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Florence Nightingale, Statistical Graphics Pioneer

Posted by kdawson on from the graphical-display-of-quantitative-information dept.

Science News has a fascinating look at an under-appreciated corner of the career of Florence Nightingale — as an innovator in the use of statistical graphics to argue for social change. Nightingale returned from the Crimean War a heroine in the eyes of the British citizenry, for the soldiers' lives she had saved. But she came to appreciate that the way to save far more lives was to reform attitudes in the military about sanitation. Under the tutelage of William Farr, who had just invented the field of medical statistics, she compiled overwhelming evidence (in the form of an 830-page report) of the need for change. "As impressive as her statistics were, Nightingale worried that Queen Victoria's eyes would glaze over as she scanned the tables. So Nightingale devised clever ways of presenting the information in charts. Statistics had been presented using graphics only a few times previously, and perhaps never to persuade people of the need for social change."

6 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Prior art on Microsoft. by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Funny

    So Nightingale devised clever ways of presenting the information in charts.

    So, in other words, she invented PowerPoint.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    1. Re:Prior art on Microsoft. by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

      I never understood the name PowerPoint. Why would you name a presentation program "Electrical Outlet"???

      For the same reason we named our planet "Dirt" - self-esteem issues ...

    2. Re:Prior art on Microsoft. by bXTr · · Score: 5, Funny

      For the same reason we named our planet "Dirt"

      which, ironically, has 2/3 of its surface covered by water. I guess "Mud" would have been a better choice.

      --
      It's a very dark ride.
  2. Thanks to her, I get it by Forrest+Kyle · · Score: 4, Funny

    So if it wasn't for Ms. Nightingale, I would never have understood the deleterious effect my cat was having on my homework performance, as it might never have been properly explained.

  3. Re:Mod me down, but you know I'm right by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... even amongst the most technical and literate of the population (like here, on slashdot).

    Ah ha ... now there's where you went wrong.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  4. Re:oh god by xs650 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "(I'm just extra annoyed since I've been a professional technical editor and rewriter for some years. "

    It's only fair that you be extra annoyed. As a technical editor and rewriter for many years you have undoubtedly pissed off many people yourself.