Examining How We Measure Our Lives
Commentary, critiques, and observations on information design and data visualisation
-
Read on…: 16th Century Maps
While in Philadelphia last weekend, I managed to make it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a little bit. And today’s piece is a nice map—ivory on ebony—from a 16th century Italian writing cabinet. Credit for the piece goes to the workshop of Iacobus Fiamengo.
-
Uber vs. Taxi (in New York)
Read on…: Uber vs. Taxi (in New York)I just spent the weekend back in my hometown of Philadelphia and while we walked most places, there were a few Uber rides. As someone who doesn’t use the app and normally will hail a taxi when necessary, I had been looking forward to posting this piece. FiveThirtyEight looked at data for New York comparing Uber to taxis. Credit for…
-
Where in the World Have I Been?
Read on…: Where in the World Have I Been?In January 2011, I made a map of counties I had visited in my life. I just rediscovered the file last weekend, and so today I decided to update the map. So below is 2011 and then after is 2015.
-
What is the Minimum Wage Worth
Read on…: What is the Minimum Wage WorthThe minimum wage of $15 per hour does not necessarily mean the same thing to everyone all across the country. Based on where one lives, the purchasing power of a dollar might make minimum wage worth more or less than $15. The Pew Research Centre put together a map showing where $15 is worth more or less. Credit for the…
-
What Time Is It?
Read on…: What Time Is It?North Korea Time! But no, seriously, North Korea announced this past Friday that it is placing itself inside a new time zone. This Washington Post piece has a graphic that looks at just how weird the new time zone is in relation to the rest of the region. Credit for the piece goes to the Washington Post graphics department.
-
Diagramming the Phases of Water
Read on…: Diagramming the Phases of WaterEven when things are funny, I do not always laugh aloud. This xkcd post, however, made me do just that. And for that, it’s going up on the blog as today’s graphic of choice. Credit for the piece goes to Randall Munroe.
-
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Read on…: The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiOn 6 August 1945, the United States dropped one of the only two nuclear weapons used in combat on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. 70 years later, the city has been rebuilt and the war is long since done and over—the atomic bombings playing no small part in changing the Japanese calculus of surrender. But, what happened on 6 August…