Color theory, new levels of partisanship, and a big oil data hackathon
data / curious
2019.09.23
Hey there.
Before we dive in, I wanted to say something: it's an important time to be doing data visualization.
Last Friday, an estimated 4 million people showed up in over a thousand different cities to stand up for our planet. At the center of this movement lies one thing that unites every edition of this newsletter: data.
The planet is warming. Carbon dioxide levels have increased dramatically since the Industrial Revolution. Sea levels are rising. And we have the numbers to prove it.
I believe that good data visualization can vastly improve our power to communicate complex ideas. A changing climate is anything but simple. But visualization can help us communicate better, clearer and with more impact than using only words. Let's look for ways we can contribute to the conversation during a very important week for climate change.
And now, here are some links for the week.
Read_
How does Netflix make use of Jupyter notebooks to conduct interactive data analysis at scale?
If you've ever wondered how a big media company does analytics, give this a read. Netflix has taken the humble Notebook and made it an evolving and interactive document to share among peers.
How do we make sense of time?
I found this article from Scientific American fascinating. Data visualization is inherently concerned with temporal space. But the way we describe something in time and space can mean different things to different culture. How do we bridge this gap?
How do colors make us feel?
If you create data visualizations as part of your job, you are designing something. We should all be concerned with good design. Color choice (and theory) is a great place to get started.
Explore_
Are Democrats and Republicans more divided than ever before?
Yes. WSJ digs into why in this step-through interactive piece.
Analyze_
How do big oil companies affect economies around the world?
A very timely topic. New data start-up Count has partnered with The Natural Resources Governance Institute to launch a week-long virtual hackathon using open data. You can use Count's analysis tools to find new insights, or download the raw dataset yourself and dig in however you like. Details on the hackathon can be found here (but be quick...deadline is Sept. 25!)
Where are all the streets and towns in America?
You can download and find them here courtesy of research by urban planning professor Geoff Boeing.
Learn_
Where can I learn more about how to get a start in data journalism and data visualization?
The Knight Center has partnered with Google News Initiative to launch a free MOOC: Data Journalism and Visualization with Free Tools. The courses are taught by big names in the industry including Simon Rogers and Alberto Cairo. Interested? Sign up here.
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