The Aesthetics of Scientific Data Representation

How can cartoon images aid in understanding bacterial biological processes? What prompts physicists to blur their images before showing them to biologists? Considering that the astronomer's data consists solely of invisible, electric impulses, what is the difference between representing outer space as images, graphs, or sound? How does a work of contemporary art differ from a scientific image if we cannot visually distinguish between the two? How do aesthetics, art, and design influence scientific visualization and vice versa? This volume asks critically important questions about scientific data representation and provides significant insights to a field that is interdisciplinary in its very core. The authors investigate scientific data representation through the joint optics of the humanities and natural sciences. The volume particularly appeals to scholars in visual and aesthetic studies, data visualization, scientific illustration, experience culture, information design, and science communication.

Lotte Philipsen is an Associate Professor with the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University in Denmark and former Fellow with the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Denmark. Rikke Schmidt Kjærgaard is executive director of Science Club, Denmark, CEO of Graphicure, and former Fellow with the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies.

Introduction Lotte Philipsen and Rikke Schmidt Kjærgaard 1. Visualizing the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae Ditte Høyer Engholm, David Goodsell, Mogens Kilian, Ebbe Sloth Andersen, Bjørn Panyella Pedersen and Rikke Schmidt Kjærgaard 2. Diagrammatic and iconic imagery in science Frederik Stjernfelt 3. Scientific data visualization: Aesthetic for diagrammatic clarity Martin Krzywinski 4. Plant(ing) aesthetics between science and art Lotte Philipsen 5. Visualizing the invisible universe Steen Hannestad 6. The epistemics of data representation: How to transform data into knowledge Nina Samuel 7. Sonification and audification as means of representing Morten Søndergaard and Anette Vandsø 8. Scientific storytelling: Visualizing for public audiences Djuke Veldhuis 9. Communicating science - aesthetic choices in publishing Kelly Krause 10. Ideas in Action: Using Animation to Cut through Complexity Janet Rafner and Rikke Schmidt Kjærgaard 11. Making sense, nonsense, and no-sense when representing audio-visual collections Theis Vallø Madsen 12. "Facts" - and representational acts Morten Kyndrup