THE SCOOP ON DATA VISUALIZATION
Highly recommended, rated M (Must see)!

We have recently come across a wonderful piece of presenting interactive data analysis. Hans Rosling, a researcher of global health at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, analyzes trends in global data like life expectancy and child mortality in a lively, entertaining and highly educational presentation. We think that the movie is well worth your time (some 20 minutes), and it might well prove motivational for students to step into data analysis and statistics.

You can play with the program and data at http://tools.google.com/gapminder/

His 2007 presentation is http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/140 

Hans Rosling, Gapminder named “The Swedish Statistician of the Year” March 21, 2007 

For those of you interested in what goes on outside academia, take a look also at what statistical offices of several countries are doing to improve statistical literacy and interest in data by citizens. Check this out.