The Dynamics of Scientific Knowledge - Mapping Scientific Frontiers: The Quest for Knowledge Visualization - page 33

Fig. 1.17 A Gestalt switch
between figure and ground.
Does the figure show a vase
or two faces?
words: “R ontgen 5 had never seen a transparent hand as in the case of his wife's
ringed fingers, but it was obvious from the first glimpse what was seen.” On the
other hand, there are more and more visual techniques that are moving away from
visual isomorphism. For example, the transparent and translucent microorganisms
in “true color” were difficult to see. It was false coloring that turned microscopic
imaging techniques to a standard technique within scientific visual hermeneutics.
Hermeneutics brings a word from the wordless. Information visualization aims
to bring insights into abstract information to the viewer. In particular, information
visualization deals with information that may not readily lend itself to geometric or
spatial representations. The subject of this topic is about ways to depict and interpret
a gigantic “pipe” of scientific frontiers with reference to the implications of how
visualized scientific frontiers and real ones are interrelated.
As shown in the history of the continent drift theory, a common feature of a
research front is the presence of constant debates between competing theories and
how the same evidence could be interpreted from different views. These debates at a
disciplinary scale will be used to illustrate the central theme of this topic - mapping
scientific frontiers. How can we take snapshots of a “battle ground” in scientific
literature? How can we track the development of competing schools of thought
over time? From a hermeneutic point of view, what are the relationships between
“images” of science and science itself? How do we differentiate the footprints of
science and scientific frontiers? Would Rene Magritte point to a visualization of a
scientific frontier, and say “This is not a science frontier?”
In the rest of this chapter, we will visit a few more examples and explore
profound connections between language, perception, and cognition. Some examples
illustrate the barrier of languages not only in the sense of natural languages but also
in terms of communicative barriers across scientific and technological disciplines.
Some show the power of visual languages throughout the history of mankind. Some
underline limitations of visual languages. Through these examples, we will be able
to form an overview of the most fundamental issues in grasping the dynamics of the
forefront of science and technology.
5 Wilhelm Rontgen, the inventor of X-ray, made copies of the X-ray of his wife's hand and sent
these to his colleagues across Europe as evidence of his new invention.