Predictive visualizations that changed the world | richardbrath
During the industrial revolution, coal was a critical resource for powering factories. Every landowner was suddenly interested in the potential for wealth beneath their feet. But where was the coal? A visualization that could aid prediction of where and how deep the coal was would be immensely valuable.
William Smith, who started with a keen interest in fossils, observed that fossils always occurred in orders in rock. Vertebrates were above invertebrates. Invertebrates were above ferns. Ferns occurred where the coal was. The rocks below the ferns did not contain coal.
This critical observation lead to the ability to predict if coal existed beneath one’s feet, depending on the the layer of rock that one was standing on.
Smith proceeded to create a map of Britain over twenty four years (!) completing it in 1815. The map indicates which rock strata was the top strata across Britain. Furthermore, the coloring accentuates the boundaries where one strata changed to the next. Smith had created a contour map of geology. And it’s a beautiful map:
How was this map used as a predictive visualization? Suppose you are a land-owner in 1820 England, hopeful for the existence of coal on your property. To use the map for prediction, simply pick any point on the map. Determine which layer you are standing on with color-coding, using the cross-section as a color-legend. Now compare that layer to the other layers. Is the coal below (great start) or above (too bad)? Is the coal layer only a layer or two down (wealth!) or too many layers down (too bad)?
