Pop to Area

 

Map of the US with population switched for physical size. This graphically shows the result of a sorting: reassigning the largest state name by population (California) to the largest state by area (Alaska) and so on down to assigning the smallest state name by population (Wyoming) to the smallest state by area (Rhode Island). Of course, part of the effect is lost since Alaska is much larger than portrayed: it is more than 1/5 of the area of the contiguous US. Still this is a fun graphic.

Most Pleasant Places

Designer and software engineer Kelly Norton has produced a map to find the greatest number of pleasant days in the year around the continental US. Her definition:

“pleasant” here means the mean temperature was between (55° F and 75° F), the minimum temperature was above 45° F, the maximum temperature was below 85° F and there was no significant precipitation or snow depth.

You can roll the cursor over the map and reveal bar charts of the number of pleasant days by month. Although it may be positively correlated with temperature, I think a big omission from this definition of "pleasant" is a measure of humidity.

kellegous.com via flowingdata.com

"Statistical Analysis: It's So Beautiful"

Words that should be heard daily (a Moneyball reference). 

From the TV sitcom Brooklyn 99.

A Real Stem and Leaf Display

Here is a real stem-and-leaf display from a collection of deconstructions and re-organizations in the book Art of Clean Up by artist/designer Ursus Wehrli. Many more here.