summarize some of the major points you find compelling.
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 1:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here is the summary TED provided:

You've never seen data presented like this. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, Hans Rosling debunks myths about the so-called "developing world" using extraordinary animation software developed by his Gapminder Foundation. The Trendalyzer software (recently acquired by Google) turns complex global trends into lively animations, making decades of data pop. Asian countries, as colorful bubbles, float across the grid -- toward better national health and wealth. Animated bell curves representing national income distribution squish and flatten. In Rosling's hands, global trends -- life expectancy, child mortality, poverty rates -- become clear, intuitive and even playful.

I'll watch it again later and make more specific points. But it isn't election, god or Ron Paul related...
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caniff



Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I watched it (and a few other talks as well - good site). Really amazing to see how much the developing world has changed over just the last 30 or so years.

He made the point that good health generally precedes wealth creation (which I suppose seemed sort of counter-intuitive to me).

Asia has made absolutely amazing strides. Africa is still largely a basketcase vis-a-vis the rest of the world.
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mindmetoo



Joined: 02 Feb 2004