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How many people need to die before we listen to the facts? 1? 10? 100? Let’s look at the reaction to the appearance of HIV/AIDS in the USA: By 1983 we knew about the spread of the disease through various channels, for example blood transfusions. So, how many people need to die, before we listen to those facts? The answer, 5000. At least 5000 people died in the 3 years that it took to start implementing the scientific recommendations experts had called for. The Science was clear, but experts were just not getting through. ...

Originally published on Aug 26, 2016 on Medium Chances are you either hate Clinton or Trump. You probably can’t understand how can anyone justify supporting “the other side”. Every day you see a new fact or news update that confirms how logical your decision is and how crazy the other side is. Well, you might be right, but you are probably also being played nonetheless. I felt the same, I could not understand how so many people are so blind with so much mounting evidence. But I also had this skeptical tinkering attitude to try this experiment: I went to Facebook and “liked” and clicked every single page or article of opposing view I could find. For me, and to keep it simple, it meant basically lots of pro-Trump. The more opposed I would feel, the better. Thankfully Facebook, on its hunger to know you better, suggests related pages every time you like or click one. Not 10 minutes later my “About” page looked like this… ...

This post was also posted on the World Bank on 01/22/2016 Last year, we spoke at Davos about Big Data. We were excited to explore the challenges and opportunities; especially in regards to the 2030 roadmap for the Global Goals (Sustainable Development Goals). So, a year on, has big data caught on? In 2015 we kick-started the Global Goals, with a special emphasis on data. The main development organizations came together, and the goals and targets were approved. Stakeholders collaborated and shared their experiences. Excitingly, big data remained a central component of these conversations. The data4sdgs.org partnership was announced, of which the World Bank Group is an anchor partner and, we have committed US$ 20M for an innovation fund. This partnership will work to ensure big data analytical approaches are not just being used to increase the efficacy of development programs, but that we are using these approaches to monitor and ensure that programs are effective and truly reach those living in extreme poverty. ...

Cross posted on World Bank’s blog In the past few years there have been a growing array of development projects using satellite images. Some recent examples from our blogs are poverty measurement in Guatemala, overview of the ESA satellites partnership with the Bank, monitoring oil flaring, water resources in India, measuring economic output, measuring agricultural yields, agricultural financial resilience in Ethiopia, Planet labs commit 60 million $ worth of images for development. ...

We are living a fundamental (as opposed to incremental) data revolution which enables an, also fundamental, information revolution. In the classical DIK view of Data, then Information, and then Knowledge; we are still missing the third layer. That isn’t happening, nor do I argue it will, if we don’t have stronger leaders shaping the right direction. Klaus Schwab introducing our panel discussion. Earlier this month I was part of a WEF panel on the current trends of knowledge and technology. The panel had the Forum’s leads on these topics and the amazing Claire Boonstra (e.g. just check her TED talk on value-based education). The plenary had ~500 fellow global leaders from around the world. We had a great discussion, and these are some thoughts collected before, during and after the session (under Chatham House Rules). ...

Cross posted on “Voices”, the World’s Bank blog. Just over five decades ago humans sent the first artificial satellite into space — Sputnik. At the time the World Bank was barely 10 years old and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was just created. But, space has quickly grown to be a critical asset for our society, and increasingly indispensable for development. For instance, last week IFC announced an investment in a micro satellite company — Planet Labs, and at our event on Big Data for a More Resilient Future this week we displayed one so audience members could understand how small, agile, and mobile these machines have become since the days of Sputnik. Space’s role in society and development is the main narrative of the report that was just released by the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Space. ...

Cross posted on “Voices”, the World’s Bank blog. Last week I was invited to speak at the Annual Conference of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. There were more than 2800 official attendees, convening 1,500 business leaders from more than 100 countries, around 40 heads of state and 300 members of government and international institutions, 14 Nobel Laureates and 800 participants from academia, NGOs and civil society. An overwhelming number of people for a data geek like me, but the potential to maximize stakeholder engagement and forward looking conversations. With more than 300 sessions, it was a perfect landing space to grow and test the network we need for my new role as a data scientist at the World Bank Group’s Innovation Labs. ...

###Scientists### It’s not about the Science Warning is the easy part. Action must follow. Facts don´t change opinions. Impressions do. In the mind of the average citizen, climate change is quite down the list of worries. If you want to encourage them to take action, link to their worries, relate to those. Use histories to link consequences. ###Policy makers### Policy makers, including those who negociate our future on international venues such as Rio+20 or COPs. ...

Hoy Salgo en la contraportada del Periódico asturiano El Comercio. Hace unos días una periodista, Marifé Antuña, me contactó al ver una reposición de “Asturianos en el Mundo” donde salgo y me preguntó si podía entrevistarme. Hubiera aceptado sea cual fuere el periódico, pero además éste es uno de los grandes medios de mi región. Encantado estoy. No tengo imagen de la versión papel, pero aquí está el enlace a la versión digital. La entrevista completa está a continuación. ...