Information cannot be judged without understanding the meaning of the scale

2 years ago
6.96K

Finally, a graph can't tell you much if you don't know the full significance of what's being presented.Both of the following graphs use the same ocean temperature data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.So why do they seem to give opposite impressions?The first graph plots the average annual ocean temperature from 1880 to 2016,making the change look insignificant.But in fact, a rise of even half a degree Celsius can cause massive ecological disruption.This is why the second graph,which show the average temperature variation each year,is far more significant.

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