# Data Visualization

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2024-03-15
- Length: 1h 25m
- Episode: 7
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/f7866bde

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill, Adam Leventhal, and Charlie Park of Oxide Computer Company discuss data visualization as a tool for engineering insight, covering tools like gnuplot, Flame Graphs, and state maps. They analyze Edward Tufte’s Napoleon chart and Abraham Wald’s survivorship bias diagram to illustrate how visualization reveals hidden patterns and selection biases. The conversation also explores practical applications, including ASCII visualizations in DTrace, the Kartlytics tool for Mario Kart analytics, and using LLMs to assist with complex plotting tasks.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=0) Introduction: Audio checks and show hiatus
- [3:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=207) Bryan’s gnuplot journey and ChatGPT assistance
- [12:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=770) The OODA loop and speed of visualization cycles
- [24:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=1464) Flame Graphs and state maps for system debugging
- [31:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=1866) Edward Tufte’s Napoleon chart and non-data ink
- [44:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=2687) Survivorship bias and the returning aircraft diagram
- [1:02:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=3767) Simpsons IMDB visualization and selection bias
- [1:15:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=4503) Kartlytics: Analyzing Mario Kart 64 performance
- [1:22:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization#t=4922) Oxide and Friends book club announcement

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- gnuplot (tool)
- Flame Graphs (tool)
- DTrace (tool)
- ParaView (tool)
- Kartlytics (tool)
- Tableau (tool)
- Ratatouille (tool)
- Graphviz (tool)
- ChatGPT (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Learn Data Visualization from a Turing Award Winner | Hopara's Mike Stonebraker & Gant Redmon | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2023-01-31-learn-data-visualization-from-a-turing-award-winner-hoparas-mike-stonebraker-gan) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Open source visualization and debugging for robotics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2022-01-28-open-source-visualization-and-debugging-for-robotics) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Amplifying Business Intelligence with AI | MicroStrategy's Saurabh Abhyankar | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2024-07-23-amplifying-business-intelligence-with-ai-microstrategys-saurabh-abhyankar-intern) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [141: Malevolent and Trying to Trick You](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-03-02-141-malevolent-and-trying-to-trick-you) (Embedded.fm)
- [505: Potato in a Number Field](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-07-10-505-potato-in-a-number-field) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-03-15-data-visualization. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.