The power of visualized data cannot be understated. Well-designed graphics can be much more effective than extensive tables at communicating patterns and big picture ideas, not only to other scientists, but also to policymakers and laypeople. In “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information”, Tufte presents many examples of how figures can convey important messages. In this video, I’ll go through two of them. The first shows how different data sets with similar statistics can have wildly different visualizations. The second example illustrates how a real-world problem – cholera in 19th century London – was addressed after a particularly effective visual presentation of the disease’s geography.