A Data Visualization Newsletter

As Tom Brady chases his record-setting eighth Super Bowl title, it’s worth stepping back and considering his overall impact on the game. One way to represent this is by tracing his connections to other quarterbacks by the touchdown-catching receivers they share. Explore this visualization from FiveThirtyEight to see how Brady is connected to everybody from Drew Brees to Joe Namath.

From the founding of the United States until long after the Civil War, hundreds of the elected leaders writing the nation’s laws were current or former slave owners. Enslavers came from all parts of the political spectrum — from Federalists, Whigs, Unionists, Populists, Progressives, and more. In this compelling and eye-opening story, explore the data and reflect on how the legacy of slavery has been a long-standing influence on the laws of the United States.

In this interactive game, see how well you can mini golf your way through the complex maps that determine the U.S.’s Congressional districts. Watch out for the water, trick holes, and narrow impasses that show just how the mechanisms behind political power change state by state and course over course. Just who wins this game?

There are certain debates that have stood the test of time. How do you pronounce gif? Is cereal a soup? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Neal Agarwal created an interactive project that polls users on these questions (and others) so that we can finally settle some of the most pressing issues of our day. Over 140,000 people have responded so far.

A lot has changed in the world since the start of the pandemic. But how much have our shopping habits been affected? This project uses Google Trends data to explore whether shopping interest in everyday items (like apples, batteries, and floss) have been impacted by the last two years. See which items experienced unusual blips and which are truly part of the “new normal.”