Behind the molecules :
Hidden incidents of taurine, melamine and pentobarbital
Behind the Molecules is an exploratory data platform investigating three critical molecules-Taurine, Melamine, and Pentobarbital–since the 1960s. The data are derived from publicly available resources and archival investigations. This work aims to expose the inappropriate usage of these substances in food production. These incidents have persisted for a long time and remain shrouded in the vast opacity of capital markets.
The platform uses visualization and sonification on an interactive website to reveal a clear difference between positive or neutral information and negative incidents. It also highlights the hidden gap between the scale of incidents and the impact of the related coverage. This work seeks to utilize real data as commemorative digital evidence, archiving the lives that have been concealed and neglected.
Research protocol
This work started from scraping data of Google News. Using keywords such as "Melamine", we retrieved records related to this molecule, including titles, dates, summaries, and images. These are all come from credible sources with raw link.
Based on the content of these records, we manually code them into positive (melamine_news_1) or negative (melamine_news_-1). Positive content typically includes the economic benefits created by the molecule, while negative content covers its inappropriate usage and the harmful result. The same scraping process was applied to academic databases. Due to the advance of our database, we were able to extend the availability of paper data back to 1960.
Additionally, we gathered data on incidents. Given the opacity surrounding the improper use of substances, we had to infer data from papers and FDA reports. Many incidents have either not been reported or only have several victim counts. While some cases, such as the melamine milk scandal in 2008, received significant attention and resulted in substantial numbers(more than 290,000). To better handle the wide range of values, we applied a log scale in the dual-y chart.
Based on news articles, papers, and incidents, we manually selected "key events" and highlighted significant numbers within these events. The criteria for selecting key events are: ① had a significant number of people affected, or ② marked a milestone in understanding the features of substance.
Website Interaction
We adopt a financial-data-like visual style in visualization, to imply the connection between the improper use of substances and the capital markets.
By clicking on key events in the graph, users can get deep into specific report and trace source links. These key events are also archived for browsing by time and molecule types.
Beyond the visual channel, we sonify the temporal patterns of data related to Taurine, Melamine, and Pentobarbital, transforming numerical information into a rich auditory experience. By converting these values into sound, listeners can perceive the data's fluctuations over time and recognize distinct characteristics through sound waves.
