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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. " Delete the scoop?
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How Many Rhode Islands is a simple web application that shows and tells you how many Rhode Islands would fit inside a given country. 
Seth Dixon's curator insight,
May 10, 8:38 PM
The Rhode Island Geography Education Alliance is as pleased as could be to discover this marvelously fun website. While the Ocean State is larger than countries such as Andorra, Nauru, Tuvalu and Malta, there are not many countries smaller than the smallest of the United States of America. Russia could contain 5,445 'Rhode Islands' and the United States could contain 3,066 Rhode Islands (that's a LOT of senators!). Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
Recently, Five women activists have been arrested for wearing prayer shawls at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Israeli policewomen detained members of the religious group Women of the Wall for breaching orthodox rules governing prayers at the site, which only allow men to dress this way. This is Judaism's most holy site and orthodox traditions govern the legal code over who is permitted to be in this place and what they may do; this fight represents a struggle to redefine the meaning and usage of public space in Jerusalem (among other complex issues). Tags: perspective, Israel, culture, gender. religion, culture, Delete the scoop?
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"Many of us have heard the stories of how our parents or grandparents had to walk miles in the snow to get to school. Perhaps some of these tales were a tad embellished, but we got the point. A lot of American kids have the luxury of being driven in a warm car or bus to a good school nearby. This is not the case for the children in this gallery. The photos you are about to see are snapshots of the treacherous trips kids around the world take each day to get an education. Considering there are currently 61 million children worldwide who are not receiving an education—the majority of which are girls—these walks are seen as being well worth the risk. In the above photo, students in Indonesia hold tight while crossing a collapsed bridge to get to school in Banten village on January 19, 2012. Flooding from the Ciberang river broke a pillar supporting the suspension bridge, which was built in 2001." 
Thomas D's comment,
April 30, 12:51 PM
In this article it shows many pictures of the tough and dangerous paths that these students have to take just to get to a classroom and to school. With the amount of children not being able to attend school around the world you can see why some of these children go about these journeys to learn. On the other side it makes me see just how lucky I was and the rest of my fellow classmates were to be able to attend school. To be able to be driven to school or to take a bus. Nowadays some American children will skip going to school if they wake up late or because they simply missed the bus. I thought I had it rough when I had to walk to school in the snow through the city, but this really opened my eyes to how lucky I was and still am. It amazing to see what these children will do to get an education and this is part of the reasons why other countries are becoming more advanced than America, because of the lengths there citizens will go to better themselves.
Brianna Simao's comment,
April 30, 10:25 PM
This world makes getting an education the key to being a success and gives it such high importance. It is almost as if you are nothing without some sort of degree and you won’t make it far without it. It is a shame that such young kids, including elementary students, have to bear such conditions just to get to class. Most of the paths are life threatening. The lack of quality infrastructure and access to education is mind blowing. The quality of education systems vary between different countries whether they be developed or not which is why there is a rise in inequality rates. Girls are less likely to risk their lives taking these routes to school and would rather work. You now need a strong educational background which can sometimes be competitive. These pictures are eye opening and because these kids are so devoted to attending school something should be done about the conditions of their environment. They clearly deserve a safe path to school.
Kevin Cournoyer's comment,
May 1, 12:51 AM
This slideshow makes it painfully clear that the degree to which a country is developed makes for very different experiences when it comes to education and physically getting to a school. Less developed countries clearly present different, in many cases, more dangerous obstacles to arriving at a school than well developed countries present.
The climate and geographic features found in other countries seem to often be what creates the challenges in getting young people to schools. Economically, these countries are clearly disadvantaged, as the lack of a viable infrastructure would indicate. Due to this lack of infrastructure, the journey to school is dangerous and arduous. A certain resilience can be seen in these pictures, however. Those who take these dangerous trips to schools miles away or over dangerous terrain clearly value education, indicating a cultural emphasis on the importance of learning, many times in spite of harsh geographic factors. Delete the scoop?
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Blue countries are more welcoming, red countries less. Where does yours rank?
Seth Dixon's insight:
The World Economic Forum compiled a report on global tourism and part of that was an estimation of the attitude of each countries' population toward foreign visitors--this map is a visualization of that data. Why would some particular countries be more or less welcoming? What surprises you about this map?
Disclaimer: according to this article, there is much that is methodologically wrong with this map. Tags: tourism.
Brianna Simao's comment,
April 30, 10:26 PM
I’m not surprised the United States was placed in the middle of the scale. The greatly different opinions people have regarding immigration is what keeps us in the middle. Many people do have problems with foreigners because they feel displaced and cheated on what they get from their country, almost as if the new comers are getting special treatment. I wasn’t surprised that China is one of the least welcoming because they are trying to control their population and they have such a strong culture they don’t want anyone coming in and changing it. But you also have to think about what perspective this is in, is this poll on the feelings towards temporary visitors, a permanent stay, or all foreigners in general?
Jess Pitrone's comment,
May 5, 5:25 PM
A lot of things about these rankings of countries that are least welcoming to foreigners surprised me, while others seemed blatantly obvious. It’s no surprise to me that countries like Iceland and New Zealand are among the most welcoming, they’re both in the middle of no where and no one ever visits them. I’m sure they jump at the chance for someone to visit! What did surprise me, however, was that the United States wasn’t less welcoming. I thought for sure we’d be in the red. The way Americans treats foreigners is appalling, no matter where their from (because we’ll probably mistake them from being from somewhere else that we don’t like), or if they’re here to visit or to live. Although we expect to be treated the exact opposite in any other country, and would prefer to be waited on and catered to. It’s very interesting to me that Mexico is more welcoming then the U.S., which is ironic, because we generally don’t welcome them.
Thomas D's comment,
May 6, 10:29 AM
I think this map of least and most welcoming countries to tourist is very interesting. I look at this through the American point of view and see that countries like Russia, Iran and Pakistan who are among the least welcoming states. These are all countries that we have had conflicts with throughout our countries history. I also find it interesting that the United States is such a neutral country towards tourism. A country that was based off of immigrants is no longer so welcoming to outsiders coming to our country. This could be due to the recent terrorist acts that have taken place within the United States in the past 15 years. Also just by looking at the map in a broader sense most of the countries that are unwelcoming are located in western Europe and Asia rather than anywhere else in the world.
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Two opposing groups battle to define the word jihad on public buses and subways.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This New York Times video highlights two current media campaigns that are in their own struggle to shape the meaning(s) of the word jihad for the American public. While the definition of "Holy War" is often quoted, it also means a struggle. When you hear the word jihad, who's jihad do you think of first? The cultural context within which a word is used might not be the same context in which the message is received and interpreted. This disconnect can be a part of cultural conflicts and misunderstandings.
Tags: Islam, perspective, religion, culture, USA. 
Kimberly Hordern's comment,
April 30, 8:07 AM
It is sad that these people are feeling the negative connotations of people who commit crimes under their own definition of the word jihad. When in actuality the word means to Islamic followers a personal struggle.
Conor McCloskey's comment,
April 30, 10:27 AM
Islamic cultural has been isolated and generalized in American society after September 11th, 2001. Because of this, the Islamic religion is often misunderstood or misrepresented. There are extremist factions of every religion, even Christian, though sometimes our culture forgets that. This video is about a Muslim organization that is trying to take back the definition of “jihad” in American society. Since 9/11, the world has been synonymous with violence, though many Muslims do not believe their struggle for a better life with God is a violent struggle.
Cultures are multilayer. While some Muslim’s believe jihad is a holy war, others see it as a personal struggle. American culture has a lot to learn about the Muslim cultures through out the world, including the differences between the extremist and non-extremist factions. Extremist factions tend to get the most press coverage and attention from outsiders because they are by name extreme. It would be interesting to see how this relationship with jihad would differ if September 11th never happened. 
Zakary Pereira's comment,
April 30, 4:31 PM
Before seeing this video I had always thought of a Jihad as a religious war started by radical Muslims. After watching I felt bad personally that I had confused this word with something that many people hold as just a goal or a personal struggle for them. I do not know if it is because post-9/11 there was much anti-Islam and anti-muslim sentiment in the US (still are today) and that the word became a radical term in the United States, I don’t know. I agree with Conor and saying that the reason many people know Jihad as a religious war is because of the media attention that radical Islamists receive when they bomb/hurt/kill and that is hurting the image of Muslims and Jihad in America.
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Seth Dixon's insight:
Our thoughts shape the words we speak, but the language we speak (and ways we communicate) help shape the way we think. In this TED talk, an economist looks at how the grammatical structure that languages use to speak about the future impacts how the speakers of the language are able to save money for future events. For 5 other examples of how language can impact how we think and perceive the world, see this attached article. 
Veritas Language Solutions - Language News's curator insight,
February 26, 8:32 AM
A valid and inspirational study regarding the way in which the use of a certain grammatical tense, be it future or present, can affect our decision making!
What do you think?
For information about our language services, please visit:http://www.veritaslanguagesolutions.com/language/ 
Anne-Lous van den Ende's curator insight,
May 7, 11:18 AM
Intersting video on how the different languages we speak could affect our way of thinking. Delete the scoop?
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A different perspective of Paul Harvey's "God made a Farmer." In reference to the foreign-owned Chrysler Corp. that showed a similar video that aired during ...
Seth Dixon's insight:
As a cultural production this is fascinating reshaping of the original Chrysler Super Bowl commercial. The original doubles as a tribute to a rural America of yesteryear and American labor. This one acts as a critique on the status on Latino workers in the United States. The audio is the same, with images that conjure out entirely different messages (here is an irreverent parody). Tags: agriculture, labor, rural, unit 5 agriculture, perspective. 
Anne McTavish's comment,
February 7, 1:56 PM
One more version, showing agribusiness owners, would round this set out. These two together are great. Congratulations to Isaac Cubillos for this thouhtful version of "farmer."
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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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TED Talks In the ongoing debate about globalization, what's been missing is the voices of workers -- the millions of people who migrate to factories in China and other emerging countries to make goods sold all over the world. Our collective understanding of modern industrialization and globalization needs to go beyond the binary of "oppressors" and "victims." This lecture explores the voices and lives of Chinese workers that we so often simply see as simply victims of a system, but are full of ambition and agency.
Tags: industry, globalization, labor, China, TED. 
Braden Oldham's comment,
May 2, 9:49 PM
The workers seem to not see their work as bad as we see it. They see it as a opportunity, bette then waht they had before.
Sarah Graham's comment,
May 3, 1:54 PM
I think that we often overlook the fact that life and culture is very different in these places. Here, the factory workers probably don't want the I-phones that they are making. We don't think about the people and how they WANT these jobs. These people want to make their life better, just like you and me.
Ryli Smith's comment,
May 5, 2:55 PM
In these Chinese factories, they don't view these jobs as harsh or poor treatment because this is better than how they would be doing back in their villages. They want these jobs so bad because they will give them a better life. Also, you have to remember that not all of these Chinese factory workers want to have an iPhone or a Coach purse or Nike shoes, because those things don't have any worth in their culture.
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John F. Smith's smartly-designed biblical anti-slavery map of the mid-19th Century United States. Prepared in 1888; excerpted from “Maps for an emerging nation”. Maps don't just convey information--they can also shape the way that we think about the world that is being represented by that map. Maps are texts and sometimes they have very strong perspectives that the cartographer put into that map. This persausive map shows one way of interpreting American history after the end of reconstruction. Notice that in addition to the very overt religious, moral tone condemning the South for slavery, the ideas of Manifest Destiny are also woven into the fabric of this map. Tags: cartography, historical, USA. Delete the scoop?
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WASHINGTON—A consortium of the nation’s leading cactus doctors issued a new set of guidelines Thursday recommending that Americans drink at least 8 cups of water per year to maintain proper hydration. This absolutely kills me. It can be seen as a critique on the inherent bias that all scientists and authors are going to bring with them to their research. I also see it as a reminder for a speaker/author to 'remember your audience.' Delete the scoop?
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The Hubble Space Telescope has produced one of its most extraordinary views of the Universe to date. The Earth is an amazing place to study...but this makes it feel remarkably small. Tags: geospatial, space, remote sensing, scale, perspective. 
Matt Mallinson's comment,
October 1, 2012 11:32 AM
I like this kind of stuff, if i didn't choose geography I would probably have chosen astronomy. Everything about it interests me, there's so much that we don't know and will probably never know.
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This is a fabulous map---but is the statement true?
Seth Dixon's insight:
I present this map (hi-res) without any context to my students and ask the question: is this statement true? How can we ascertain the truthfulness of this claim? What fact would we need to gather? This exercise sharpens their critical thinking skills and harnesses the assorted bits of regional information that they already have, and helps them evaluate the statement. The answers to these questions can be found here.
Tags: density, social media, East Asia, South Asia. Delete the scoop?
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Here are two shirts are from the Avengers. Both are designed for their children apparel production line, but I don't have to tell you which one is marketed for boys and which one is marketed for girls. Questions to ponder: How (and why) do companies use cultural ideas and values to market their products? How do companies shape cultural ideas and values? What impact do messages like this have on a society's culture? Do seemingly subtle differences is pop cultural products like this matter?
Tags: perspective, culture, gender, popular culture. Delete the scoop?
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"Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding."
Seth Dixon's insight:
To gain a global perspective inherently requires understanding multiple perspectives. Africa is frequently portrayed as 'the other' but also homogenized within a single narrative that 'flattens' truth. How can we teach and learn about other places in a way that develops geographic empathy and shows the many stories of that can belong to any one place? Tags: Africa, perspective, TED. 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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Seth Dixon's insight:
This classic image is paired with some other great maps and videos that help put the true size of the United States into perspective. Tags: perspective, map. 
Mary Patrick Schoettinger's curator insight,
March 18, 10:30 AM
Great map tools for kids and adults to get a better understanding of relative size of US vs the world. 
Heather Ramsey's curator insight,
March 18, 2:05 PM
This site has lots of great examples of size comparisons between the United States and other coutnries/continents around the world. Which one is the most surprising to you? Why do you think you had a different idea of the size of the place that surprised you? Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
I imagine I could tell you what I think about this image, but my opinion is just one man's opinion. I'm sharing this to provoke you to have your own thoughts, feelings, perspectives and reactions to this political cartoon. In what way(s) is your perspective a product of your cultural, historical and geographic setting? Tags: perspective, culture, gender. 
Peter Siner's comment,
April 30, 4:18 PM
There is absolutely a huge difference in the way multiple cultures view lifestyle choices, however there is a line in which we can tell right from wrong. Yes, each country, culture, people, religion etc. are entitled to their own opinions but it does not always mean the majority is incorrect in disagreeing. For example the cartoon above is showing an example of how two woman, one barely clothed woman from the US, and another fully clothed woman from the middle east are both shocked by the other. But there is something bigger to this, the women in the United States didn’t always have it they way they do now, they had to fight for their rights and for a sense of independence amongst the people of the United States, they dress how they do, and they work where they work because they have fought for that right. Suppression is no longer such a dominating issue that woman cant even drive cars. However in the Middle East, while some woman may be accepting of the life they have, we must also realize the few rights they do have in their countries. Whether it’s a cultural perspective or not, it is not right to allow the suppression of woman their rights as human beings.
Brianna Simao's comment,
April 30, 10:28 PM
This cartoon depicts two completely different cultures. It plays a huge role in our everyday life and what we wear is one example. Although the Arab culture has strict guidelines they still have a choice in whether or not they wear the religious coverings. It is just unfortunate that there are some consequences and negative reactions when they don’t. They only have to wear them out in public not when they are in the comfort of their home. These strict “rules” that Arabs have will make their opinions toward how an American woman dresses seem hateful and disgusted. In my opinion, it is not so much about a ”male- dominated” society, it is really about how strict or laid back a culture is toward something as simple as clothing. We just have to look at it at different cultural perspectives. I do believe however the full body covering is a bit extreme and the way some American women dress and be repulsive and degrading.
Kevin Cournoyer's comment,
May 1, 12:53 AM
I enjoyed this political cartoon because it’s short, but manages to still be incredibly effective and powerful. The cartoon represents the idea of Middle Eastern and Western cultures as being so vastly different and contradictory. The cultural differences between the two are nothing short of incomprehensible.
What I like most about this political cartoon, however, is the fact that is plays off of people’s stereotypes and perspectives. I think people tend to assume that Middle Eastern women are automatically miserable because they live in such a strongly patriarchal society. They make assumptions and never stop to think that perhaps Middle Eastern women (not necessarily all of them) are okay with their situation because it’s what they know and what they were born into. People in the Western world have a hard time thinking that maybe it’s our culture that appears oppressive to others. Delete the scoop?
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Emphasizing the importance of protecting the nation’s global image, marketers at the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Inc.
Seth Dixon's insight:
I've got nothing but love for the good people of Alabama, but this spoof from the Onion is great. Delete the scoop?
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Oh, Machu Picchu, ancient city of the Incas, pride of Peru, must-see travel destination: You've never been so appropriately photobombed by a llama.
Seth Dixon's insight:
Millions of tourists have already taken a picture of Machu Picchu from this angle, and yet, tourists all want to replicate the iconic shot as for themselves--proof that they were there and had the full experience. Iconic images are perfect for internet memes (and in this instance a photobomb) because there is a shared cultural understanding of what the picture should look like normally and inverting that provides the comic relief. CAPTION THIS PHOTO IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. Tags: Peru, South America, tourism, images. 
C. Kevin Turner's comment,
February 4, 8:28 PM
I will try to replicate this shot... we are there for our Spring Break trip this year!
Seth Dixon's comment,
February 5, 6:38 AM
You'll have to show me that picture this summer Kevin! My volleyball team is called the 'volley llamas' so this is our newest mascot.
Sam Capron's curator insight,
February 20, 9:17 PM
This is a truly epic photobomb! Ahhh....ahhhh....PICCHUUUUUUU! Delete the scoop?
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mp3 here: http://bit.ly/9zPBDi We're aware this video won't mean an awful lot if you've never heard of The Daily Mail (a British Newspaper), but on the plus side, you've never heard of The Daily Mail.
Seth Dixon's insight:
As more of our students go searching for information online, we need to also teach our students how to assess the quality of a particular media outlet and develop a critical eye. This great song is a humorous way to approach that topic. Questions to Ponder: What makes a source reliable? Can a source be reliable on some topics but not others?
Here's an article about how an over-reliance on GPS (or Sat-Nav) can lead to the erosion of one's mental map. And yes, the article is from the Daily Mail (as the images on the side clearly demonstrate). Does that change how you approach the information? Delete the scoop?
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When I embraced the medium of photography, I felt that taking a picture that represented only what was within the frame of the lens wasn't expressing my personal and inner experience of the world around me. Via planetMitch
Seth Dixon's insight:
This whimsical photography creates a fantastic visualization of what a miniaturized planet (such as those portrayed in the classic book The Little Prince) might look like in the mind's eye. Delete the scoop?
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A pictorial investigation bureau, at your service. Social media has fundamentally changed how information is disseminated. Many photos that are spread on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest can be 'doctored' or mislabeled since citizen journalists aren't held to the same standard of verifying their sources. In the abundance of information, sorting out fact from fiction can be quite difficult. Social media has made me a more of a skeptic, and I try not to post a picture that I it can't find it's original source. Delete the scoop?
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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!