1. CMSC 120: Introduction to Computing: Visualizing Information 1/22/08

2. 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

3. What is Computing?

4. What is Information? site_ndategage_htdischargechange 0333690001-08-200814.482570Unknown 0544650001-11-200811.1516000Falling 0552050001-09-20086.169610Falling 0552500001-09-200825.578750Unknown 0552550001-09-200826.4313800Falling 0553750001-08-20086.14632Falling 0554025001-08-200818.64548Rising 0554025001-08-200818.66557Rising 0554171001-08-200810.944030Unknown 0554200001-09-200815.7013800Falling 0555000001-11-20081.763010Rising 0555400001-10-200714.093010Falling 0555450001-09-200818.8512500Unknown 0555530001-09-200825.1125700Rising 0555830001-10-200823.5781900Rising

5. 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 From www.websters.com knowledge data

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Types of Visualization Types of Visualization Communication: visualization provides a quick way to communicate a very rich message. 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. 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. Insight: visualization provides a way to obtain better insight into things we already know. Art and Aesthetics Art and Aesthetics

9. Communication

10. Data Fountain

12. AIDS Epidemic

13. Discovery

14. Real Time Rome (From http://senseable.mit.edu/realtimerome/)http://senseable.mit.edu/realtimerome/

15. Earthquakes (from the TERASHAKE simulation)

16. Insight

17. Plate Tectonics

18. Anatomy of Sinus Cavities Kai-hung Fung 2007

19. Tornado

20. Theoretical Morphology From Raup 1966

21. Protein Structure N OH R H N O H R H N OH R H N O H R H N O H R H N O H R H N O H R H N O H R H Side chain H-bond Backbone Amino acid Proteins consist of a long chain of amino acids, the primary structure

22. Protein Structure The constituent amino acids may encourage hydrogen bonding that form regular structures, called secondary structures The secondary structures fold together to form a compact 3-dimensional shape, called the tertiary structure  -helix  -sheet

23. The Protein Universe (From http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/Archive/Apr-01-2005.html)http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/Archive/Apr-01-2005.html

24. Art and Aesthetics

28. D. Breger, LDEO; sample courtesy of W. Pitman, W. Ryan, and C. Major.