ISSUE #58

Along with the new year I recently started a new job at a company called Observable that focuses on data visualization. I'm excited to be working with people that share my interest in the power of telling stories with data. Communicating complex data through storytelling can help us connect and understand the world in deeper, richer ways. Data visualization is also a key component in information sharing for nature conservation, species tracking, and climate change. So today I wanted to focus on some data storytelling that I love.

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Data has the power to tell stories in beautiful ways that draw us in and, when they're really good, fascinate us. The collapse of insects is from a couple of years ago but the artistry in this story is wonderful. From the illustrations to the beautifully thought out data visualization, it's truly a feast for the eyes.

The focus of the story is insect decline. Of the 1 million insect species we've discovered, only about 1% have had their conservation status assessed. This makes it hard for scientists to know broad trends, but they do know that of the species they're watching, about one in five is threatened.
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I've written before about how keystone species, like oak trees, help support the entire food web. Insects fall into this category of keystone species because they're at the base of the food chain for many different animals. The data visualizations in this piece really help us visually understand the amount of insects we're dealing with and how vast their numbers are. Really, take a few minutes to read through. It's a beautiful piece of work.

I've tried my hand at 3D art a bit and am still learning (it's a never-ending journey), and I found this 3D visualization mesmerizing. The video highlights all the papers in the journal Nature, with each paper shown as one dot, and the color representing the field. Scientists then connected which papers referenced each other, showing how the fields have evolved and emerged over the past 150 years, and how each paper has its own unique network. Another example of beautiful storytelling and the animation makes it really interesting to watch.

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(FYI: This video will open in this window)

Another way of visualizing data is probably what you're most familiar with and don't even consider data visualization—maps! In my opinion, data visualization, including maps, can easily fall into the category of functional art, which is something that's beautiful and also serves a purpose. This map by Nadieh Bremer is a map you could use to understand the topography and town locations of Norway. But she's stylized it to also show her trip through the country, highlighting the areas she loved the most. Maybe this is also nostalgia art? Beautiful no matter what category it falls into.

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