Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
Mapping the Universe
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Chinese Proverb
Powers of Ten is a short documentary film written and directed by Ray Eames and
her husband, Charles Eames. It was rereleased in 1977. Starting from a one-meter
wide scene, the film moves 10 times farther away every 10 s. By the 7th move,
we have already moved far enough to see the entire Earth (Fig.
2.1
). In 1998, the
Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National
Film Registry because it is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” In
this chapter, we will review principles and techniques that have been developed for
drawing maps at three very different scales, namely, geographical maps, maps of the
universe, and maps of protein sequences and compounds.
This chapter focuses on a variety of organizing models behind a variety of maps,
and in particular their role in making visual thinking and visual communication
effective. These models are also known as metaphors. The fundamental value of a
metaphor is its affordance. The central theme in this chapter is the design of thematic
maps that represent phenomena in the physical world across terrestrial mapping and
celestial mapping. The key question is: what are the roles of various metaphors in
mapping macrocosmic phenomena and macrocosmic ones?
2.1
Cartography
Maps are graphic representations of the cultural and physical environment. Maps
appeared as early as the fifth or sixth century BC. Cartography is the art, science,
and technology of making maps. There are two types of maps: general-purpose
maps and thematic maps. General-purpose maps are also known as reference maps.
Examples of reference maps include topographic maps and atlas maps. These maps
display objects from the geographical environment with emphasis on location, and
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