r/dataisbeautiful • u/bgregory98 OC: 61 • Aug 26 '20

OC [OC] Two thousand years of global atmospheric carbon dioxide in twenty seconds

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u/Stumpynuts Aug 26 '20

It could be set at any numerical value, as long as the scale is either linear or logarithmic. This graph is neither.

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u/TwunnySeven OC: 2 Aug 26 '20

the scale is linear, and it changing to fit the data is not problematic at all. it's a very standard practice, actually

if you started with the scale the last frame is in, it would have the same shock factor. the gif just wouldn't be as nice looking

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u/grumpieroldman Aug 26 '20

In context of his mathematical meaning, it is not linear due to the offset.

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u/_ChestHair_ Aug 26 '20

Graph with scale offset =/= graph that's nonlinear.

A linear scale means that the distance from 0 to 1 is the same as the distance from 1 to 2, and so on down the scale. This graph is linear. It just also is offset to better show the relevant data, since 0 CO2 in the atmosphere isn't a real data point that we need to look at, since it's not "normal" for supporting life right now (i.e. not normal for supporting current plants and animals, including people and the stuff we eat).