Previously on Skandalon.

“This map was constructed by sorting roughly 800,000 published papers into 776 different scientific paradigms (shown as pale circular nodes) based on how often the papers were cited together by authors of other papers. Links (curved black lines) were made between the paradigms that shared papers, then treated as rubber bands, holding similar paradigms nearer one another when a physical simulation forced every paradigm to repel every other; thus the layout derives directly from the data. Larger paradigms have more papers; node proximity and darker links indicate how many papers are shared between two paradigms. Flowing labels list common words unique to each paradigm, large labels general areas of scientific inquiry.” Credit: Research & Node Layout: Kevin Boyack and Dick Klavans (mapofscience.com); Data: Thompson ISI; Graphics & Typography: W. Bradford Paley (didi.com/brad); Commissioned Katy Börner (scimaps.org). Read ( a little) more over at Seed Magazine.

Published in Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, Viking Adult, 2005 (graph appears on p.19, description is p.18-20 plus notes on p.501-502).

Description: “Fifteen views of evolution: When plotted on a logarithmic graph, 15 separate lists of key events in human history show an exponential trend. Graphed by Ray Kurzweil, based on lists compiled by Theodore Modis, who “attempted to develop a precise mathematical law that governs the evolution of change and complexity in the Universe”. To reduce bias, Modis compiled thirteen multiple independent lists of major events in the history of biology and technology (…)” (to see the 15 lists, follow the link).