Hans Rosling : Factfulness

Hans Rosling's Factfulness Test From His New Book | Questions & Answers

Last week, I bought this book and it’s really fun, though, I was sorry that I've just known that the writer of this book passed away Two years ago. Two years ago, l was happily reading his 10 TED talks and thinking that l wanted his son who also wrote this book with him to wear glasses like him. That time, he had become ill already. Thank you for writing and leaving the book for us. I could have 10 correct answers and it’s probably because l must have read his 10 TED talks, it’s said that the majority of people score worse than chimpanzees, though.

The book “Factfulness”  tells us that there are ten reasons why things are better than you think. It’s because we, humans, have 10 instincts thus we couldn't see our world right. Those are the gap, negativity, straight line, fear, size, generation, destiny, single, blame, and urgency instincts. Yes, I also think about the reason of blame always, however, even the media is wrong, it means to blame someone, the things are not solved.

After trying 13 questions, his countermeasure, “Rules of Thumb” must help us.

1. In all low-income countries across the world today, how many girls finish primary school?
A. 20% B. 40% or C. 60%?

2. Where does the majority of the world population live?
A. Low income countries B. Middle income countries or C. High income countries?

3. In the last 20 years the proportion of the world population living in extreme poverty has?
A. almost doubled B. remained more or less the same or C. almost halved?

4. What is the life expectancy of the world today?
A. 50 years B. 60 years or C. 70 years?

5. There are 2 billion children in the world today aged 0-15 years old, how many children will there be in year 2100 according to the United Nations?
A. 4 billion B. 3 billion or C. 2 billion?

6. The UN predicts that by 2100 the world population will have increased by another 4 billion people, what is the main reason?
A. There will be more children aged below 15 B. There will be more adults aged 15-74 or C. There will be more very old people aged 75 and older?

7. How did the number of deaths per year from natural disasters change over the last 100 years?
A. More than doubled B. Remained about the same or C. Decreased to less than half?

8. There are roughly 7 billion people in the world today, which options more accurately represents where they live?
A. 1 billion in Europe, 4 billion in Asia, 1 billion in Africa and 1 billion in America.
B. 1 billion in Europe, 3 billion in Asia, 2 billion in Africa and 1 billion in America
or
C. 1 billion in Europe, 3 billion in Asia, 1 billion in Africa and 2 billion in America?

9. How many of the world's 1 year old children today have been vaccinated against some diseases?
A. 20% B. 50% or C. 80%?

10. Worldwide, 30 year old men have spent 10 years in school on average, how many years have women of the same age spent in school?
A. 9 years B. 6 years or C. 3 years?

11. In 1996 tigers, giant pandas and black rhinos were all listed as endangered, how many of these three species are critically endangered today?
A. 2 of them B. 1 of them or C. none of them?

12. How many people in the world have some access to electricity?
A. 20% B. 50% or C. 80%?

13. Global climate experts believe that over the next 100 years the average temperature will on average?
A. get warmer B. remain the same or C. get colder?

My answers and comments about his questions

1, My answer was C and it’s correct.
In the TED talks, there are many stories that girls couldn’t go to school. However, it’s highly improving. I think that learning is really fine and it’ll make our lives comfortable.

2, My answer was A but it’s wrong.
I’d felt that the world was completely separated, though, many people continue working to change Low-income countries to Middle-income countries. The correct answer is B.

3, My answer was C and it’s correct.
This is the happy news, though, over  600 million people are still struggling with extreme poverty. We have to do something for them.

4, My answer was C and it’s correct.
We have to thank for medical development. Children and elder people can be protected.

5, My answer was C and it’s correct. When women couldn't receive better education and they feel that their babies might not survive, they try to give birth babies a lot. It’s improving.

6, My answer was B and it’s correct.
Unfortunately, many humans can't live over one hundred yet. It’s said that it’ll take about 2 hundred years and it might become eternal life.

7, My answer was C and it’ correct.
In the world, various media always announces a big number of deaths from natural disasters, though, many people’s lives are improving and they started having power and skills to protect their lives.

8, My answer was A and it’s correct.
I've known that in China and India, one billion people live in and in Asia, there are many countries where over 1000 million people live in. For example, Japan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan. and so on. In Africa, probably, the country where over 1000 million people live in will be only Nigeria and 3000 million people live in America. These reasons led me to the correct answer.

9, My answer was A but it's wrong.
I thought too much that in our world, many severe infectious diseases were no longer exist and vaccines wouldn't be necessary. This is a wrong answer, cheaper vaccines, the costs of transport and preservation and so on are improving thus many children become able to receive better vaccinations. The correct answer is C

10, My answer was  A and it's correct.
This question is similar to the question of No.1. In the TED talks, there are many stories that girls couldn’t go to school, however, it’s highly improving. However, it shows that men and women are not equal and it makes me sad. I think that we have to continue taking actions.

11, My answer was C and it's correct.
Although I forget the reason why three species are critically endangered, none of them becomes today. The science is improving, isn't it? However, we have to know where those species are and whether they are critically endangered or not. It'll lead to important actions.

12, My answer was C and it's correct.
Many media announce that there are people who couldn't access to electricity exaggeratedly, though, it's improving.

13, My answer was C but it's wrong.
The question is the easiest and many people have the correct answer more than other questions, though I was mistaken. ahahaha.
I've read some books that said that the glacial period will come and humans couldn't live on earth like the glacial period coming and dinosaur died in the past. However, it'll take time, it's not the next 100 years but it might be the next 1000 years.

We must have many wrong answers. The writers give us “Rules of Thumb” not to do instinctively. The instincts that we have to know are the gap, negativity, straight line, fear, size, generation, destiny, single, blame, and urgency instincts.

Rules of Thumb
I, The Gap Instinct
We believe only about one data. We have to think about one date where the majority is located.
2, The Negativity Instinct
People have a tendency to see only negative news. We need to know the part of improvement.
3, The Straight line Instinct
We have wrong impression that all lines in graphs will go straight. We have to imagine where lines bend.
4, The Fear Instinct
We have a fear that risks definitely never happen thus we make mistakes.
5, The Size Instinct
Things have tendencies to be exaggerated. We have to know the size correctly.
6, The Generation Instinct
It means that we think that all patterns are the same.
7, The Destiny Instinct
So far, there are 24 hours in the day, a turtle couldn’t walk faster, and humans have wrong impressions. Ahahaha
8, The Single Perspective Instinct
We think that our one big knowledge or tool is useful always. driving a nail with a hammer is useful, though, fixing walls with a hammer won’t be possible. There must be other solutions.
9, The Blame Instinct
Even though we blame someone, the problems are not solved. We have to see what system made that possible.
10, The Urgency Instinct
Anxious decisions and action cause other problems. We always think that it’s urgency.


My conclusion is that our world is always changing and our learning have to be continuing forever, and it’ll lead to creating our better world. We have to do it.