I'm really into data visualization because it can beautifully and logically illustrate information that is otherwise a bit difficult to understand.  SYNC/LOST by 3Bits Lab is a grrrreat program that could be adapted to loads of content - love it!

Sync/Lost from 3bits on Vimeo.

"SyncLost is a multi-user installation for immersion in the history of electronic music. From a complex timeline, rhythms and sub-rhythms merge to create new sounds. 

The project's objective is to create an interface where users can view all the connections between the main styles of electronic music through visual and audible feedback. The choice is individual and leads to a collective consequence in the spatial visualization of information" (3Bits Lab).

This would be nice in a social networking context, as a “5 degrees of separation” kind of thing - either hosted by a brand or as a standalone project, connecting your friends across all of your digital platforms.

I can also see this working really well as a teaching tool - visualizing historical timelines in context with key characters, events, etc.  Would also work as a Wii game, which would be an awsome way to educate both children and adults about different subjects in a really interactive, individual or interpersonal way.

Where else do you think this could work??

Here's how it works (via 3Bits):

"When you click, all the connections are shown - where the style comes from and which had been influenced by it - furthermore the music plays and a representative text information is displayed. The visual feedback is given in real time, according to the user's choice. The music rhythm serves as a visualization parameter of the style's icon, creating multiple sonorous visualizations.

The interaction is made with wiimote controls, wireless equipment which are easy to use and learn. The audible feedback is given through headphones, also by using wireless technology"