This would be the perfect place to study. Next time I’m at L’Istituto delle Scienze, Palazzo Poggi, Bologna, I will definitely find this spot.
See on www.flickr.com
This is a great video for GIS day to remember why and how spatial thinking and spatial technologies can improve education and communities.
See on www.gisday.com
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
TED Talks As Vicki Arroyo says, it’s time to prepare our homes and cities for our changing climate, with its increased risk of flooding, drought and uncertainty.
Our major cities are suceptible to environmental catastrophes for a whole host of reasons. Cities depend on a smooth of goods, money and services provided by infrastructure that we take for granted and assume will always work 24/7. Presented in the video are some ideas about how we should rethink our cities with a different ecological paradigm to protect our cities more in the future.
Tags: planning, urban ecology, environment adapt, sustainability.
See on www.ted.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
