In a previous post we looked at scales of measurement – from the very very large, to the incredibly minute. In a similar vein we have Giant Stars, which provides us with a sense of just how big our biggest problems really are. As I said before, I find it reassuring when I can get reminders like this of where we stand in the natural pecking order.

Many people like to think that humanity is rightfully master of the universe because only our species can perform complex symbolic reasoning and do cool things with our opposable thumbs. We enjoy our spot at the apex of the food chain, at the very pinnacle of evolution, even though we defined the rules by which our preeminence can be the only rational conclusion.

Given that I often feel awash in the abundance of such conceit, I sometimes find it comforting when I am reminded of our true place in the natural pecking order. One such reminder is provided by the Nikkon Corporation, with their Universcale application. This has been around for almost a year, but it’s so well done, and such a clear demonstration that we’re not king of every hill, that it’s worth exploring.

Yes, indeed – size does matter.

Edit: Updated the link for this since it recently changed

In what amounts to probably the nicest example of corporate support for the spirit of community that pervades the Web 2.0 phenomena, IBM has launched a cool new site called Many Eyes that allows members to upload and visualize datasets from just about anywhere.

I found it very easy to navigate the system and upload some data related to Homicide Rates in the US, as you can see here. In order to create a visualization, you have to first register with IBM. After that, you can upload data, and then create one or more custom visualizations of your data. In addition to the standard plot types (bar, line, pie, and are charts) you can also use bubble plots as well as tag-clouds for free-form text data.

So, go forth my friends, and let slip your inner statistician.