If You Show Me Your Database, I'll Show You Mine

The practice of making databases public in the scientific community can sometimes present challenges to journalists and members of the public who are analyzing the results and trying to interpret the related academic discussion and debate. A case in point might be the recent press release from the WMAP mission, which shows both dazzling pictures and more pedestrian information graphics in its most recent release of its five-year results, which The New York Times recently reported on about how "Gauging the Age of the Universe Becomes More Precise." Notice how information-poor the pie charts of the universe's recipe components look next to high resolution images of this timeline of the universe.

Thanks to Facebook friend Ned Wright, who was interviewed in The New York Times article, for the link.