Global inequalities in population, wealth, and religious origin shown in six maps.
This map of Canada shows the country's familiar vastness. A single line drawn across its deep south adds a surprising layer of information. The line runs well below the 49th parallel that constitutes that long straight stretch of U.S.-Canada border from Point Roberts, WA to Lake of the Woods, MN (see also #519). Split in two by the U.S. state of Maine poking north, the line traverses four eastern provinces, cutting off the southern extremities of Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick. Nova Scotia is the only province that falls mostly below the line.
Met Museum Open Access Makes 375,000 Pieces Available for Free
Claude Monet, Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies (1899) Renowned for its comprehensive collection of work that captures “5,000 years of art spanning all cultures and time periods,” New York City’s world famous Metropolitan Museum of Art has recently announced that 375,000 of its pieces in the public domain are now available without restrictions. As an update to a similar 2014 initiative, the new policy, called Open Access, allows individuals to easily access the images and use them for “any purpose, including commercial and noncommercial use, free of charge and without requiring permission from the Museum.”
Norway considers giving mountain to Finland as 100th birthday present
What do you give a country that has 188,000 lakes for a birthday present? Its highest mountain back, obviously. Norway’s government has confirmed that for the centenary of Finland’s independence next year it is considering moving the border, gifting its Nordic neighbour a mountain peak that would be the country’s highest point.
If the World were 100 PEOPLE
50 would be female 50 would be male 26 would be children There would be 74 adults, 8 of whom would be 65 and olderThere would be: 60 Asians 15 Africans 14 people from the Americas 11 Europeans33 Christians 22 Muslims 14 Hindus 7 Buddhists 12 people who practice other religions 12 people who would not be aligned with a religion12 would speak Chinese 5 would speak Spanish 5 would speak English 3 would speak Arabic 3 would speak Hindi 3 would speak Bengali 3 would speak Portuguese 2 would speak Russian 2 would speak Japanese 62 would speak other languages83 would be able to read and write; 17 would not 7 would have a college degree 22 would own or share a computer77 people would have a place to shelter themfrom the wind and the rain, but 23 would not 1 would be dying of starvation 15 would be undernourished 21 would be overweight 87 would have access to safe drinking water 13 people would have no clean, safe water to drink
The Trump Resistance Plan: A Timeline – Russia and President Trump
Of the Jan. 6, 2017, meeting, when Comey told Trump about the infamous Steele dossier, Trump said: “He shared it so that I would think he had it out there” as leverage against Trump. Of the Feb. 14, 2017, meeting, when Trump said he hoped Comey could see his way to “letting Flynn go,” Trump said: “He said I said ‘hope’ — ‘I hope you can treat Flynn good’ or something like that. I didn’t say anything. But even if he did — like I said at the news conference on the, you know, Rose Garden — even if I did, that’s not — other people go a step further.
These Ancient Trees Have Stories to Tell
Over three trillion trees live on planet Earth, and yet we know so few of their stories. Of course all trees play an important role—purifying the air, hosting the feathered and the furry, teaching kids (and kids at heart) how to climb—but some have spent more time doing these things than others. Quiver trees, for example, can live up to 300 years, oaks can live a thousand years, and bristlecone pines and yews can survive for millennia. In 1999, photographer Beth Moon took it upon herself to begin documenting some of these more seasoned trees.
A Real Map of the Middle East
Could this map be any more different from the previous one discussed on this blog? That one dealt with the water, wetlands and shifting shorelines of Louisiana. This one zooms in on lines in the sand of the Middle-Eastern desert. Yet both maps do something similar: knowing that our current maps no longer reflect reality, they replace their conventional wisdom with a new cartography, based on the new facts on the ground. For Louisiana, that means a shoreline that bites much deeper inland.
9 of the Strangest and Loveliest Dioramas Ever
While there are endless different kinds of dioramas, there is something that most all of them have in common: the strange beauty that comes from capturing our world in miniature, in exacting detail. Some of the most impressive examples of this craft are on display in museums around the globe, while others a bit more off the beaten path. From bizarre to beautiful, here are nine places to see these intricate three-dimensional snapshots of the world. Fisher Museum Forestry Dioramas
The Center for Fiction
About Our First Novel Prize The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize is awarded to the best debut novel published between January 1 and December 31 of the award year. The author of the winning book is awarded $10,000 and each shortlisted author recieves $1,000. The winner will be announced at our Annual Benefit and Awards Dinner on Tuesday, December 6 at The Metropolitan Club. This year's judges are: Viet Thanh Nguyen, Chris Abani, Kate Christensen, Rivka Galchen, and Kate Walbert.
42 maps that explain World War II
by Timothy B. Lee on November 13, 2014 World War II was a great tragedy, claiming 60 million lives and throwing millions more into turmoil. Yet the war also spurred rapid technological development, hastened the end of colonialism, and laid the foundation for institutions like the United Nations and the European Union. Here are 42 maps that explain the conflict — how it started, why the Allies won, and how it has shaped the modern world.
