The data visualization firm Fantom have managed to turn the dull (well, at least to most) topic of population density into a visually interesting map. Continents are made up of dots corresponding to population density. The eastern seaboard is filled with tiny bright balls each representing a dense population center, while the Sahara desert is made up of large circles giving a sense of just how far apart people are. This reversed graphic language makes Fathom’s map visually rich—the information-carrying graphic elements fill up the entire map, instead of clustering in pockets surrounded by neutral negative space. But it’s also narratively…