IUBio

YOUR HELP REQUIRED : Perception of Numbers

richard stone zentropy at ix.netcom.com
Tue May 28 23:36:50 EST 1996


In <4o2qnj$kq5 at news.cc.utah.edu> Jonathan Foweraker
<fowerake at math.utah.edu> writes: 
>
>peter.murray at s054.aone.net.au (PRM) wrote:
>>
>>Experience, example, and common sense suggest that carefully
engineered visual 
>>tools (graphs etc.) can far more effectively convey insight into a
numerical 
>>organism (i.e. business) that can numbers.  Are pictures, and
therefore 
>>graphs, an intrinsically more native and effective way to communicate
concepts 
>>than numbers.
>>
>
>It is also true that carefully engineered visual tools can far more
effectively
>mislead, whereas the actual numbers will give a far more realistic
viewpoint.
>
>For example:
>
>Increases can be enlarged/reduced by using log/exponential scales.
>
>By the appropriate choice of axes range effects can be
magnified/minimised:
>e.g. think of a graph showing a rise (say in concentration) followed
by a fall;
>A clearly defined 'pulse'? If the rise is from 102 to 107, and then
back to
>101 then no - although if the y-axis only ranges from 100 to 108 then
the graph
>might indicate (to the unobservant) that there is a significant rise.
>
>On the other hand there are "Lies, damn lies and statistics".
>
>However in general I agree that visual techniques are more appropriate
at
>getting the picture across than just tables of numbers. The best
example I
>can think of (no reference - sorry) is a picture showing Napolean's
march
>on Mosocow. The picture manages to convey the route, the number of men
-and
>so the number of casualties and also the date. It probably has more
information
>on it (I remember some colour coding) - and also shows where different
>divisions/battalions split off to achieve other objectives.
>
>Cheers,
>
>
>Jonathan.
>

Dear Jonathan:

Regarding the perception of numbers,
music seems to play an important 
role in conveying one abstract to
another.  Truly, JC



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