The idea of flash mobs has spread quickly, diffusing at a time when online video sharing can immortalize the moment in time and social media can amplify the audience beyond just one place.
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Global news with a spatial perspective: Interesting, current supplemental materials for geography students and teachers. http://geographyeducation.org
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Seth Dixon
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Seth Dixon's insight:
I LOVE this particular flashmob (as a bonus, 'read' the cultural landscape to try to identify where this took place). While there are many types of successful flash mobs, all share one characteristic: place matters. The place where a flash mob performs is not simply a stage; place is a crucial part of the meaning of the flash mob. An incredibly prominent place with open spaces and many sight lines is a prime location for a flash mob. Beyond these tangible characteristics, if a site has some importance cultural significance, those qualities can be meshed with the meanings of the flash mob. For more of my musings on flashmobs (and extra clips) you can continue reading here: http://geographyeducation.org/whats-new/articles/place-and-flash-mobs/
Tags: place, space, diffusion, popular culture.
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Though he never actually crossed it, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras is sometimes credited with having first conceived of the Equator, calculating its location on the Earth’s sphere more than four centuries before the birth of Christ. Via Tony Hall
Seth Dixon's insight:
This is an interesting article on some Earth-Sun relationships that challenges the dominant north-centered normative view of how to think about our planet. My favorite tidbit of information: "The velocity of the Earth’s rotation varies depending on where you stand: 1,000 mph at the Equator versus almost zero at the poles. That means that the fastest sunrises and sunsets on the planet occur on the Equator, and centrifugal and inertial forces are also much greater there. " 
Tony Hall's curator insight,
May 23, 8:31 PM
This is a very thought provoking article. I like seeing the established conventions challanged. I also like the conversations around the sense of superiority possed by the Northern Hemisphere. Enjoy! Delete the scoop?
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"London-based design firm BERG created these two 3D maps of Manhattan, which look like a scene out of "Inception" (via Curbed NY)." Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
This podcast explains the MOOC Maps and the Geospatial Revolution. It is designed to be an easy on-ramp to 21st century geospatial tools and any geography teacher hoping to modernize their skillset would do well to take this summer course from the Program of Online Geospatial Education at Penn State, taught by Dr. Anthony Robinson. Click here to register for free. Tags: GIS, teacher training, mapping, cartography, geospatial, edtech, geography education, unit 1 GeoPrinciples. Delete the scoop?
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USGS National Geologic Database- TopoView
Seth Dixon's insight:
The National Geologic Map Database is a simple interactive tool to find USGS topographic maps that you can dowload. Users can search for current or historic maps.
Tags: geospatial, GIS, mapping, cartography. 
Bruce Deitrick Price's comment,
May 4, 7:52 PM
Topographic relief maps..get the biggest and best you can afford.. the best way to teach history, science, etc.
Paul Nicoara's curator insight,
May 5, 5:05 PM
The National Geologic Map Database is a simple interactive tool to find USGS topographic maps that you can dowload. Users can search for current or historic maps. Delete the scoop?
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"The WomanStats Project is the most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of women in the world. The Project facilitates understanding the linkage between the situation of women and the security of nation-states. We comb the extant literature and conduct expert interviews to find qualitative and quantitative information on over 310 indicators of women's status in 174 countries. Our Database expands daily, and access to it is free of charge. Click here if you are a new to the project."
Seth Dixon's insight:
I have linked to the WomanStats Project in the past because their global datasets and maps are perfect for get students to explore a potential topic that might be of interest to them. I'm resharing this now because they have recently updated their maps page to include 28 statistical measures to indicate the status of women around the world (including this one on the gendered discrepancy of access to secondary education). The WomanStats Project provides important data and maps regarding issues of gender, access and equity with a spatial perspective. Delete the scoop?
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What would John Snow's famous cholera map look like on a modern map of London, using modern mapping tools?
Seth Dixon's insight:
John Snow's cholera map is often noted as a prime example of using spatial thinking to solve a scientific problem. Here are a variety of resources to explore this classic example. Here is an article that highlights the spatial thinking that produced this map, with KML files and in Google Fusion Tables. See also these online GIS layers of Dr. Snow's famous map. Delete the scoop?
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Welcome, Metafilter visitors! How can you map a sphere unto the plane? well you can't if you want to keep size, shape and proportions. Here are the alternatives... Learn more about the different projections.
Seth Dixon's insight:
We are accustomed to spatial distortion in maps; when we see that same distortion on a picture, it gives us an alternative perspective on the level of spatial distortion that we see on maps. The Azimuthal projections (circular) are my favorite for this photographic project. Tags: mapping, cartography, perspective, map. 
Ann-Laure Liéval's curator insight,
March 24, 7:55 AM
Des cartes pour comprendre le monde...une initiative photographique pour comprendre les projections. Delete the scoop?
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International Women's Day: political rights around the world mapped
Seth Dixon's insight:
This is late for International Women's Day, but it is never a wrong time to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of the expansion of women's political rights. This interactive map is excellent for seeing these few metrics, but a more expanded dataset with maps concerning gender (in)equality in the world and the status of women is WomanStats. Tags: gender, mapping, statistics, political. 
Nancy Watson's curator insight,
March 15, 5:19 PM
The UN Millenium Goals include gender equity and gender empowerment. The goals are set to be achieved by 2015. Delete the scoop?
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"Some prime examples of fascinating maps."
Seth Dixon's insight:
This is a very entertaining collection of maps. Shown above is a map that displays what is on the other side of the Globe (see, it's the Argentinians and Chileans that would "dig a hole to China"). Superimposed on every location is its antipod/antipode (location directly opposite on the other side of the Earth). The journal of radical leftist geography is entitled Antipode, implying that they see the world through a different perspective and plays off of this concept. 
Miguel Ángel Vargas's curator insight,
March 3, 12:03 PM
Mapas poco comunes, poco útiles, aunque curiosos. Delete the scoop?
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Tags: transportation, mapping, place.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This comic strip would be funnier if it weren't so true. Studies have shown that children who are driven everywhere do not have as fully developed mental maps as children who walk through their neighborhoods or ride their bikes. For some lesson plans on mental maps, click here. 
Ken Halpern's comment,
March 1, 1:10 PM
Even as an adult and have been in different parts of the world driving, I still remember how to get around in my home town. It's amazing how the mind can retain that type of information. I still remember the neighborhoods I use to bike through and walk in.
Gary Pascoa's comment,
March 1, 9:53 PM
Certainly guilty of this growing up. I have a photogenic memory when it comes to directions and getting around. I think it will only get worse in the future for kids with the advent of GPS who might not take the time to build up a solid understanding of their surroundings.
Conor McCloskey's comment,
March 4, 8:37 PM
Proud to say my mental maps are pretty accurate and so are my brothers, however I have two siblings that cannot say the same... I would definitely support the theory that walking through neighborhoods and riding bikes really helped to give me and my brother strong mental maps and geospatial awareness. Also, being a runner has also influenced my mental map making.
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Income maps of every neighborhood in the U.S. See wealth and poverty in places like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Miami, and more.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This is the most user-friendly website I've seen to map economic census data. This maps the average household income data on top of a Google Maps basemap that can be centered on any place in the United States. This is a great resource to share with students of just about any age. Tags: statistics, census, GIS, mapping, K12. 
Alejandro Restrepo's curator insight,
February 13, 6:22 PM
Very interesting aspect of our demographics here in Central Falls. Any one with an interest in demographics and the make up our city should take a look a this and compare it to other neighborhoods in Rhode Island. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself! 
Allison Anthony's curator insight,
February 16, 10:25 AM
Compare the neighborhoods in and around your area. What trends do you see? Any surprises? Delete the scoop?
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Check out the twitter activity in realtime
Seth Dixon's insight:
What is the social media conversation like in different regions of the world? This realtime mapping tool lets user visualize the ever-shifting world of Twitter. In this screen shot, Europe and Africa are sleeping the Americas are buzzing with activity. 
Heather Ramsey's curator insight,
February 5, 11:41 AM
This links to a page where tweets on Twitter are tracked in real time and displayed on a dot map.
Questions: What regions have the most tweets? Do you think there are differences between what people tweet about in one part of the world versus another? What can you infer about the areas where there are no tweets reported?
Ann-Laure Liéval's curator insight,
February 6, 12:59 PM
Globalisation and the Internet; The US superpower and its softpower 
nzgeogeek's curator insight,
February 24, 6:50 AM
You need to open this page in Google Chrome. It will not work using Internet Explorer. Delete the scoop?
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Google Maps rolls out a detailed may of the secretive state.
Seth Dixon's insight:
Citizen cartographers have edited Google's North Korea map, putting information on what was previously an absence of data concerning one of the most secretive countries in the world. In essence, as explained in this video, Google is crowd-sourcing the map. How might this geographic knowledge change our perception of North Korea? How might the dissemination of this information affect North Korea?
Tags: North Korea, mapping, cartography.
Ann-Laure Liéval's curator insight,
January 30, 9:41 AM
Des cartes pour comprendre le monde: la géographie participative de Google. Delete the scoop?
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There are 8 major English dialect areas in North America, presented on the map. These are shown in blue, each with its number, on the map and in the Dialect Description Chart below, and are also outlined with blue lines on the map. The many subdialects are shown in red on the map and in the chart, and are outlined with red lines on the map. All of these are listed in the margins of the map as well.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This map is incredibly busy, but the best elements of this interactive map are the links to YouTube videos of particular accents and pronunciation examples. It's not winning any cartographic prizes but the links make the map it worth perusing given its rich detail. See also this article about the map from GeoCurrents. Tags: language, North America. 
Susan Lindell Radke's comment,
May 16, 4:26 PM
Looks like the YouTube links don't work. YT account terminated?
Kara H's curator insight,
May 22, 12:16 PM
Very cool map with links to video/audio of the local dialect. Delete the scoop?
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For decades, south Louisiana residents have watched coastal landmarks disappear as erosion worsened and the Gulf of Mexico marched steadily inward. 
Sylvain Rotillon's comment,
May 9, 2:57 PM
The eprverse effect of maps is that they give the false idea that our physical world is steady. It's the case as we see here for coastal environments, but also for rivers.
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Seth Dixon's insight:
Map lovers wanting to customize your phone cover, this is for you. Read the full blog post here from maps.com. Delete the scoop?
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Put away that old Rand McNally map — it's time for a new way to see what America really looks like.
Seth Dixon's insight:
There is a great series of maps in this NPR article that show that internal political divisions do not always line up with actual regional interactions. The map of the United States shows the what money flows within regions that do not always follow state borders (see Wisconsin, Idaho and Pennsylvania). The map of Great Britain shows the connections based on telephone calls.
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If a NYC location got a shout out in some rap lyrics, Jay Shells has probably made a sign out of them and placed it at that specific location for his amazing new project.
Seth Dixon's insight:
Street art has a subtle, but powerful connection with place. How does an art installation alter a neighborhood's sense of place? How does a place alter the meaning(s) of an art installation? Tags: art, mapping, NYC, culture, landscape, place, socioeconomic, neighborhood. 
bancoideas's curator insight,
April 24, 7:59 AM
¿que tal esta idea de arte callejero? Letras de rap y señaléticas de tránsito Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
Rhode Island is one of five states in which the number of people getting help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-formerly known as 'food stamps') has more than doubled since 2008. In 2012, 16 percent of its residents received aid from the program. Read the related article. The article details how Woonsocket's economy is impacted by these monthly fluctuations is disposable income. Why is Rhode Island one of that states with a doubling participation in this program? What other spatial patterns to you see? Delete the scoop?
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A new clickable atlas shows just how far it is to the grocery store, everywhere in the United States. "Food deserts" are the focus of state, local and federal anti-obesity efforts. 
Dean Haakenson's curator insight,
March 15, 1:23 PM
Great for looking at agriculture issues in the US and the debate over the local food movement v. supermarkets. Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
This fabulous collection of African maps from 1535-1897 represents an historical geographic vision of both Africa and colonial visions of an imagined Africa. I chose this particular map to display because it beautifully highlights the Mountains of Kong. For generations, European cartographers erroneously believed that this long mountain range extended north of the West African coast and across the continent. Currently this map collection is at Plymouth State, NH, but much of it is archive online here. Tags: Africa, cartography, colonialism, map. 
ADEN Africa's curator insight,
March 5, 12:43 PM
An interesting historical perspective on the geography of the African continent. 
Mary Patrick Schoettinger's curator insight,
March 11, 10:07 AM
Love seeing the change over time. Especially on a continent we often know so little about. Delete the scoop?
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"Learn how advances in geospatial technology and analytical methods have changed how we do everything, and discover how to make maps and analyze geographic patterns using the latest tools."
Seth Dixon's insight:
When I was a graduate student at Penn State, I was introduced to some great people and programs and I'm glad to see that the institution has continued to excel and be a leader. You have probably heard of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) and been interested in seeing how this might change higher education in the future. This MOOC is a free 5-week course designed to be an introduction to mapping, GIS and geospatial technologies so you don't need to be a specialists with a mapping background: it's for beginners. I know that many geography teachers tell their students about GIS, but are afraid to teach with GIS because they are worried that it will be too hard. This is an easy on-ramp to 21st century geospatial tools and any geography teacher hoping to modernize their skillset would do well to take this summer course fromthe Program of Online Geospatial Education at Penn State, taught by Dr. Anthony Robinson. For more information on this, see this annoucement from Directions Magazine and from Penn State News. Tags: GIS, teacher training, mapping, cartography, geospatial, edtech, geography education, unit 1 GeoPrinciples. Delete the scoop?
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On three different occasions, the candidate with the most votes didn't become President of the United States. We call this "The Electoral College Problem." Here a solution. Simple. Mathematical. Rational.
Seth Dixon's insight:
As a disclaimer, I'm not endorsing the removal of all current state borders, but I think that this is a great thought exercise that involves some serious spatial thinking and geography knowledge to create this map (or even to critique and discuss it). This map represents an attempt to restructure the states so that each state would have equal value in the electoral college with roughly equal populations (county borders remained firm). What about the physical and human geography would make some of these "states" better (or worse) than the current configuration of the 50 states? How would this 'redistricting' impact your local region? Tags: political, gerrymandering, mapping, unit 4 political.
Ken Halpern's comment,
March 1, 1:20 PM
Interesting idea but I don't think either political parties will go for it unless it favors them. However, I am not in favor of increasing the number of House Reps. We spend too much money as it is funding the government. I think we should get rid of the old system and simply go by popular vote.
Gary Pascoa's comment,
March 1, 9:43 PM
I know the founding fathers would be horrified as this cuts into the whole idea of the electoral college: to place a further check on the majority when electing a president. Nonetheless, I would support a redrawing of the map that would lean toward a popular vote system.
Conor McCloskey's comment,
March 4, 8:27 PM
Interesting idea, however I can't say this is a "rational" solution to the Electoral College. It is actually completely irrational to think that the borders could be redrawn and everyone could be redistricted every four years... They can't even manage to get a census out every year... Logistical nightmare. I agree with Ken and Gary, let the people choose with the popular vote
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Seth Dixon's insight:
This is a simplified Census data map viewer specifically for Rhode Island. To see a simplified U.S. Census data at the national scale, see: http://sco.lt/7G5rur Tags: statistics, Rhode Island, census, GIS, mapping, cartography. 
Seth Dixon's curator insight,
February 24, 11:50 AM
This is a simplified Census data map viewer specifically for Rhode Island. To see a simplified U.S. Census data at the national scale, see: http://sco.lt/7G5rur Tags: statistics, Rhode Island, census, GIS, mapping, cartography. 
Meg Conheeny's comment,
April 26, 7:12 PM
This data really gives you a sense of the community in Rhode Island. You can find statistics on education, economic factors, health, housing and the environment. There are slightly more females than males in Rhode Island. The population pyramid shows spikes in both males and females from the ages of 15-24 and 45-54. There could be a higher population of 15-24 year olds because that age group is enrolled in school so many kids go through the public school system in Rhode Island then stay in state to go to college, trying to save some money. There’s a higher amount of 45-54 year olds because they have established themselves in this state with a job, house, family and roots so they are less likely to leave.
There is a high number of families with children under 18 in Cranston, Pawtucket, Warwick and Providence. This could be because those areas are the major cities and towns in the state so there are more families having kids in those places. There also is a high number of people in the city of Providence that speak English “not well” or “not at all”. Migrants tend to move to the cities to try to find work and cheap housing and Providence is the biggest city in Rhode Island so it is populated with many migrates who are new to English. Rhode Island has some of the highest unemployment numbers. The highest places of unemployment in Rhode Island according to this graph are East Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, Warwick and Providence. Again this could be because those areas are some of the largest cities and towns in the state. Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
This online game where you return the "misplaced" country on the map is more than just an exercise in locating places (there are many online map quizzes for that sort of activity). What makes this one unique is that as you move the country north or south the country expands or contracts according to how that country would be projected if that were its actual location on a Mercator map. This is a great way to introduce projections.
Tags: map projections, mapping, cartography.
Ann-Laure Liéval's curator insight,
February 2, 6:26 AM
Des cartes pour comprendre le monde: comprendre la projection Mercator avec ce puzzle en ligne.
Tony Hall's curator insight,
February 5, 12:09 AM
This is great fun! A little tricky at first though:) 
Kristen McDaniel's curator insight,
February 11, 12:03 PM
Great site to show projection and changes in perception on maps. Delete the scoop?
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Flash mob in the school by Drama Class?