Sturgeon four point zero
Ninety percent of everything is crap. At least, that’s the statistic that a science fiction writer, Theodore Sturgeon, coined in 1957. His revelation has been dubbed “Sturgeon’s Law” ever since (even though this reality has probably been known since the dawn of time).
Anyway, Sturgeon wasn’t being generous enough. Many would put the amount of crap at around 99%. On a good day.
The chart at the top of this story was meant to illustrate this concept to data wranglers struggling to make data visualizations. They ought to know as well as anyone that almost everything is crap, but maybe they think the law only applies to data, and somehow, visualizations are exempt. Nope.
People who are impatient when trying to make things look good probably haven’t spent enough time around those whose job is to make things look good —because then they would realize how those people struggle with crap too. Loads of it.
Making things look good is hard work, not magic. However, this may not be evident because those who do that work don’t usually advertise their mistakes. Why should they? Credibility is everything — the same as for data wranglers and everyone else. Even AI too.
An excellent metaphor for Sturgeon’s Revelation would be a rock with a sliver of gold ore. So, that’s the chart to make, but let’s ask ChatGPT4 to help with that and then enjoy the hilarious results…
HUMAN: Please show me an image of a rock in the shape of a perfect circle.
GPT4: Here is the image of a rock in the shape of a perfect circle, as you requested…
HUMAN: Please show me a solid rock with the outer contour of a perfect circle.
GPT4: Here’s the image of a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle…
HUMAN: Please show me a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle, plus a small vein of gold ore, totaling about 5% of the visible surface area.
GPT4: Here’s the image of a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle, including a small vein of gold ore…
HUMAN: Please show me a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle and a tiny vein of gold ore shaped like a pie wedge.
GPT4: Here’s the image of a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle, including a tiny vein of gold ore shaped like a pie wedge…
HUMAN: Please show me a solid rock with the outer contour of a perfect circle and a tiny vein of gold ore, shaped as if the rock is a pie chart and the gold is a 5% wedge.
GPT4: Here’s the image of a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle, featuring a tiny vein of gold ore shaped like a 5% wedge of a pie chart…
sigh
HUMAN: Please show me a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle, plus a tiny vein of gold ore emanating from the center of the rock to its edge.
GPT4: Here’s the image of a solid rock with an outer contour of a perfect circle, featuring a tiny vein of gold ore emanating from the center to its edge…
Close enough.
That’s how designers do it, too.
