CMSC 120: Introduction to Computing: Visualizing Information

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CMSC 120 Introduction to Computing Visualizing
Information

• 1/22/08

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Course Goals

• Explore the purpose and use of computing in
  everyday life
• Develop computing and programming
• Explore human perception (how we see)
• Recognize a variety of types of visualization
• Discriminate between good and bad visualizations

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What is Computing?
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What is Information?
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What is Information?

• knowledge communicated or received concerning a
  particular fact or circumstance
• knowledge gained through study, communication,
  research, instruction, etc. factual data
• data at any stage of processing
• important or useful facts

knowledge
data
From www.websters.com
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What is Visualization?

• Dictionary Definition
• to make perceptible to the mind or imagination
  something not actually present to the sight
• Operational Definition
• Construction of images that represent important
  aspects of a situation or process
• Images plot, graph, diagram, picture

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Why Visualize?

• The human visual cortex is arguably the most
  powerful computing system we have access to.
• Visualization allows us to put information into a
  form which allows us to use the power of this
  computing system.
• By harnessing some of the capabilities of our
  visual system we can free other parts of our
  brains to work on problems.

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Types of Visualization

• Communication visualization provides a quick way
  to communicate a very rich message.
• Discovery visualization provides a way of
  displaying a large amount of information so we
  can uncover new facts and relationships.
• Insight visualization provides a way to obtain
  better insight into things we already know.
• Art and Aesthetics

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Communication
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Data Fountain
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AIDS Epidemic
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Discovery
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Real Time Rome
(From http//senseable.mit.edu/realtimerome/)
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Earthquakes
(from the TERASHAKE simulation)
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Insight
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Plate Tectonics
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Anatomy of Sinus Cavities
Kai-hung Fung 2007
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Tornado
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Theoretical Morphology
From Raup 1966
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Protein Structure
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Protein Structure
The constituent amino acids may encourage
hydrogen bonding that form regular structures,
called secondary structures
a-helix
b-sheet
The secondary structures fold together to form a
compact 3-dimensional shape, called the tertiary
structure
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The Protein Universe
(From http//www.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/Arc
hive/Apr-01-2005.html)
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Art and Aesthetics
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D. Breger, LDEO sample courtesy of W. Pitman, W.
Ryan, and C. Major.