1. BRICs: Per Capita GDP and Life Expectancy

    In a 2001 paper “Building Better Global Economic BRICs,” Jim O’Neill, Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, famously dubbed Brazil, Russia, India, and China the “BRIC” countries.  This grouping was meant to represent the growth potential of these nations, and to predict their rising share of global economic output.  Given the correlation of economic growth with economic development, including rising life expectancy and literacy, the economic emergence of the “BRICs” represents possibility as well.  While we are primarily concerned with microlevel solutions to development issues, it is important to keep macro trends in perspective.  This interactive graph shows the positive correlation between GDP per capita in current US dollars and life expectancy in the BRIC nations.  Enjoy!

    (Source: data.worldbank.org)

  2. An innovation conceived in the Stanford Engineering and Business course Design for Extreme Affordability.  The Embrace team is in the final stages of product development for their baby warmer for low birth weight babies.  The product costs less than one percent of a traditional baby incubator.  

    An innovation conceived in the Stanford Engineering and Business course Design for Extreme Affordability.  The Embrace team is in the final stages of product development for their baby warmer for low birth weight babies.  The product costs less than one percent of a traditional baby incubator.  

  3. The Power of Poop

    Reinvent the Toilet