A fascinating perspective on big numbers

I saw the following diagram on a talk by David McCandless on TED. It is fascinating. More on David here.

Some interesting points to note:

1. The enormity of the cost of the Iraq war, especially when compared to feeding AND educating every child on the planet for 5 years. In fact, you can educate and feed them more than 6 times for 5 years!
2. The US defence budget, compared to China and Russia.
3. The yearly amount given to chairty by Americans, which is 3 times more than the foreign aid given by the world's major nations. The Americans may like to make war (or at least Bush does), but they are very generous. It will be interesting to see how big the overlap is between the generous Americans and the warring Americans...
4. The global illegal drug market is almost as large as worldwide advertising spend.
5. Bill Gates has his own block...
6. Bribes received by Russian officials are of similar value than the global illegal drug market... There must be some pretty rich officials.
7. Africa's entire debt to the Western world. Can't be more than a few months of war in Iraq!

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Price point for applications : Did it start too low?

Sometimes we don’t think twice about whipping out our wallets for certain items – be they cups of coffee or the latest gadgets – but apps for our iPhones? We need to think about those for a while.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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This makes me proud to be South African!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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I want a pair of these!

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Purpose

Dean Kamen talks about his work on providing robotic prosthetics to soldiers who lost arms and legs. It is an incredible talk that illustrates the purpose and emotion that comes with doing something truly meaningful.

Puts work and meaning in your work into perspective.

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Gamers. An insanely talented future resource...

This talk about gaming and its role in creating the future is breathtaking. Forget the Best Job in the World on a Queensland island. In my books, this lady has the best job in the world.

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Legislating wealth distribution

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend,  is about the  end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

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