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> each box represents a source of electricity. The higher the box, the more land that source uses. [...] If you look carefully, you might notice that the vertic

> each box represents a source of electricity. The higher the box, the more land that source uses. [...] If you look carefully, you might notice that the vertical axis uses a log scale. I think this graph wins the hotly contested "most misleading use of a log scale" award. Anyone glancing at it quickly would vastly underestimate the differences between energy sources.

sfink 4y ago
Yeah, I was thinking a linear graph with a scrollbar would emphasize the point a lot better, and then add a toggle for the log scale so you could actually see the data without scrolling. But then you'd need to explain why you're seeing so little and that you need to scroll.
lukeasrodgers 4y ago
Based solely on my personal experience, this log scale graph is no more misleading than a typical log scale graph. What in your mind makes it unusually bad? Do you have examples of better log scale graphs?
- jasonhansel 4y ago
  First, the use of a log-scale seems to serve no purpose. The point is to illustrate that biomass is vastly worse than the alternatives; a comparison between those alternatives is irrelevant. So the log scale obscures the point rather than elucidating it. But secondly: some log scale graphs have unevenly-spaced lines along the Y axis to make the use of a log scale more obvious. This is an example of what I mean: https://www.geol.lsu.edu/jlorenzo/geophysics/graphing/semilog1.gif https://www.geol.lsu.edu/jlorenzo/geophysics/graphing/semilo... On this graph, though, the lines along the Y-axis are evenly-spaced, increasing the confusion. Thirdly: the use of a log scale should be mentioned in the graph's caption, not buried in the text.
  - yuliyp 4y ago
    Do they not teach log scale graphs in math classes any more? The scale visually reading as 10000, 1000, 100, 10, 1 immediately clues readers in to its log-scale nature. I found the graph incredibly clear to read, and it told me what I needed to know about many of the alternative types of electricity generation: which ones are comparable in efficiency, which have larger variances, where those variances overlap and do not overlap, as well as where the differences are large or not. I could see this as a critique of a log-scale graph appearing in a newspaper article or something where the reader is likely to be skimming, but in an persuasive essay readers would probably be more engaged and able to spend time synthesizing the arguments vs just storing information.

sfink 4y ago

Yeah, I was thinking a linear graph with a scrollbar would emphasize the point a lot better, and then add a toggle for the log scale so you could actually see the data without scrolling. But then you'd need to explain why you're seeing so little and that you need to scroll.

lukeasrodgers 4y ago

Based solely on my personal experience, this log scale graph is no more misleading than a typical log scale graph. What in your mind makes it unusually bad? Do you have examples of better log scale graphs?

jasonhansel 4y ago
First, the use of a log-scale seems to serve no purpose. The point is to illustrate that biomass is vastly worse than the alternatives; a comparison between those alternatives is irrelevant. So the log scale obscures the point rather than elucidating it. But secondly: some log scale graphs have unevenly-spaced lines along the Y axis to make the use of a log scale more obvious. This is an example of what I mean: https://www.geol.lsu.edu/jlorenzo/geophysics/graphing/semilog1.gif https://www.geol.lsu.edu/jlorenzo/geophysics/graphing/semilo... On this graph, though, the lines along the Y-axis are evenly-spaced, increasing the confusion. Thirdly: the use of a log scale should be mentioned in the graph's caption, not buried in the text.
- yuliyp 4y ago
  Do they not teach log scale graphs in math classes any more? The scale visually reading as 10000, 1000, 100, 10, 1 immediately clues readers in to its log-scale nature. I found the graph incredibly clear to read, and it told me what I needed to know about many of the alternative types of electricity generation: which ones are comparable in efficiency, which have larger variances, where those variances overlap and do not overlap, as well as where the differences are large or not. I could see this as a critique of a log-scale graph appearing in a newspaper article or something where the reader is likely to be skimming, but in an persuasive essay readers would probably be more engaged and able to spend time synthesizing the arguments vs just storing information.