Visualisation in scientific research and the communication of science

I found visualisation in the communication of science (within the public sphere) really interesting. As I've mentioned in my previous post, things like this often go unnoticed and people don't bother to look at them, especially when they've heard about it time and time again. But visualisations just make you see and realise how important certain issues are without having to go through numbers and facts. Take this for example, when you look at it you can see just how its going to impact us. Its not just numbers and facts anymore, it shows how we are going to be directly affected.

Upon some further research, I've also realised that visualisations have been around for a really long time and some of the most famous ones have impacted us profoundly.

 Dr John Snow's map of cholera spread in London.

His map of outbreaks in 19th Century London showed that cases were clustered around a water pump, thanks to contamination from germs, which was then a new idea, this changed the way we saw a disease. (BBC, 2014).

When Florence Nightingale demonstrated that more soldiers in the Crimean War died in hospitals from preventable epidemic diseases than on the battlefield she helped to save countless lives.

Its amazing to think how much visualisations have changed the course of history, and it makes me consider how its going to impact our future. I'm positive visualisations will aid us in terms of science and medical research and have a huge impact on our future.

After checking out some visualisations in scientific research in a more modern era, I've realised something I've never thought about. Visualisations play a part in medical treatment, making research easier and potentially helping millions.

" A new technique for dissolving fatty molecules in biological tissue can be used to render organs transparent (below). Known, appropriately, as CLARITY, the technique's power becomes evident when combined with fluorescent tags that affix to particular cell types. The result: translucent, color-coded brains, such as the mouse brain above, that could give researchers a literal window into neurological function and anatomy. " (Wired, 2013)

Its astonishing how they can add colour to bring about a visualisation of different cell types. I've realised visualisations can function as an educational tool, help with medical treatment, potentially change public opinion, and affect us in ways we've never even thought about. Visualisations in scientific research could help cure diseases, visualisations in the communication of science can help raise awareness about issues such as global warming, and educate those who are unaware. It truly is awe-inspiring to think about how visualisations have affected us in the past, and how they will affect us in the future. 


REFRENCES

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140219-images-that-changed-our-world
http://www.wired.com/2013/12/best-scientific-figures-2013/#slideid-567426
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/tag/climate/