052  |  Science Communication at SciAm w/ Jen Christiansen

052  |  Science Communication at SciAm w/ Jen Christiansen

Author: Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner April 2, 2015 Duration: 1:02:36
Hey yo, we have Jen Christiansen from Scientific American with us in DS#52. Jen is art director of information graphics at Scientific American magazine where she is been for about then years and she has a background in natural science illustration from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Science communication is one of our favorite topics and we are so happy to have such an amazing expert like Jen on the show. Jen reveals the nitty gritty of scientific visualization and illustration as experienced by one of the top scientific communication magazines in the world. "How does a scientific piece come to life? Where does an idea for a new piece come from? How do they interact with the scientists to make sure everything they report is accurate and yet accessible for a broad audience? And what does need to be done before an illustration gets ready for print?" We discuss this and many other questions with Jen. Enjoy the show! This episode of Data Stories is sponsored by Tableau. You can download a free trial at http://tableau.com/datastories. jen-christiansen LINKS Jen Christiansen’s home page http://jenchristiansen.com Scientific American: http://scientificamerican.com A Look under the Hood of Online Data Visualization (collection of SciAm graphics from the past) Where the Wild Bees Are: Documenting a Loss of Native Bee Species between the 1800s and 2010s (Piece on Bees done with Moritz) (project’s page from Moritz) Jan Willem Tulp’s The Flavor Connection (on food pairings theory) - and original scientific article and graphics from Barabási’s lab (pdf) Pop Culture Pulsar: Origin Story of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures Album Cover (artists using scientists' images - transcending the context of a visualization)

Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner have a conversation you’re invited to join. Their Data Stories podcast sits at a fascinating crossroads, where the technical craft of data analytics meets the intuitive design of visual representation. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair at a cafe with two experts who are genuinely curious, unpacking not just the "how" but the "why" behind the ways we see and understand information. You’ll hear them explore the latest tools and research, but also grapple with the deeper questions of narrative, aesthetics, and human perception that give data its true meaning and impact. The discussions are grounded in their professional experiences, making complex ideas in technology and design feel accessible and immediately relevant. It’s a space for anyone who creates, studies, or simply wonders about the charts, maps, and diagrams that shape our world. By weaving together perspectives from arts, education, and visual practice, this podcast reveals how data, when thoughtfully handled, can tell stories that are as compelling as they are informative. Tune in for a consistently thoughtful look at the evolving language of numbers and shapes.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 170

Data Stories
Podcast Episodes
29 | Treemaps w/ Ben Shneiderman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:05
We have a super guest this time on the show! Ben Shneiderman joins us to talk about his new treemap art project (beautiful treemap prints you can hang on the wall), treemaps and their history, and information visualizati…
028  |  IEEE VIS'13 Highlights w/ Robert Kosara [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:13
Hi Folks! We did it again: we have a special episode directly from IEEE VIS'13 (the premier academic conference on visualization). Enrico caught Robert Kosara and recorded almost one hour of highlights from the conferenc…
027  |  Big Data Skepticism w/ Kate Crawford [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:13
Here we go with another great episode. This time more on the data side. We have Kate Crawford, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, on the show talking about the other face of big data. That is, after all the exci…
026  |  Visualization Beyond the Desktop w/ Petra Isenberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:49
We are back after a relaxing summer with a brand new episode! We have Petra Isenberg, from the Aviz team at INRIA (we've had other guests from the same lab in the past) to talk about visualization on non-standard devices…
025  |  Visualization on Mobile & Touch Devices w/ Dominikus Baur [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:40
In this episode we talk about visualization on mobile and touch devices. How do you design visualization interfaces for these kinds of devices? How different is it to interact with your fingertips rather than with your m…
022  |  NYT Graphics and D3 with Mike Bostock and Shan Carter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:22
We have graphic editors Mike Bostock and Shan Carter in this dense and long episode. It's great to finally have someone from the New York Times! We talk about many practical and more philosophical aspects of publishing i…
20 | On Maps. With Michal Migurski. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:28
In this episode we talk about maps and map technology -- how it has evolved and revolutionized the way we think about geography. We have Michal Migurski with us! He is former technology head at Stamen and creator of mult…