http://forums.flowingdata.com/ Strength in Numbers en Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:40:40 +0000 http://forums.flowingdata.com/topic/how-do-you-see-numbers#post-857 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:27:44 +0000 Anne 857@http://forums.flowingdata.com/ <p>I decided to <a href="http://fluxicon.com/blog/2009/05/how-do-you-see-numbers/" rel="nofollow">repost this</a> here, because I really would like some feedback.<br /> The topic is a bit different as it relates to the cognitive processing and perception rather than actual data visualization. But in my view, there is a relation to data visualizations in the sense that data visualizations should probably fit our cognitive structures so that we "get it", and I find it extremely interesting that people are very different in the way they perceive the world (like visual vs. audible types etc.).</p> <p>So, the thing is, in my mind the numbers from 0–20 look like this:</p> <p><img title="Numbers from 0 to 20" src="http://fluxicon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/numbers_1-20.png" alt="Numbers from 0 to 20" width="400" height="169" /></p> <p>It's not about the shape of a particular number (a single number doesn't really have a shape), but about the path the numbers take when put together. For example, isn't it odd that after passing 10, there is this strange corner, where you have to "turn left" to go on?</p> <p>And the map changes as soon as you "zoom out":</p> <p><img title="Numbers from 0-100" src="http://fluxicon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/numbers_1-1001.png" alt="Numbers from 0-100" width="400" height="233" /></p> <p>The patterns are repeated on each level. So, for example, the numbers from 101–200 look pretty much the same as from 1–100, so do the ones from 1,000–100,000 and so on.</p> <p>But zooming out even more (not that you need this very often), there is this funny loop towards infinity:</p> <p><img title="Numbers from 100-infinity" src="http://fluxicon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/numbers_100-infinity1.png" alt="Numbers from 100-infinity" width="400" height="212" /></p> <p>And I use these maps in my everyday life.</p> <p>Two examples:</p> <p>When I have to add up 25 and 8, I am picturing the 25 on my map and, in a way, "jump to the 33", perhaps in two hops (first 30, then 33). And when I give the result, I have a sense of "where" it is.</p> <p>When I want to spend money on something that costs, say, 30 Euros, I first position that price on this map and then make an intuitive judgement on whether that is a good deal or not. The same positioning happens when I think of how old someone is.</p> <p>So, it's really an implicit way to navigate through the numbers space - it's always there.</p> <p>I know that there are completely different (and probably smarter) ways to deal with numbers. So, I'd be really interested in</p> <ol> <li>Whether you <em>see</em> numbers in a particular way at all?</li> <li>If so, <em>how</em> do you see them? Could you draw them on a map? Would it look very different from mine?</li> </ol> <p>Also, there's probably research on this (I haven't found it yet). So, if anyone would be able to point me to related studies, or wants to send me a picture of their own number mind map, i'd highly appreciate that! </p>