Examining How We Measure Our Lives
Commentary, critiques, and observations on information design and data visualisation
-
Read on…: Hispanic Growth in the Plains
There is a scene in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica where with the human population almost extinct, one character comments on the romances of two others by saying “they better start having babies”. The demographics of the United States are changing. Not that they were not changing prior to recent years; Native American populations were reduced […]
-
Armistice Day
Read on…: Armistice DayToday is Veterans Day. Originally it was called Armistice Day. At 11.00 on 11/11 in 1917, fighting ceased between the Allies and Germany. World War I was effectively over. Since World War I, in the United States, we have gone on to have World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the First Gulf […]
-
Humanity’s Not So Finest Hours
Read on…: Humanity’s Not So Finest HoursHumanity is amazing. We have great emotional power for love, sympathy, compassion, &c. We have great intellectual power; we have/are mastering mathematics and science to explore the depths of this ocean and the surfaces of planets not our own. Yet with these great powers comes a great responsibility. And as we continue to reflect upon […]
-
Can a Republican Win the White House?
Read on…: Can a Republican Win the White House?It’s Election Day. Well, not really. But, Nate Silver and the New York Times have come together to release an election simulator, if you will, focused on the chances that a Republican will win the White House. You play with a few different variables to control the outcome: GDP growth and President Obama’s approval rating. […]
-
Random is the New Orderly
Read on…: Random is the New OrderlyEver been on a flight where there is not enough overhead luggage capacity for everyone? Then they make you stow your bag anyway? Well, apparently that’s what’s happening in these days of baggage fees—which make airlines quite profitable. This diagram in the New York Times shows how American Airlines is changing from the more common […]
-
7 Billion Is a Big Number
Read on…: 7 Billion Is a Big NumberWe have seven billion living on the planet today. Or at least we think we do. Really, who knows? But for the sake of this blog post and many others like it along with news stories and water cooler conversations, let’s just say we’re at seven billion, okay? So where do you fit into the […]
-
That’s a Whole Lotta People
Read on…: That’s a Whole Lotta PeopleOn Halloween, we will welcome the 7 billionth person into this world. That’s a lot of people. And that means a lot of food, water, shelter, comforts, &c. Stress on limited resources could become a defining characteristic of the future. The Washington Post has an interactive piece with a few graphics out there about the […]