Uncategorized

Skellig Michael: An Island Far, Far Away

“Star Wars Epiosde VII was filmed on Skellig Michael island in Ireland. What better place to depict an ancient, mystical, martial asceticism in a galaxy far, far away than an actual ancient eremitic settlement, dripping with stone-cold monastic austerity, located at what was for centuries the very ends of the earth, seven miles off the very tip of a western Irish peninsula?”

Source: daily.jstor.org

This island is dripping with geologic, biogeographical, and religious intrigue that makes this world heritage site a place that is shrouded in mystery. This article from JSTOR Daily is a great introduction to the island for the incurably curious. The already vibrant tourism industry is bound to increase after Star Wars used this incredible location in the recent film (much like New Zealand experienced a huge spike in tourism after the Lord the Rings films). Filmmakers understand the power of place to deepen the narrative; they frequently situate their stories in a geographic context that will heighten the emotional impact of the story. For more on the dramatic locations of Star Wars filming sites, see this article by National Geographic.

Tags: geology, biogeography, religion, Christianity, place, Ireland, tourism.

January 4, 2016 0

Raster vs. Vector

“For all you fellow GIS geeks, this is for you! I drew this comic sketch a few years ago after a student told me that they were confused for an entire lecture because they swore the professor was talking about ‘raptors’ and they weren’t sure what dinosaurs had to do with GIS.”

Source: experimentalcraft.wordpress.com

What you think you are teaching isn’t always what they are learning.

Tags: fun, art, GIS, edtech.

January 3, 2016 0

Irredeemable? Brazil’s Faltering Economy

THE longest recession in a century; the biggest bribery scandal in history; the most unpopular leader in living memory. These are not the sort of records Brazil was hoping to set in 2016, the year in which Rio de Janeiro hosts South America’s first-ever Olympic games.

Source: www.economist.com

Brazil’s economy has gone through a rougher stretch than most in the recent global economic downturn and some see more hard times in the near future for the South American giant. BRIC countries aren’t immune to economic crisis.

Tags: economic, Brazil, South America.

January 2, 2016 0

Uneven Developement and Corporate Aid

“All Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to do is make the world a better place for his new daughter. While he’s technically on paternity leave, he couldn’t sit idly by as India attempts to halt Internet.org, Facebook’s initiative to provide free but limited internet to the developing world.”

Source: qz.com

India is a country with amazing economic potential, but hampered but uneven levels of social development. The so-called ‘digital divide’ can exacebate problems for the poor and their ability to join the emerging industries. In this situation Facebook is offering free (partial) internet access to India’s poor and the discussions about net neutrality and the potential ulterior motives are underway.

Questions to Ponder: Do you favor Zuckerberg’s proposal or do you think that India should reject this offer?

Tags: development, India, South Asia, infrastructure, technology.

January 1, 2016 0

50 years of U.S. mass shootings: The victims, sites, killers and weapons

The death tolls change, the places change. But the weapons are the common denominator.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Perspectives of gun rights and public safety are highly divided. Part of those divisions are ideological, but there are also big differences between urban and rural America. This map of the NRA’s “report card” on the legislators of Congress shows some pretty powerful spatial patterns. This interactive map of people how have been shot this year shows a decidedly differnt pattern that the first.

Questions to Ponder: How do most people feel about the second amendment where you live? What about your local geography might influence those opinions?

December 31, 2015 0

The states people really want to move to — and those they don’t

A national trend has reversed.

When the U.S. economy slowed during the recession, so did one of the major demographic shifts of the last several decades. For a brief respite, the Northeast and Midwest stopped shedding quite so many residents to the burgeoning Sun Belt. That trend, though — which has big consequences for politics, among other things — has been picking back up. New census data shows the trend accelerating back to its pre-recession pace.

Tags: migration, economic, USA.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

December 30, 2015 0