Information is Beautiful tackles the most common misconceptions (another form of contagion). I love the data visualization at this site: they are able to convey so much information in such a simple and eloquent way. In this infographic, different topics are different colors, and the size of the bubble is determined by the number of google hits associated with that particular idea (myth). 

For the full-size image, click here.

This interactive infographic shows what percentage of authors across disciplines are female. The data span from 1665 to 2010. The data can be viewed as All Authors, First Authors/Solo Authors Only, or Last Authors only.  It's interesting to see the disparities across disciplines, as well as how the size indicators change when you move from the All Authors to First Author Only metric. As the main determinant of success in academia, this chart suggests we still have a long way to go.

A visualization of current (and past) wind flows across the United States by day. Also a good portal for thinking.

http://hint.fm/wind/index.html