Visualizing Data

Scientists at IBM's Watson Research Center have created an experimental site, Many Eyes, that allows "users [to] upload the data they want to visualize, then try sophisticated tools to generate interactive displays. These might range from maps of relationships in the New Testament to a display of the comparative frequency of words used" in political speeches. This website was the subject of an article, "Lines and Bubbles and Bars, Oh My! New Ways to Sift Data," that appeared in the New York Times on August 31. The idea of visualizing information is particularly interesting to me because so many students today are visual learners, and Many Eyes seems to have great potential as a teaching tool. The site "offers 16 ways to present data, from stack graphs and bar charts to diagrams that let people map relationship." I wonder if it would be possible to map the relationships among litigants in a complicated lawsuit, or between cases, as a way of enhancing students' understanding.

Thanks to Vicky Gannon for pointing out this article to me.