The Truthful Art: Data, Charts, and Maps for Communication

4. Of Conjectures and Uncertainty

We live in a world with a surfeit of information at our service. It is our choice whether we seek out data that reinforce our biases or choose to look at the world in a critical, rational manner, and allow reality to bend our preconceptions. In the long run, the truth will work better for us than our cherished fictions.

—Razib Khan, “The Abortion Stereotype,” The New York Times (January 2, 2015)

To become a visualization designer, it is advisable to get acquainted with the language of research. Getting to know how the methods of science work will help us ascertain that we’re not being fooled by our sources. We will still be fooled on a regular basis, but at least we’ll be better equipped to avoid it if we’re ...