Anyone see it? Rather good I thought

if you regularly create/use statistics/statistical tools would you find it dull/dumbed down? Havent watched it, but finger hanging over iPlayer button…

no, not dumbed down. In fact it presents an emerging approach to statistics, which has little to do with the way it was developed 90 years ago.

I project manage for a charity and tend to use data to analyse demands for service, attendance, diagnosis etc. I have only started to use pivot tables and suchlike in recent years and have to say that I am fascinated by the subject. That said for someone with a greater depth in the field it may be a tad patronising. The guy presenting it is very enthusiastic through, and the graphical visualisations are very impressive!

the visualisations are more powerful and meaning full than the traditional outdated descriptive and inferential statistics we teach in school and beyond

This is the programme presented by the Swedish guy, yes?

If so, yes, I watched it ages ago – it’s been repeated a few times AFAIK. It’s excellent IMO. Not dumbed down at all. As CM, says, the visualisations (I remember in particular the Life Expectancy stuff) are superb. Also, the stuff about the various curves was also very good.

Stoner, I’d say it might be a but too entertaining for you – not enough nerdy excel stuff possibly 😛

And, the presenter’s enthusiasm was infectious.

possibly 🙂

If you like enthusiastic mathematicians if you get a chance to watch Marcus du Sautoy present anything, he’s top fun geek.

Yep, currently recording his Story of Mathematics which is re-running on Beeb4 to watch again. I could watch him doing a programme about prime numbers all day. He always bridges the gap between not dumbing down and keeping it interesting.

How what would you say the visualisations are written in?

How what would you say the visualisations are written in?

what?

The Hans Rosling visualisations look like they were written in java or similar, but could just as easily have been written in Flash.

I guess I’m just asking how one would go about presenting data in such a way.

this is quite cool for presenting data

never had a chance to get too in depth with it though.

yeh, saw that a while ago. Love all those sciency type programmes that always seem to be tucked away on BBC4. Isn’t that what BBC2 is for though? or is it too much to expect the ordinary viewer to flip from Eastenders or The News to something more interesting and absorbing.

As Charlie points out stats is now about visualisation, both to gain insight and communicate findings. It’s the future – if you’re numerically minded and can program this is the area to get into. Firms who do it well are racking in the money and turning away lots of work.

Check out Hans Rosling’s videos on TED, and play with the data on the gapminder website. Careful, though, you’ll learn stuff.

was on a few months back. Maybe I’m getting older, but I find myself watching more and more BBC4 recently. Great documentary.

Firms who do it well are racking in the money and turning away lots of work

Know any of these firms Jon?

A couple in the States i’ve heard talk of. That’s where it has really taken off.

PSA: new series from Marcus de Sautoy coming up on BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/features/code/

I enjoyed it, led me on to this site….
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/

I like the Billion Dollar and Pound O grams