Data & Infographics (Media Literacy / Data)

Crash Course: Data & Infographics (Media Literacy / Data)

Crash Course: Data & Infographics

Introduction Did you know that the average person is exposed to over 5,000 ads every day? That's like reading a 1,000-page book of persuasive messages. But what if I told you that most of these ads are based on lies, or at least, incomplete information? Welcome to the world of data and infographics, where numbers and visuals can make or break your understanding of the world.

The Core Idea Data and infographics are not just pretty pictures and numbers; they're a way to tell stories, make arguments, and even manipulate people. By understanding how data is collected, presented, and interpreted, you'll become a more critical thinker and a better consumer of information.

Key Facts & Figures

• The first infographic was created by William Playfair in 1786, a Scottish engineer who used charts and graphs to explain economic data.
• Infographics have been around for centuries, with ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Greeks using visual aids to communicate complex ideas.
• The term "infographic" was coined in 1962 by a designer named Max Huber, who used it to describe a visual representation of information.
• Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second, which is like asking 40,000 questions every minute.
• The average person checks their phone over 150 times per day, which is like checking a bookshelf 150 times a day.
• Facebook has over 2.7 billion monthly active users, which is like having a party with 2.7 billion people.
• The first data visualization was created by Florence Nightingale in 1858, who used a pie chart to show the mortality rates of British soldiers during the Crimean War.
• Data visualization can be used to manipulate people, as seen in the infamous "distracted boyfriend" meme, which used a misleading chart to make a point.
• The most popular data visualization tool is Tableau, which is used by over 80% of Fortune 500 companies.
• The first data scientist was Alan Turing, who used data to crack the Enigma code during World War II.
• Data can be used to predict election outcomes, as seen in the 2016 US presidential election, where data scientists used machine learning to predict the outcome.
• The most common data visualization mistake is using 3D charts, which can be misleading and difficult to read.
• Data can be used to create art, as seen in the work of data artist Aaron Koblin, who created a visualization of the flight patterns of airline passengers.

Thought Bubble Imagine you're a detective trying to solve a murder mystery. You have a bunch of clues, but they're all in different formats: some are written, some are visual, and some are numerical. You need to use data and infographics to piece together the evidence and create a timeline of events. Let's say the victim was a famous artist, and the killer was a rival artist who wanted to steal their work. You start by analyzing the victim's social media accounts, which show a pattern of suspicious activity around the time of the murder. You then use data visualization to create a map of the crime scene, which shows a suspicious footprint leading to the rival artist's studio. Finally, you use numerical analysis to compare the victim's artwork with the rival artist's style, which reveals a clear pattern of plagiarism. With data and infographics, you're able to piece together the evidence and solve the case.

Why This Matters

• Data can be used to manipulate people, as seen in the 2016 US presidential election, where data scientists used machine learning to predict the outcome.
• Data can be used to create art, as seen in the work of data artist Aaron Koblin, who created a visualization of the flight patterns of airline passengers.
• Data can be used to predict election outcomes, as seen in the 2016 US presidential election, where data scientists used machine learning to predict the outcome.
• Data can be used to create persuasive messages, as seen in the work of data journalist Mona Chalabi, who used data to create a series of infographics about the US prison system.
• Data can be used to tell stories, as seen in the work of data journalist Nathan Yau, who used data to create a series of infographics about the history of the world.
• Data can be used to create interactive visualizations, as seen in the work of data artist Moritz Stefaner, who created a visualization of the global economy.
• Data can be used to create immersive experiences, as seen in the work of data artist Aaron Koblin, who created a visualization of the flight patterns of airline passengers.

Crash Course Recap

• Infographics have been around for centuries, with ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Greeks using visual aids to communicate complex ideas.
• The term "infographic" was coined in 1962 by a designer named Max Huber.
• Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second.
• Facebook has over 2.7 billion monthly active users.
• The first data visualization was created by Florence Nightingale in 1858.
• Data can be used to manipulate people, create art, predict election outcomes, and tell stories.
• The most popular data visualization tool is Tableau.
• The first data scientist was Alan Turing.
• Data can be used to create immersive experiences.
• The most common data visualization mistake is using 3D charts.
• Data can be used to create persuasive messages.

Quiz Yourself

1. What was the first infographic created by? a) William Playfair b) Max Huber c) Alan Turing d) Florence Nightingale

Answer: a) William Playfair

1. How many search queries does Google process every second? a) 10,000 b) 20,000 c) 40,000 d) 50,000

Answer: c) 40,000

1. What is the most popular data visualization tool? a) Tableau b) Power BI c) Google Data Studio d) Microsoft Excel

Answer: a) Tableau

1. Who was the first data scientist? a) Alan Turing b) Max Huber c) William Playfair d) Florence Nightingale

Answer: a) Alan Turing

1. What is the most common data visualization mistake? a) Using 3D charts b) Using too many colors c) Using too much text d) Using too many fonts

Answer: a) Using 3D charts