Hans Rosling — the founder of Gapminder and the visionary Swedish professor of global health, who used data to debunk pervasive development myths — has died at age 68.
Rosling, a physician and epidemiologist, is renowned for advocating for more accurate data about development and employing creative visual aids — from building blocks to graphics — to make that data more compelling. He was a professor of global health at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet, before leaving to work full time on Gapminder, the development statistics and education foundation that he ran with his son and daughter-in-law.
Millions watched his online talks and presentations, which brought his ideas to a worldwide audience. Working as an advisor to development leaders, technology companies and politicians including Al Gore, he was recognized as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People globally in 2012.