Fulgurites are the rocks that form when lightning strikes sand (there are other types as well) and forms a hollow tube. Super cool!
See on geology.utah.gov
“Freedom House has been at the forefront in monitoring threats to media independence since 1980. A free press plays a key role in sustaining and monitoring a healthy democracy, as well as in contributing to greater accountability, good government, and economic development. Most importantly, restrictions on media are often an early indicator that governments intend to assault other democratic institutions.”
This interactive map shows some intriguing spatial patterns about the freedom of press internationally. What other patterns to you see in matching up with the most free presses in the world (in green)? How does a free (or not free press) influence the cultural and political values of a country?
See on www.freedomhouse.org
Go undercover with National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling as she journeys into mysterious and reclusive North Korea.
We know so little about life in North Korea since they have the world’s least free press (that is not hyperbole–Freedom House ranks countries from 0 to 99 with 0 being the most free and 99 being the least free. North Korea has recently “improved” its rating to 97, the worst in the world). Official coverage is highly censored and filled with government propaganda. This 2009 glimpse is incredibly poignant.
Tags: East Asia, development, states, poverty.
See on www.youtube.com
I’m not a photographer, so Instagram isn’t one on of my preferred social media platforms. However, since National Geographic is world renowned fror their images, this is a perfect outlet to share more images that wouldn’t fit into their articles or other collections. According to their social media expert, this foggy image of NYC is their most viewed image on Instagram.
See on instagram.com
In a world where photoshop has made the unreal seem ordinary, these unearthly seemingly landscapes might seem likely fakes. The world can be that extraordinary. Pictured above is”Door to Hell” in Turkmenistan. Rich with natural gas, Soviets were drilling in 1971 when the drilling rig collapsed and left a huge (230 feet wide) hole. In an attempt to stop gas leaks they hoped a fire would burn off any discharge, but it is still burning today. Enjoy this gallery of 25 ‘unnatural’ images.
See on www.buzzfeed.com
Find out how the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans celebrated the first Thanksgiving together at Plymouth Plantation.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and this is a great resource with videos, primary documents, virtual field trips and lesson plans for all grades, K-12. Students can see aspects of lifestyles, housing types and economic activies of both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags. For more resources about the Mayflower and the historically re-enacted village, see the Plimoth Plantation website.
Tags: K12, seasonal, historical, colonialism, virtual tours.
See on www.scholastic.com
Illegal immigration is always a very touchy political topic that is all about cultural geography and communal identity. This chart shows how various demographic consituencies feel about illegal immigration. As this article insinuates, the Republican platform does not resonate with most of the voting public.
See on www.washingtonpost.com
THERE WAS SOMETHING odd about the black car at the junction of Sutter and Hyde Streets. It was an ordinary saloon. Its windows were clear, and it looked in good…
Technologies today have allowed us to be digitally connected from anywhere. This impacts geographic patterns from outsourcing to local businesses that rely on interpersonal communications to connect potential demand with resources. Some may see this as geography becoming less of a barrier, and consequently, less relevant. This article in the Economist argues that as that these technologies have rendered location more important than ever since they rely on geospatial technologies. “The reports of the death of distance have been much exaggerated.”
Tags: technology, globalization, location, place.
See on www.economist.com
I’m sure most of you have seen the 2008 version of these fantastic maps and cartograms and they’ve been a go-to reference for me since the last election. The typical red state/blue state map conceals much concerning the spatial voting patterns in the United States and fails to account for the population densities of these distributions. That’s what makes this county level voting maps and cartograms so valuable.
Questions to Ponder: What new patterns can you see in the county map that you couldn’t see in the state map? What do the cartograms tell you about the United States population?
Tags: cartography, mapping, rural, zbestofzbest.
See on www-personal.umich.edu
