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May 9, 2018

#1991: Research Areas by Size and Countedness

Research Areas by Size and Countedness

[An X-Y scatter plot of research areas, written in gray font, where both axes have arrows in both ends. At the end of each arrow is a label. Above the left part of the X-axis there is a line which goes to a text about the meaning of the X-axis. Similarly there is a line to from the top of the Y-axis to a questions “asked” to those that study the given subject, their answers being somewhere between the two labels on the Y axis.]

[The X-axis from left to right, text first and then labels:]

Size of the thing you study

Small

Big

[The Y-axis from top to bottom, question first and then labels:]

“That thing you study - how many of them are there?”

“We have a pretty good estimate.”

“We have no idea”

[The research areas names are listed here below by sorting them into the four quadrants from top left to bottom right. In each quadrant the areas are listed after most left first, and then top to bottom for those at the same x position.]

[Upper left quadrant (Small & count known):]

Elementary particle physics

Dentistry

Shakespeare studies

Ornithology

Ancient Literature

[Upper right quadrant (Big & count known):]

Presidential History

Marine Mammology

Railway Engineering

Geology

Cosmology*

(*Depends who you ask)

[Lower left quadrant (Small & count unknown):]

Pharmacology

Microbiology

Entymology

Mycology

[Upper right quadrant (Big & count unknown):]

Botany

Paleontology

Exobiology

Black Hole Astronomy

Theology