5 ms·

Being Swedish, it's a bit weird that they don't acknowledge that the "young Swedish doctor named Hans Rosling" then went on to become quite famous for other thi

by unwind 7y ago

Being Swedish, it's a bit weird that they don't acknowledge that the "young Swedish doctor named Hans Rosling" then went on to become quite famous for other things, too [1]. Usually things like that are pointed out in texts like these. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Rosling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Rosling EDIT: Fixed a typo.

sambeau 7y ago
I'm British and I had exactly the same thought. It's also surprising that they failed to mention sword-swallowing—any other British news outlet would have shoe-horned that into the pictures no matter how orthogonal (or inappropriate) to the story.
noneeeed 7y ago
I think it's might have been a knowing ommission. This piece is pretty much a transcript of Tim Harford's series "50 Things That Made the Modern Economy". The episodes for that series are only 8 minutes long, so there isn't much time for extra biographical info without sacrificing the main story of the piece. I wouldn't be surprised if this article wasn't just written up by a scribe from the show's script and Harfords byline slapped on it. Harford also presents the excellent series More Or Less, which is all about numbers and statistics in the news. Rosling gets mentioned fairly often, and is clearly something of a personal hero (and friend I think) of Tim's. He knows exactly who he was and what he did. I just don't think there was the time in the programme to cram that in.
- Tomte 7y ago
  > Rosling gets mentioned fairly often, and is clearly something of a personal hero "was", unfortunately.
  - noneeeed 7y ago
    Ineed, sadly. Rosling is one of the people on my "fantasy dinner-party" list.
    - Tomte 7y ago
      If I were POTUS I would have weekly dinners with three to four people I admire. From different fields, but some connecting subject. Presumably the guest would find that stimulating, as well. Everything off-the-record, in an informal atmosphere (some chairs by a fire maybe). Afterwards, the guest list is published (for transparency – but not the subjects that we talked about). I mean, you can have anybody! Nobody declines such an invitation. Do presidents actually do this? I feel it would be the greatest perk.
      - SEJeff 7y ago
        Quite a few people have declined for the current POTUS, but then again, would you want cold fast food and rhetoric shouted at you in the Whitehouse?
        whenchamenia 7y ago
        Lets put petty political posturing aside. If you have any issue you care about, the opportunity is singular. It would be a great waste to decline, no matter the dinner faire.
        SEJeff 7y ago
        Oh I agree with you, but it seems to be a matter of principals.
  - JoBrad 7y ago
    I mean, he probably is still their personal hero, despite having passed.
inimino 7y ago
The phrasing suggested they thought most readers would recognize the name.

by unwind 7y ago

sambeau 7y ago

I'm British and I had exactly the same thought. It's also surprising that they failed to mention sword-swallowing—any other British news outlet would have shoe-horned that into the pictures no matter how orthogonal (or inappropriate) to the story.

noneeeed 7y ago

I think it's might have been a knowing ommission. This piece is pretty much a transcript of Tim Harford's series "50 Things That Made the Modern Economy". The episodes for that series are only 8 minutes long, so there isn't much time for extra biographical info without sacrificing the main story of the piece. I wouldn't be surprised if this article wasn't just written up by a scribe from the show's script and Harfords byline slapped on it. Harford also presents the excellent series More Or Less, which is all about numbers and statistics in the news. Rosling gets mentioned fairly often, and is clearly something of a personal hero (and friend I think) of Tim's. He knows exactly who he was and what he did. I just don't think there was the time in the programme to cram that in.

Tomte 7y ago
> Rosling gets mentioned fairly often, and is clearly something of a personal hero "was", unfortunately.
- noneeeed 7y ago
  Ineed, sadly. Rosling is one of the people on my "fantasy dinner-party" list.
  - Tomte 7y ago
    If I were POTUS I would have weekly dinners with three to four people I admire. From different fields, but some connecting subject. Presumably the guest would find that stimulating, as well. Everything off-the-record, in an informal atmosphere (some chairs by a fire maybe). Afterwards, the guest list is published (for transparency – but not the subjects that we talked about). I mean, you can have anybody! Nobody declines such an invitation. Do presidents actually do this? I feel it would be the greatest perk.
    - SEJeff 7y ago
      Quite a few people have declined for the current POTUS, but then again, would you want cold fast food and rhetoric shouted at you in the Whitehouse?
      - whenchamenia 7y ago
        Lets put petty political posturing aside. If you have any issue you care about, the opportunity is singular. It would be a great waste to decline, no matter the dinner faire.
        SEJeff 7y ago
        Oh I agree with you, but it seems to be a matter of principals.
- JoBrad 7y ago
  I mean, he probably is still their personal hero, despite having passed.

inimino 7y ago

The phrasing suggested they thought most readers would recognize the name.