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From: drw900@anusf.anu.edu.au ("Drew R Whitehouse")
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.visualization
Subject: Re: Out of the lab, into the classroom
Keywords: reuse fabulous
Message-ID: <1991Apr5.092418@anusf.anu.edu.au>
Date: 4 Apr 91 23:24:18 GMT
References: <1991Apr2.202227.13796@agate.berkeley.edu> <1991Apr3.172156.3960@nas.nasa.gov> <1991Apr3.193914.4569@agate.berkeley.edu> <1991Apr3.215031.7763@nas.nasa.gov> <1151@durer.cme.nist.gov> <1991Apr4.174721.7759@dragon.wpd.sgi.com>
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Organization: Australian National University Supercomputer Facility
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In article <1991Apr4.174721.7759@dragon.wpd.sgi.com>, ciemo@bananapc.wpd.sgi.com (Dave Ciemiewicz) writes:
|> In article <1151@durer.cme.nist.gov>, bagwill@swe.ncsl.nist.gov (Bob Bagwill) writes:
|> |> On the other hand, scientists may ignore useful data because it doesn't make
|> |> a pretty picture.  Speaking from zero knowledge, I would guess that
|> |> grant committees and other investors like pretty pictures.  Scene from
|> |> NSF committee of the future :-)
|> |> 
|> |> Bob Bagwill
|> 
|> Basically visualization is not just a analytical tool but it is also a
|> marketing tool for getting funding for your project and a visual aid for
|> communicating the results to your audience.
|> 
|> Lately I feel that everything is just marketing and that if you have an
|> ineffective sales pitch, you can have the best idea in the world and it
|> won't be received if it's not packaged properly.
|> 

	Maybe you're getting a bit cynical ? If "everything is
marketing" turned out to be true I think a lot of scientists would
pack it in and go home. Would Einstein have had the time and energy to
have thought out general relativity if he had to justify his time
spent staring at the ceiling with 3d raytraced animations ? 

	The flipside of your argment is "you can have the dumbest idea
in the world and it will be received properly with proper packaging".
I think we're beginning to see this more and more, and maybe it's not
a good thing to encourage. I see visualizers as people who are making
advanced graphics techniques easier and easier to use, for researchers
who've got more important things to wrap there minds around.

							Drew

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