Capitalogix

Misled by a Map: The True Size of Africa Might Surprise You

Here is jigsaw graphic that shows the size of Africa relative to other countries.

 

via Kai Krause.

 

This video from the second season of "West Wing" presents other misleading map distortions. 

 

 

 

Interesting stuff ...  Click here for more.

 

Here Are Some Links to Start Your Week

We just passed the five-year anniversary of economic stimulus.

 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• Are We Alone in the Universe? (NYTimes)
• Some of the Most Plausible Scenarios for Alien Civilizations. (Io9)
• Lockheed Martin Working on a Spy Plane that Can Fly Anywhere on Earth—in an Hour. (Newser)
• The Future of Health Tech Is Going to Try to Improve Your Life In 2014. (TechCrunch)
• Six Famous Thought Experiments, Animated in 60 Seconds Each. (Brain Pickings)

 

Trading Links:

• Are Banks Obsolete? (Forbes)
• How close are we to the self-driving car age? (The New Yorker)
• Drone Deliveries May Be a Sideshow to Amazon’s Real Ambition for the Skies. (Quartz)
• Why colonize planets when you can colonize outer space? (Dvorak)
• A “Future-Hunter” Examines the Dangers of Stock Trading at the Speed of Light. (ScientificAmerican)

Hans Rosling: Here's How Data Can Solve the World's Most Challenging Problems

Swedish academic and Gapminder Foundation co-founder Hans Rosling says data doesn't always back up our conceptions about the world.

In the video, below, Rosling explains that our ideas about developed and developing countries largely reflect the reality of fifty years ago, rather than today.

   

This video, The River of Myth, was released to coincide with Bill Gates' annual letter, and shares its emphasis on the power of measuring to achieve progress.

  

Related articles

Hans Rosling - The Health and Wealth of Nations

Why washing machines are important [Hans Rosling TED Talk]

Han Rosling's View of the World Through Public Data on Live Expectancy Vs. Income

How Long Does it Take to Earn $1M in Different Countries?

How long would it take for an average person to earn a million dollars?

To find out, the Economist looked at how much the main breadwinner in an average household makes each year (before tax).

 

 

On this measure, America creates the swiftest millionaires, and also the most (around 5m households, or 4% of the total). South of the border, Mexicans can expect to work for three centuries to earn the same amount.

Related articles

The Million-Dollar Illusion

Most millionaires don't consider themselves wealthy

Income Inequality Worsens: Ranks Of Millionaires Swell As Poor Tread Water

Many Americans Earn More Than They Think They Do

The 5 Hardest Working Countries On The Planet

Asia By the Numbers - A Growing Opportunity

A lot of smart traders are putting greater emphasis and focus on Asia. 

More Than Half Of The World's Population Lives Inside This Circle.

Take a look at this simple, but eye-opening, take on global population distribution.

There are more Muslims in the circle than outside of it. There are more Hindus in the circle than outside of it. There are more Buddhists in the circle than outside of it. Moreover, the circle pulls all of this off while being mostly water and including the most sparsely populated country on earth (Mongolia).

 

via valeriepieris on Reddit

 

OK, the 'circle' in this image is not actually a circle  (it is a Winkel Tripel projection, to be precise), but that's besides the point.

By 2050, the U.N. predicts that 3.3 billion people will live just in Asia’s cities.

Clearly, a lot of people in the circle ... Yet, the chart below highlights why traders expect and believe that more smart money will move there.

 

by Aberdeen.

 

Related articles

Coming to terms with the Asian century

What 500 Startups Sees In Southeast Asia: Insights From Dave McClure [VIDEO]

Global population to hit 11bn by 2100

Watch as Astronaut Chris Hadfield Covers Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ in Space

Life imitating Art.

Here is a version of David Bowie's Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.

Hadfield is not only an astronaut, he is a social media star who invited the world to experience space differently by sharing the photos and videos he captured during his stay on the International Space Station.

 

 

With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here's Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World. youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9d…

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) May 12, 2013

 

 

In the clip, Hadfield floats around the space station singing the 1969 track (with modified lyrics such as, “Ground control to Major Tom, lock your Soyuz hatch and put your helmet on,”) and playing an acoustic guitar while gazing at Earth from space.

Kind of fun to watch.

 

Bill Gates Annual Letter - Why The 'Right' Measures Matter

Why does measurement matter?

Bill Gates explores this question in his 2013 Annual Letter, highlighting innovations in measurement that are helping to eradicate poverty and disease.

 

Download Bill Gates' 2013 Annual Letter in PDF format.

Also see his "My Hope for 2030" video.

 

Related articles

10 Key Takeaways From Bill Gates' Annual Letter

What Bill Gates Is Focusing On In 2013

Bill Gates says he has no use for money... He is doing 'God's work'

Bill Gates says Steve Jobs was "always cooler than me"

If the World Were 100 People ...

As we enter 2013, the world population has surpassed 7 billion people.

How can we get a sense of what it means ... and who we are?

One way is by statistically representing the world population as 100 people.  That way, complex issues become more comprehensible and help us get a stronger sense of the big picture.

Here is a video introduction to the 100 Person Project.

 

The 100 People Project: An Introduction from 100 People Foundation on Vimeo.

 

And here is an infographic of some of the highlights of the research.

 

by KVSStudio. Check out our data visualization blog.

 

If the World were 100 PEOPLE:

50 would be female
50 would be male

26 would be children
There would be 74 adults,
8 of whom would be 65 and older

There would be:
60 Asians
15 Africans
14 people from the Americas
11 Europeans

33 Christians
22 Muslims
14 Hindus
7 Buddhists
12 people who practice other religions
12 people who would not be aligned with a religion

12 would speak Chinese
5 would speak Spanish
5 would speak English
3 would speak Arabic
3 would speak Hindi
3 would speak Bengali
3 would speak Portuguese
2 would speak Russian
2 would speak Japanese
62 would speak other languages

83 would be able to read and write; 17 would not

7 would have a college degree
22 would own or share a computer

77 people would have a place to shelter them
from the wind and the rain, but 23 would not

1 would be dying of starvation
15 would be undernourished
21 would be overweight

87 would have access to safe drinking water
13 people would have no clean, safe water to drink

 

If you want more information on this ...

The detailed research and source information can be found here and the statistics provided by Donella Meadows in 1990 that originally inspired the 100 People Project can be viewed here. A different groups research is here. And the Snopes research is here.

Can Germany Save Itself and the Euro Zone?

The Euro Zone is safe; at least someone is propping up the euro.

The picture was taken last week in the financial center of Frankfurt, Germany. The handmade signs in the foreground are part of the Occupy Frankfurt movement, which is still active a year after it started.
 

 

This visit to Germany prompted some questions. While my observations are not scientific (nor statistically relevant) I'll share a few of them with you anyway.

First, there seemed to be a pervading sense of wariness and weariness. I heard many people express concerns about the economy and the future. "Zeitgeist" is a German word that means spirit of the times ... and the spirit here seems somewhat dampened, despite a 24% gain in the German DAX Index this year.

Second, native Germans are not having babies at the rate they used to. This would typically result in an aging population. However, it seems to have triggered a major influx of immigrants from other countries in the region, like Turkey, but also from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Muslim nations.

Third, while stereotypical, my sense is that the German national identity was somewhat tied to "craftsmanship". But as their economy manufactures less, it's as if the nation struggles to figure out what it will become. 

Fourth, while America may be a melting pot, historically Germany hasn't been.  So, it isn't hard to imagine the cognitive dissonance felt by a Germans  who don't know how to respond to a Germany that is becoming less "German".

As a result, this newly diverse population is struggling to decide how to allocate resources.

I'm reminded of the warning flight attendants give you on an airplane; if the oxygen masks are deployed, make sure you use them yourself first, before trying to help someone else, because it's tough to help somebody else if you're incapacitated.

By many measures, Germany is the strongest nation in its region. However, the burdens of a new economy and a new world order are hard to ignore.

It may pay to remember the saying: "Pigs get meaner as troughs get smaller."

A Trip to Singapore is Making Me Re-Consider "What's Hot"

I am in Singapore.

 

 

 

 

Southeast Asia is hot ... temperature wise, and also because a lot of smart money is paying increased attention to opportunities here.

 

Outside, cranes are everywhere -- so are many other signs of impressive growth and vibrancy.

 
Downtown, condos are selling for $2,000 per square foot.

 
Traders know Momentum is something to follow.  So, what are some trends worth paying attention to now?  

 
Algo Trading, Big Data, the Cloud, and Southeast Asia come to mind quickly.

 
What are some others areas you sense are focus-worthy?