One Human Heart Beat

One Human Heart Beat is a project by data scientist and communicator Jen Lowe.

Basically, a person’s heart beat and blood flow are measured. Then, Lowe is able to take in certain factors and project how many days said person has yet to live. Everything is shown in the form of a large red graph, and with each heartbeat, the person can see his or herself creeping closer and closer to the “expiration date” that Lowe has set.

My favorite thing about this project is how removed everything seems. Lowe chooses to deal with touchy subject matter in a sterile way, which is able to achieve an effect that is equally satiric and foreboding.

Crop Circles

For some, its hard not to look up into the night sky and deny the possibility of life beyond earth. Aliens have been a topic in media for decades—radio, books, movies, etc— so when an intricate crop circle appeared in a field in Britain, it was able to capture the imaginations of many. But beneath it’s appearance, the crop circle wasn’t just a design, it was actually a chart visualizing the first few digits of pi.