GeoWorld

The Human Brain Holds the Power of Geovisualization POSITION C BY TODD DANIELSON ognition can be defined as "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses." It's one of the great differentiators between human brains and computers. Based on our lifetimes of experiences, humans can simply "see things" that computers can't. One of the best examples of human's cognitive powers can be found in mapping and other forms of modern geotechnology. Computers are amazing when it comes to crunching numbers and finding hidden bits of information in gigabytes of data that humans would likely never uncover, but people are still much better at looking at a map or visualization and realizing its significance as well as making decisions based on an "overall understanding." Why Maps Work Todd Danielson is editor of GeoWorld magazine, PO Box 773498, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477; e-mail: tdanielson@geoplace.com. 4 G E O W O R L D / M A Y 2 O 1 3 According to the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (spatiallearning.org), "recent theories of embodied cognition suggest that our representations of objects and events are often grounded in the sensorimotor systems we use to perceive and act on the world." This organization is interested in discovering more about "why and how" spatial cognition works, and its Web site has volumes of related information, but the underlying value of spatial cognition is indisputable. Maps are one of the first forms of "visualization" ever created. Using cognitive powers, humans can much better understand location and destination through visual and contextual representations rather than written or spoken descriptions. From Ptolemy's Geographia map (circa 150 AD) to modern 4-D immersive rooms, the object has always been to present information for better understanding and decision making. But progress in visualization technology was incremental for thousands of years until computers changed everything. In the early 1980s, French graphic theorist Jacques Bertin noted the potential for computers and "dynamic visual displays as prompts for scientific insight and on the methods through which dynamic visual displays might leverage perceptual cognitive processes to facilitate scientific thinking." I'm sure he never imagined how it would actually play out. 'A-Ha Moment' in 3-D As a relative geotechnology layperson, I don't experience the industry's cutting-edge technologies on a daily basis, so when I do, it's often filled with personal revelations. One such moment happened at the 2012 Esri User Conference, and it concerned visualization technology. I met with Dave Chavez, the chief technology officer for zSpace Inc. and author of "Personal Virtual Reality—Visualizations Heading to the Desktop," on page 14. I've seen demonstrations of 3-D technology using special glasses for many years, but this was the first time the image wasn't static. I'm used to seeing images "pop out" at me and providing a useful perspective, but a head-on view was always best, and the perspective didn't change when I moved. The zSpace technology tracked the glasses I was wearing, however, and the perspective of the 3-D visualization changed as I moved, allowing me to "look around" objects naturally. The effect was extremely realistic and had me insisting on a feature article about modern desktop visualizations. It tapped into my brain's "cognitive powers" in ways I hadn't experienced before, and it made me fully realize that "holodecks" and other forms of sci-fi 3-D technology are just around the corner. But as visualizations and the maps created from them improve, it's important to understand that they're not just "eye candy." Realistic representations tap into the power of human cognition, and until computers master that and finally take over, they're the best way to understand the world and our place in it.

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