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From: leech@homer.cs.unc.edu (Jonathan Leech)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Scientific visualization, philosophic question
Keywords: productivity,
Message-ID: <14699@thorin.cs.unc.edu>
Date: 15 Jun 90 01:24:12 GMT
References: <6719@amelia.nas.nasa.gov> <1515@med.Stanford.EDU>
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Reply-To: leech@homer.cs.unc.edu (Jonathan Leech)
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In article <1515@med.Stanford.EDU> rick@hanauma.stanford.edu (Richard Ottolini) writes:
>Note that these three cases involve OBSERVATIONAL DATA ANALYSIS.
>Many visualization demos use PSEUDO DATA generated by modeling / simulation
>programss.  Many of this program generate weak or unconvincing results
>because the science is imperfectly understood or the computers aren't
>powerful enough yet.  Garbage into a visualization program will result in
>a scientifically unconvincing picture.

    It can go the other way, too (pseudo data generating very
convincing results).  A few years back, I borrowed a video of a
simulated Mars-sized body impacting with the proto-Earth from David
Stevenson (Caltech Geology) to show to other people in the graphics
group there.  While talking to him, he mentioned that many planetary
scientists seemed more prone to accept the impact theory (of lunar
formation) after seeing the simulation.  Apparently their critical
skills could be suppressed by the pretty pictures.  If the trained
people in a field are prone to this, how much more impressionable is
the naive (in that field) person to fancy graphics?  Well, the impact
theory seemed very reasonable to me after watching the film.
--
    Jon Leech (leech@cs.unc.edu)    __@/
    ``Even by the 22nd century, no way had yet been discovered of keeping
    elderly and conservative scientists from occupying crucial administrative
    positions.	Indeed, it was doubted if the problem ever would be solved.''
     - Arthur Clarke, _Rendezvous with Rama_