Visual analytics is the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces. One key aspect that separates visual analytics from other related fields (InfoVis, SciVis, HCI) is the focus on analytical reasoning. While the final products generated at from an analytical process are of great value, research has shown that the processes of the analysis themselves are just as important if not more so. These processes not only contain information on individual insights discovered, but also how the users arrive at these insights.

Hans Rosling’s famous lectures combine enormous quantities of public data with a sport’s commentator’s style to reveal the story of the world’s past, present and future development. Now he explores stats in a way he has never done before – using augmented reality animation. In this spectacular section of ‘The Joy of Stats’ he tells the story of the world in 200 countries over 200 years using 120,000 numbers – in just four minutes. Plotting life expectancy against income for every country since 1810, Hans shows how the world we live in is radically different from the world most of us imagine.

Attached is the November 2010 edition of the Integrated Visualization and Analytics Community (iVAC) Newsletter. The Basic/Futures Research (BFR) Program believes that regular communication is one of the most effective ways to enable our Data and Visual Analytics enterprise to flourish.

The iVAC Newsletter is envisioned as a coordinating function for the various activities coming out of the BFR program, international university partners and other government agencies.

The thought is to present and share knowledge of these initiatives, accomplishments in various areas (technology, publications, new funding, etc.), up-coming conferences and events, and other significant happenings to the entire community.

We are delighted to announce the call for participation in VIZBI 2011, the 2nd workshop on ‘Visualizing Biological Data’, to be held at the Broad Institute, Cambridge-MA (USA), March 16-18, 2011. VIZBI 2011 brings together scientists actively using or developing computational visualization to study a diverse range of biological data. As shown on the attached poster, they have assembled a list of high-profile speakers who will each review the state-of-the-art and challenges with visualization in their field. VIZBI 2011 also features an ‘art & science’ evening (Thursday) during which they will be joined by medical illustrators, graphic designers, and artists interested in biological visualization. On Saturday, March 19, immediately after the workshop, participants can choose from a range of tutorials and take part in a hands-on ‘bring-your-own-data’ session.

Attached is the October 2010 edition of the Integrated Visualization and Analytics Community (iVAC) Newsletter. The Basic/Futures Research (BFR) Program believes that regular communication is one of the most effective ways to enable our Data and Visual Analytics enterprise to flourish.

The iVAC Newsletter is envisioned as a coordinating function for the various activities coming out of the BFR program, international university partners and other government agencies.

The thought is to present and share knowledge of these initiatives, accomplishments in various areas (technology, publications, new funding, etc.), up-coming conferences and events, and other significant happenings to the entire community.

The objective of this workshop is to bring together researchers and practitioners that are developing and applying the state-of-the-art in visual analytics; to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of the newest both mature and greenhouse ideas, research and developments in visual analytics and supporting disciplines, and to identify the short- and long-term research directions in the field and preferences of the potential end users.

We solicit papers that will introduce new research results, present forward-looking positional statements, or define relevant research challenges.

EuroVis 2011, i.e., the Eurographics/IEEE Symposium on Visualization, is annually organized by the Eurographics Working Group on Data Visualization and the IEEE Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee.

In 2011, the symposium is located in Bergen, Norway, continuing an already extensive series of earlier meetings, consisting of 12 EuroVis/VisSym events in the years 1999–2010 (most recently in Bordeaux, Berlin, Eindhoven, and Norrköping), as well as 9 EG ViSC Workshops in the years 1990 to 1998. Bergen is a historic port-town on the scenic west coast of Norway, also called the gateway to the fjords.

Important note: Early June is amongst the few very best weeks in the year to visit Bergen and it is very, very popular during this time – early booking of accommodation (before April!) is strongly recommended to avoid problems with the travel planning.

The EU CORDIS site just released a news headline on VisMaster in different languages!

Attached is the September 2010 edition of the Integrated Visualization and Analytics Community (iVAC) Newsletter. The Basic/Futures Research (BFR) Program believes that regular communication is one of the most effective ways to enable our Data and Visual Analytics enterprise to flourish.

The iVAC Newsletter is envisioned as a coordinating function for the various activities coming out of the BFR program, international university partners and other government agencies.

The thought is to present and share knowledge of these initiatives, accomplishments in various areas (technology, publications, new funding, etc.), up-coming conferences and events, and other significant happenings to the entire community.

David McCandless turns complex data sets (like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates) into beautiful, simple diagrams that tease out unseen patterns and connections. Good design, he suggests, is the best way to navigate information glut — and it may just change the way we see the world.