Katy Börner : Atlas of Science - Visualizing what We Know

Cartographic maps have guided our explorations for centuries, allowing us to navigatethe world. Science maps have the potential to guide our search for knowledge in the same way,allowing us to visualize scientific results. Science maps help us navigate, understand, andcommunicate the dynamic and changing structure of science and technology--help us make sense of theavalanche of data generated by scientific research today. Atlas of Science, featuring more thanthirty full-page science maps, fifty data charts, a timeline of science-mapping milestones, and 500color images, serves as a sumptuous visual index to the evolution of modern science and as anintroduction to "the science of science"--charting the trajectory from scientific conceptto published results. Atlas of Science, based on the popular exhibit, "Places & Spaces:Mapping Science," describes and displays successful mapping techniques. The heart of the bookis a visual feast: Claudius Ptolemy's Cosmographia World Map from 1482; a guide to a PhD thesis thatresembles a subway map; "the structure of science" as revealed in a map of citationrelationships in papers published in 2002; a visual periodic table; a history flow visualization ofthe Wikipedia article on abortion; a globe showing the worldwide distribution of patents; a forecastof earthquake risk; hands-on science maps for kids; and many more. Each entry includes the storybehind the map and biographies of its makers. Not even the most brilliant minds can keep up withtoday's deluge of scientific results. Science maps show us the landscape of what we know.