Reflections on hydrologic modeling, or trying to predict where the water might go
> Always in motion is the future, but that's never stopped us from trying to predict it. > In hydrology, there is great value to society in this endeavor — uncertainty notwithstanding. > Here I share some of my thoughts on clearly communicating our predictions. > > bash inspirationalquote.sh --topic=science-communication | xargs echo > "Nothing in science has any value to society if it is not communicated." - Anne Roe > > launch blog-posts --climate=changing --confidence=low --curiosity=high >
I felt the need to include this brief preamble for one reason:1 to acknowledge that data visualization is often (but not always) more art than science. This will actually be my first in a series of posts on this subject, and we’ll cover some broader topics later.
Ok, two reasons… because every good blog post starts with an xkcd comic. ↩
Let me start by asking a simple question: is it easier for you to visualize, in your mind’s eye, a million gallons of water or an Olympic swimming pool? Or for you cynics out there: is it easier to visualize a million milliliters of water or a refrigerator?