Examining How We Measure Our Lives
Commentary, critiques, and observations on information design and data visualisation
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Mapping Disasters
Read on…: Mapping DisastersLast weekend I enjoyed several days off for Memorial Day. But that Sunday I enjoyed a nice, full-spread graphic in the New York Times. The clue that I was in for a treat was on the front page, beneath the fold, with a small map with some green, magenta, and orange. When I looked more closely I could see that…
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Business Card Typography
Read on…: Business Card TypographyI mean it was a short week, at least for my American audience, but we still made it to Friday. So let’s look at business card typography courtesy of Jessica Hagy and Indexed. I mean, this is not quite me and my card, but I still love it. Credit for the piece goes to Jessica Hagy.
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Spanish Silver
Read on…: Spanish SilverA few weeks back now the Economist posted a graphic about the link between lead, silver, and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. But not in the way you probably think. Instead, they graph the appearance of lead deposits in the glaciers of Greenland. For the full explanation you should read the short article. But this piece was…
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Irish Abortion Referendum
Read on…: Irish Abortion ReferendumOn Saturday Ireland announced the results of a referendum on changing its constitution to remove Article 8, which had made abortion illegal except in the case of risk of death to the mother. And that was it, none of the usual rape or incest clauses. I want to look at a little coverage of the results and we will start…
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Lunar Observations
Read on…: Lunar ObservationsMonday night I was doing some work outside and when I turned around to head inside I was struck by the brilliance of an object in the night sky. I had seen the Moon rise earlier in the evening, but this was far to the east. It was identifiable as a dot, not just a speck in the night sky.…
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A Wetter Midwest
Read on…: A Wetter MidwestHere in Philadelphia, I think yesterday was the first day it had not rained in over a week. Not that everyday was a drenching storm, but at least showers passed through along with some downpours and definitely grey skies. But what about my old home, Chicago? Well, FiveThirtyEight turned to a longer-term look and examined how over the century the…
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Gun Control Legislation
Read on…: Gun Control LegislationBack in March I posted about a great graphic from the New York Times editorial board they made in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. Saturday morning, the day after Friday’s Santa Fe, Texas school shooting, I was reading the paper and found the updated graphic. Yeah, almost nothing has changed. Congress passed and the president signed an…
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Study Up
Read on…: Study UpIt’s Friday, everybody. We made it. So now go and hit the books this weekend and study up. Thanks to xkcd, we know a little bit more about areas of research. I just am wondering where design is. Or economics. Credit for the piece goes to Randall Munroe.