We’re very excited to introduce fan graphs today! This new feature offers a clear, intuitive way to display the observed past data points and predicted future data points in [question group](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/9861/question-groups-all-question-types-supported/) time series. And, we think they look really nice: 

![fan2](https://metaculus-media.s3.amazonaws.com/user_uploaded/Screen_Shot_2022-07-15_at_9.43.38_AM.jpeg)

Historical data links up with current forecasts' medians and [interquartile ranges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interquartile_range) to streamline the identification and interpretation of trends.  

![fan1](https://metaculus-media.s3.amazonaws.com/user_uploaded/Screen_Shot_2022-07-15_at_9.44.08_AM.jpeg)

Because individual user forecasts appear in the fan graph alongside the community's, it's easier than ever to recognize how your model of the world differs from others'. 

### Where can I find fan graphs?
Fan graphs currently appear on question groups featuring time series. Here are some to get you started: 

* *[What will be the sum of the performance (in exaFLOPS) of the top 500 supercomputers in the following dates?](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/11552/top-500-supercomputer-total-performance/)*

* *[What will be the minimum arctic sea ice extent in the following years?](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/11545/minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extent/)*

* *[How much military equipment losses will Oryx report for Russia in 2022?](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/10724/how-much-military-equipment-losses-will-oryx-report-for-russia-in-2022/)*

* *[What will be the average top price performance (in G3D Mark /$) of the best available GPU on the following dates?](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/11241/top-price-performance-of-gpus/)*

* *[What will be the total number of flu hospitalizations in New York for the following weeks?](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/9865/flu-hospitalizations-for-ny/
)*

### How can I add a fan graph to a question group?
Message @admins on a question group page to request a fan graph be added. 

(Also, see the [question groups discussion post](https://www.metaculus.com/questions/9861/question-groups-all-question-types-supported/) for a related update: You can now create and submit your own question groups!) 

### What's next?
The next step for this feature is tooltips. Soon, when you hover over a point in the graph, the prediction values will be displayed.

Further out, we'll add proportional x axes. Currently, all dates are evenly distributed across the x-axis, even if there are big gaps in time. In the future we want to visually represent the distance between x values accurately to make interpretation of the fan graph even easier.

<br />
**We look forward to hearing your feedback in the comments below!** <br />
(To report any technical issues, click 'Feedback' in the footer.)