The
previous post deals with visualizing world statistics through animated, interactive graphs. This post is about making world statistics more meaningful through educational simulations. Incidentally, the creators of
Real Lives are called
Educational Simulations. This game helps kids understand how people in other countries live by immersing them in a life sim that is based on available statistics and letting them make difficult life decisions. A free evaluation version is
available.
The rest of this post includes a screenshot of the game and a sample "real life," up to age 18, with a few minor life events cut out.
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0 years old
I was born a boy in a village in China's Hubei Province, not far from the city of Yichang. My parents have named me Chiang-hui. My surname is Chu. My mother, Tan-hung, is 22 and my father, Pei, is 25. I have a brother, Hsi-chuen, who is 1.
1 year oldGrowth stunted from inadequate protein. My brother Hsi-chuen has suffered an epileptic seizure.
6 years oldBegan school.
9 years old
A famine or food shortage has hit China. 517 people have died and 20,000,000 others have been affected. My family and I were not directly affected.
18 years old
I have hookworm. An earthquake has hit my area. Earthquake victim. Graduated from secondary school. Met a new girl I like very much, named Liao Pao-Pao. Rejected by Liao Pao-Pao. Need to look for a job. Began work as a policeman. Moved away from home. Inducted into the military. Failed the college entrance examinations. Not accepted in vocational school.
Related blog entries:
The Next 4 Billion?,
Visualizing Statistics Through Gapminder
