Visualizations that are more dense, functional, and novel, are useful for scientific/academic presentations, while more redundant, light, and familiar visualizations are useful for public/non-academic presentations.
There’s a common myth that there’s a neutral way of presenting data. Data is collected and analyzed with human intention, which helps build an argument. Our human emotions play a role in the way we show our data, which is important to acknowledge.
Legibility (whether you can read something) is important to data visualizations, but readability (whether you WANT to read something) is even more important. We’re constantly reading images and viewing text. How can we make our text pleasing to the eye?
Whether to make visualizations functional vs. decorated is one of the more controversial debates of the data vis community. While many prominent scholars advocate for a minimalist design, newer research in cognitive psychology suggests that certain image decorations can be useful for memory.
Alberto Cairo’s tension wheel, from “The Functional Art”
Alberto Cairo’s tension wheel is a critical resource in constructing visualizations. Cairo theorizes that strong visualizations stem from balancing tensions across various axes, such as dimensionality, abstractness, and originality. These visual decisions are dependent on their intended audience.
Takeaways image, written in yellow and white text against a faded background of a conference room.
Dr. Littlejohn hopes that participants of this talk takeaway that data visualization issues are often issues of visual communication. As our brains are much more adept at processing visual information than spoken or written, it is imperative that visualization decisions are handled with intention.
Hey everyone! My name is Nik Narain, and I’m one of the SCONC Interns here to cover our April Science by the Slice talk by Dr. Deborah Littlejohn titled “Visualizing Science with Audience in Mind.” Dr. Littlejohn is a Professor of Graphic and Experience Design at NC State University.
A big thank you for joining us for this month's Science by the Slice coverage.
To learn more about SWOT and Dr. Pavelsky's innovative work, check out the links below:
uncglobalhydrology.org
swot.jpl.nasa.gov
See you all in March!
SWOT has already impressed scientists all over the world, and it's just getting started. The mission's publicly available data continues to inspire new questions about everything from the behavior of ocean eddies to the vegetation of Florida's Everglades.
The thousands of lakes captured in this image used to be invisible to satellites. SWOT's ability to detect and gather elevation data for every single one has opened many doors in hydrology and climate science.
This NASA press release compared SWOT's data to previously available images. Not only did it beat out the alternative, SWOT was around 10 times more accurate than expected. Oceanographers were ecstatic.
Since 2004, the SWOT mission has brought Dr. Pavelsky to incredible places. Watching the satellite take off from California's Vandenburg Space Force Base is one experience he surely won't forget.
By measuring changes in intensity as the satellite's light bounces off the Earth's surface, the KaRIn can capture the intricate ripples spreading across a lake. Viewing the data over time gives insights into weather patterns, water depth, and more...
The SWOT team had another idea. In the world of radar imaging, the wavelength of light limits the precision of visible features. The Ka Band Radar Interferometer, or KaRIn, allows them to "see" and gather data points on the order of a centimeter, a great improvement compared to previous methods.
Gathering data, however, presents some challenges. How does one find out what's going on in the middle of the ocean if tide gauges are on the coasts? Some are well monitored; others haven't collected data in decades.
Although an ocean's horizon may look flat, the body of water certainly isn't. Ocean water is constantly mixing, left and right, up and down. Understanding this movement is critical to understanding changing climate patterns worldwide.
Good afternoon! My name is Daniela and I'm one of SCONC's new interns. For today's Science by the Slice, we're delighted to welcome UNC's Dr. Tamlin Pavelsky for his talk, "The Surface Water and Ocean Topography Mission: NASA's Eye in the Sky for Earth's Water"
Stay tuned for more!
That’s it for today’s talk! To learn more about Matt Bertone, you can do so here: cals.ncsu.edu/entomology-a...
Being a diagnostician can sometimes mean having to analyze samples from wacky locations. Here’s a beetle added to the lab’s collection that was found in a child’s hair!
One of the worse parts of insect diagnostics is detecting invasive species which can threaten native wildlife and our safety. At the clinic, they’ve discovered 21 new invasive species to NC since Dr. Bertone started working there!
One of the cool part about insect diagnostics is the potential to discover new species. For example, Dr. Bertone aided in the discovery of a new species of flatworm!
A view of Dr. Bertone’s desk, with a variety of microscopes and yes, a landline!
Dr. Bertone uses a variety of insect identification methods across years of experience, relying on DNA and morphological techniques. Check out some of them here!
Dr. Matt Bertone is a diagnostic entomologist with the NC State Plant and Disease Clinic who provides accurate identification of insects and arthropods. You can learn more about the Plant and Disease Clinic here: pdic.ces.ncsu.edu
Hey everyone! My name is Nik Narain, and I’m an Intern at SCONC. I’m going to be covering today’s Science by the Slice talk: “Tales from an Insect Diagnostician: the Good, the Bad, and the Wacky” featuring @bertonemyia.bsky.social. Stay tuned for more info!
Tonight’s meet up is CANCELED due to weather! Catch you at the next meet up September 3 🦨
Join us today @ 6:00pm for a SciComm Meet up! This month we'll be at Eno River Brewing, Hillsborough, NC 27278 and bring a friend or two!
Deadline TODAY! Apply TODAY for a SCONC professional development and travel grant 💸 SCONC members can apply for up to $1000 to support their professional development (including costs like child care)! More info:
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