For my final project, I want to implement a model of data related to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and nuclear waste around New Mexico. One project that Sandia Labs worked on relevant to WIPP was long-term nuclear waste warning messages. Because nuclear waste can last the order of magnitude of 10,000 years, it is essential that people today think about how to warn people of the future about the dangers of these waste sites. I hope to explore this question through my data physicalization to attempt to design a model that could communicate with people 10,000 years from now. Additionally, I am co-teaching a class next semester about Atomic Bomb Cultures, and I hope to use this project as an educational tool for the students learning about nuclear waste.
There are several available datasets that could be relevant. One is the WIPP transportation map which tracks the routes that highly radioactive nuclear waste is transported around the country and specifically into New Mexico. There are several datasets published by Los Alamos National Labs tracking different categories of nuclear waste. Activists have also highlighted data produced by New Mexican communities affected by radiation. I will need to analyze patterns between different datasets to design a set of models that have clear relationships.
Deliverables
- Datasets related to nuclear waste: map of waste landfills, radiation exposure levels, etc.
- Computational model of the dataset that clearly communicate important aspects of the data
- Physical model(s) of the data that cohesively tell a story about the dangers of nuclear waste
- Presentation with the model
Timeline
By November 13th: Explore public datasets related to the WIPP project and decide what kind of representation I want to create
By November 27th: Computationally design a model for the dataset and prototype using a novel fabrication technique
By December 6th: Develop the final model
Finals Week: Present
Related Work
Djavaherpour, H., Samavati, F., Mahdavi-Amiri, A., Yazdanbakhsh, F., Huron, S., Levy, R., Jansen, Y. and Oehlberg, L. (2021), Data to Physicalization: A Survey of the Physical Rendering Process. Computer Graphics Forum, 40: 569-598. https://doi-org.libproxy.unm.edu/10.1111/cgf.14330
This work examines the process of data physicalization and categorizes different methods of physicalization. It provides several examples of completed projects as shown below, including topological maps that will be relevant to my project. It details different datasets and methods for fabrication that designers use. The examples also gave me some ideas for how to fabricate my project as I am interested to explore techniques outside of the small plastic printer I have been using.
Source 2: Bringing Data to Life: Community Data Physicalization
This source discusses how to use community engagement as part of data physicalization. It focuses on the interactions of people with the data and how the process of data physicalization can provide opportunities for people to engage with data in public spaces such as museums, lobbies, and lobbies. I am interested in using my final project as a educational tool for my class next semester, so the work can inform how I design my project for better interactions with the students.
Hi Sachi,
I think this project will be very meaningful and insightful for everyone who views your model. I’m glad this project will help you teach your class next semester, your students will really appreciate the visual.
Hi Alan, thank you very much! If you have any suggestions on what you might find effective for fabricating this, please let me know.
Hi Sachi,
Your project looks very meaningful! Visualizing the nuclear waste dataset through 3D printing would be a good way to let people understand the current warning message of nuclear waste! Looking forward to your work!
Hi Qinghong, thank you for the comment! I hope that the final result is effective.
Hi Sachi,
I love the project. I have this memory of watching documentariies that say that new mexico has some of the worst radioactive run off from mining(almost all on tribal land ), I do also have the fear of how do you warn some 1000 years in the future of a f*ckup of the past. Skull and cross bones has lost all meaning in the last 100 years and in 1000 years they might not speak engish or it will change so much that mean might get lost. And I was wonder what the novel aproch you are going to try or have plans to try is. I could not find hints of it in your write up.
Hi Nicholas, exactly right about the symbolism of skull and cross bones. It presents a very interesting communication and artistic issue as well. I’m still exploring possibilities for the novel approach. I’m primarily interested in using multiple materials for different parts of the representation, but I haven’t yet figured out what is realistic for the time frame and equipment I have access to.