Introduction

Abstract

We live in an exciting time. Great discoveries in science seem to come almost monthly, due in part to the proliferation of technology that helps scientists observe and explore more easily. It is now realistic to believe that, within our lifetimes, scientists may unlock the genetic code, better understand the working of the brain, and cure diseases that plague us. More powerful computer systems contribute to this rapid advance. The progression of computer technology is dramatic, and seemingly unending. The progression of computing tools, however, is helical, with feedback from each generation of tools used to motivate and specify the next generation. We are embarked on a new cycle of the helix, leading to a powerful tool we call “Information Visualization”.

A graphic is not “drawn” once and for all; it is “constructed” and reconstructed until it reveals all the relationships constituted by the interplay of the data.... A graphic is never an end in itself; it is a moment in the process of decision-making.

Jacques Bertin [15, p. 16]