Any cartographic fine-tuning of borders that you would suggest? What truths does this map obscure?
Tags: regions, sport, mapping.
Via Seth Dixon
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Rescooped by Sam Capron from Geography Education onto Sam_Geo_400 |
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Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
In a sense it splits the country into differing regions. While some hold true to the same boarders as in Geography books, they go beyond that and tell a different story. Highly contentious areas on the map are shown such as the fan divide between the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. This map also shows blurring of fan bases outside of the area for which the team is centered. For example the Cowboys influence bleeds out of Texas and shares New Mexico with the Arizona Cardinals.
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SHANGHAI -- Fears that China will catapult past the U.S. in the race to put electric vehicles on the road have fizzled.
Sam Capron's insight:
Clearly something needs to be done about this problem! China puts out a ton of pollution everyday and it is only getting worse with more and more drivers on the roads every year. However China does not have the infrastructure to handle all those cars, let alone charge the batteries of any electric cars that they make!
I think that trends need to start here in the United States before they can start spreading everywhere else. Once we make a good electric car that people want to buy, that is also affordable for people to buy, then the market will help change the thinking of the population. The market has the power to change thinking, clearly governments do not! Delete the scoop?
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Jakarta's traffic is legendary and locals have now become experts at finding ways to get around the jams, with some even making money out of them.
Sam Capron's insight:
The traffic in Jakarta is unreal! So busy are the streets during rush hour that impromptu and illegal taxi-bike services are used as well as “renting” people to sit in your car with you so that you can use the special lanes reserved for larger groups of people.
This traffic is a sign of too many people that all have to work 9-5 jobs in the same area, and there are way too many people on the roads. Indonesia is currently incentivizing people to go to other nearby islands, but that has not seemed to help the traffic problem.
This reminds me of the near future could look like in places of the world such as China. Imagine if all 1.4 billion citizens of China had the ability to buy and drive a car, and they all needed to go to work at the same time! The traffic and pollution would be unbelievable.
A solution to this problem that was not mentioned in the video could be staggering the work day for various companies, so that everyone would not be heading to work at the same time. This would take a great deal of organization by a governing body, and the cooperation of various companies however it would greatly help to cut down the traffic if you extend rush our over a longer period of time. Delete the scoop?
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Japan said eight Chinese government ships had entered waters around a group of islands at the heart of a territorial dispute between the two nations
Sam Capron's insight:
To me this news story is more mysterious than it is informative. While it is true that Japan has a great need to expand to new areas of the world for the use of the area’s natural resources, none of that was mentioned in this story. From the brief imagines shown of the islands that this dispute is over, they do not look like much. They are quite small and as was mentioned a few times in the video, are uninhabited.
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Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
Here in the United States, and in other modern parts of the world, the time that we are awake has been lengthened considerably due to electricity. Gone are the days where modern humans sleep when it is dark out and work when it is light. We can now work when we want, and sleep when we feel like it. Because of this the average American now gets less sleep than 100 years ago, but we are more advanced and more productive each day. It appears as though light is one of the first steps in cultural, technological, and industrial development. 
Elizabeth Allen's comment,
December 11, 2012 7:18 PM
This reminds me of the power issues in the Phillipines. The use of soda bottles and water provide light for many villages in the Phillipines.... Here in Bangladesh they rely on green power- solar power. I am sure now that children can study better at night (because they have light) they have better progess at school. Pehaps people in Bangladesh without solar power should adopt the soda bottle technique from the Phillipines.
Elizabeth Allen's curator insight,
December 11, 2012 7:18 PM
This reminds me of the power issues in the Phillipines. The use of soda bottles and water provide light for many villages in the Phillipines.... Here in Bangladesh they rely on green power- solar power. I am sure now that children can study better at night (because they have light) they have better progess at school. Pehaps people in Bangladesh without solar power should adopt the soda bottle technique from the Phillipines. Elizabeth Allen 
Mr. Rodrigues's curator insight,
December 12, 2012 12:53 PM
Green power has a far wider impact than just "promoting" the preservation of the planet - due to the fact that many, if not all, of the methods of green power generation and delivery leverage locally sourced power channels.
This is truly democratizing who "can have" power, and the impact it will have on them. In the past, generators used dirty sources of power such as fossil fuels, which not only cost money, but would ruin already impoverished areas with unchecked pollution.
By harnessing what they have access to, the Bangladeshi people are gaining the benefits of the power (longer hours of useable time) but also not damaging the one resource they did have: the Earth. Delete the scoop?
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Alert levels and surveillance are ramped up in South Korea on Wednesday as officials say North Korea may launch a missile "at any time." Via Louis Culotta
Sam Capron's insight:
It seems as though North Korea will not end it’s posturing until it has started war with South Korea thus bringing the United States into the picture to defend its ally. Everyday North Korea is in the news, and each day it seems we are closer and closer to the shot that will open Pandora’s box in this region of the world. 
Louis Culotta's comment,
April 10, 2:27 PM
very true. I think North Korea needs anything to happen to boost their view in the world good or bad... sorry to say.
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How can political stability and security be measured? What constitutes effective governance? Foreign Policy, in conjunction with the Fund for Peace, has created a statistical ranking to measure the lack of effective political institutions. For the 4th year running, Somalia has been statistically measured as the most failed state on Earth. Chad and Sudan are respectively ranked as the 2nd and 3rd most failed states.The 12 metrics that are a part of this index are: •Demographic Pressures •Refugees/IDPs •Illegitimate Govts. •Brain Drain •Public Services •Inequality •Group Grievances •Human Rights •Economic Decline •Security Forces •Factionalized Elites •External Intervention Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
For the fourth year running Somalia is once again the number one failed state in the world. The country is run by pirates, and even terrorist groups find the country too unstable. 
Don Brown Jr's comment,
July 16, 2012 9:57 PM
The global fallout of the Arab revolutions may be largely determined by demographics and political stability. Unlike Somalia for example which is in total anarchy, the Arab Spring uprisings occurred in more stable but oppressive governments. So this brings up the question, can a failed state rescue itself?
Derek Ethier's comment,
November 5, 2012 2:35 PM
Althought sub-Saharan Africa has 5 of the 10 most quickly developing countries, they still lag very far behind the rest of the world in quality of living. Somalia, Chad and Suda are the most failed states on Earth, in order. The governments are unable to protect/provide for their people, brain drains suck the great minds to more developed countries, income inequalities ravage the nations, basic human rights are denied and the economies are pathetic. Overall, it is a sad story as many of these African nations also suffer from drought, famine and massive food shortages.
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Africa has a lot to offer the adventurous traveller. We've compiled a list of the must-see places any trip should include. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
All these pictures have really opened my eyes to what is out there in the world. For a guy that was never really interested in traveling these pictures opened the imagination and actually make me think that traveling could be highly rewarding.
Louis Culotta's curator insight,
April 5, 12:25 PM
it's very cool spot on the plant, thats for sure. Delete the scoop?
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This is another old classic image that I might have shared earlier but it merits repeating. As Salvatore Natoli (a leader in geography education) once said, "In our society we unconsciously equate size with importance and even power." This is one reason why many people have underestimated the true size of Africa relative to places that they view as more important or more powerful. Tags: mapping, Africa, perspective, images. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
This picture is great because while most people understand that Africa is a big place, most do not realize how big. Comparing the size of Africa is this visual manor makes it more real than just seeing a square mileage statistic. 
Kalin B.'s comment,
November 5, 2012 11:29 AM
Distortion can lead to some pretty big misconceptions, huh?
Ricardo Salaya Monsell's comment,
November 5, 2012 1:31 PM
Although I do not think they do to "trick", it is true that confuses many people and makes them believe in a world disproportionate. (Apologies for my terrible google-English)
Louis Culotta's comment,
April 5, 12:23 PM
it's amazing that such a large land mass can't find any long standing peace from any place you go to.
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The ‘Ecology of the Aral Sea: sustainable development and international cooperation’ conference with the participation of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), delegations from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and...
Sam Capron's insight:
I was very interested to see this article on the web posted only yesterday! In it they describe a international conference where one of the main topics was how to save the Aral Lake. According to Professor Dixon in class, the lake is beyond saving. However the international attention that this issue gets may act as a warning to other parts of the world that are destroying their ecosystems. When you destroy something like a lake, it is nearly impossible to get back! Delete the scoop?
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By moving the slider, the user can compare 1990 false-color Landsat views (left) with recent true-color imagery (right). Humans are increasingly transforming Earth’s surface—through direct activities such as farming, mining, and building, and indirectly by altering its climate. This interactive feature includes 12 places that have experienced significant change since 1990. This is an user-friendly way to compare remote sensing images over time. Pictured above is the Aral Sea, which is and under-the-radar environmental catastrophe in Central Asia that has its roots in the Soviet era's (mis)management policies.
Tags: remote sensing, land use, environment, geospatial, environment modify, esri, unit 1 Geoprinciples, zbestofzbest. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
As I sat in class, and Professor Dixon began to tell us about humans changing the world around them I was not surprised, after all I have heard about how we caused global warming by destroying the ozone layer and we cut down trees ect. However what I was not prepared for was the speed with which we reshape the world. In a span of about 20 years we have destroyed entire ecosystems, and it is to late to do anything about it. The Aral Sea is dead, and it would be very difficult to nearly impossible to fix it now.
On top of all that damage, we also learned in class that the area where sea water used to be, but is now land because of the receding water is so salty and baron that it is wasteland and not fit for any type of use. When that water dries up, there will be none left for the nearby countries to utilize. 
Matt Mallinson's comment,
October 1, 2012 11:27 AM
This feature is great, it's amazing to see how much things have changed for the better in just 20 years. What will we have in the next 20 years?
Lisa Fonseca's comment,
October 9, 2012 9:19 PM
On the left side of the ARAL SEA, KAZAKHSTAN photo the landsat view provides a large deep blue beautiful lake but the right side gives the actual size of the lake which seems to be decreasing drastically in size. MOUNT KILIMANJARO photo provides a small view of the snow and ice, which correctly describes scientists theory of snow and ice drastically disappearing. COLUMBIA GLACIER, ALASKA UNITED STATES, the prediction of the left side states glaciers melting would be more drastic then the way it actually is in the visual to the right. GULF OF FONSECA, HONDURAS, the false color view shows more area being used by shrimp farms. COASTAL MALAYSIA, the right side image with the more recent information gives a more visible view of the large oil palm plantations what they should now determine is the possible destruction to the rain forest that should be foreseen. SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA, large parts of land have been converted to cropland. The image of 1990 demonstrates many changes that are evident to see. ISAHAYA BAY, JAPAN, the image to the left doesn't allow the human eye to view any detail, the image to the right provides a view of where the land has been divided into agriculture. MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL, WEST VIRGINIA UNITED STATES, the mountain tops have been altered little by little all mountain tops will have been striped and the area effected will become much much larger then viewed in this image. DONGGUAN, CHINA, wow, this image shows population and industrial increase drastically over time. PALM SPRINGS CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, the image to the right provides a much better descriptive view. LOUDOUN COUNTRY VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, this is another image where the population increase is greatly shown.
Derek Ethier's comment,
October 18, 2012 1:32 AM
The Aral Sea is literally shrinking before our eyes and people are doing very little to stop it. Due to years of poor farming techniques (growing cotton and rice in this dry climate) the Aral Sea is literally being sucked dry by these crops. People can do very little about it because growing these crops represents their well being. It is a Catch 22 situation...
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Sam Capron's insight:
This is an article that contains videos and other bits of information on Afghanistan and the surrounding area. It has info on the Geography, culture, and politics of Afghanistan as well as colored maps!
One of the most interesting elements that I discovered in this article is information regarding the Wakhan Corridor, a region I had previously not heard of. Basically it is the small sliver of land in northern Afghanistan. This land barrier was created to ensure that British controlled India, and Russia. It just shows you in a perfect example the huge impact that Europe has had on the Middle East, politically, economically, and geographically. 
Seth Dixon's curator insight,
March 27, 11:20 AM
This tremendous set of resources is the result of a partnership between The Choices Program (housed at Brown University) and National Geographic Education. This link takes you to a portal with lesson plans, videos, maps, student worksheets, etc. These are some of the materials that form the core of the Choices Program Summer Institute that focuses on the United States' involvement in Afghanistan. Tags: Afghanistan, political, culture, Central Asia, National Geographic. Delete the scoop?
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Sam Capron's insight:
This short video shows the spread of Wal-Mart starting in 1962 to 2011. Sorry the picture is terrible but it is the only one I could find. Still a very cool video though!
This graphic only goes up to 2011, I would love to see it go all the way to the present. Wal-Mart’s spread at an astounding place, and not just in the United States, but globally as well. I will go out and try and find a program similar to this that covers not only the two years leading to the present, but one that covers the entire world! Delete the scoop?
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The remarkable pictures show scenes from France today with atmospheric photographs taken in the same place during the war superimposed on top.
In this fastinating set of images, Dutch artist and historian Jo Teeuwisse merges her passions literally by superimposing World War II photographs on to modern pictures of the where the photos were originally taken. This serves as a reminder that places are rich with history; to understand the geography of a place, one must also know it's history (and vice versa).
Tags: Europe, war, images, historial, place. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
History is all around us. I think there is no better way to show that than with these images. It takes only the slightest of imaginations to put yourself into the bodies of the soldiers in these photos. To stand where they stood 70 years ago and try and think what they thought is awe inspiring. 
Matt A.'s comment,
April 16, 9:16 AM
These photos are incredibly interesting. It takes you back in time but shows you the present. It gives you perspective of what the battles looked like. You not be familiar with something when you see a picture of it from 70 years ago, but when it is combined to today it gives you a different perspective. It relates to geography because it gives us a sense of where these places are. How they were different then from today. It shows why things may be different. Why there may be monuments or plaques of rememberence.
Meg Conheeny's comment,
April 25, 4:43 PM
These photos really can open your eyes. You could be at a place that looks and feels normal but 50 years ago it was a bloody battlefield. So many places around the United States are filled with stories of history and culture. By standing in an area that was once a battlefield one can sense the presence of the men that once fought there. We can feel their strength and what they went through to give us freedom. Even though the environment and the landscape of a place can change overtime, the history and culture along with the individuals involved will always be engraved in that particular place.
Magnus Gustafsson's comment,
April 26, 3:53 PM
Yeah, this is interesting and give us possibilities to understand history is real.
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Here's how much coffee, meat, beer, McDonald's, and more you can buy for $5 in countries around the world. For starters, you can buy a lot of beer for $5 in ... (Food $5 buys around the world. Via Emma Lafleur
Sam Capron's insight:
This video is highly informative and really has people open their eyes to things you never really thought about. You take a good like eggs and you think that roughly they are priced the same no matter where you buy them, after all they are considered a "staple product" here in the United States right along with Milk. To find out that in one country you can buy almost twice the amount of product for the same amount of money is really mind-blowing, and the full story of why this is true contains many different factors.
Perhaps goods are priced based on the availability in the country, and also the demand in various countries. Eggs are cheap in China perhaps because they are very common, or maybe because people do not eat them very often in China? Expanding beyond this video with the why behind the statistics is something that I will have to find out! 
Emma Lafleur's curator insight,
May 5, 7:16 PM
It's interesting to see what you can do with $5 around the world. The person who made this video made it very easy to see the comparisons between the countries. This video also shows how much different foods cost in different regions. For example, Europe had the highest prices, the US was usually somewhere in the middle, then it was usually countries in the Middle East and Asia, and finally Africa usually had the cheapest prices. It's an interesting way to compare the regions and countries of the world. Delete the scoop?
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High-resolution imaging has allowed scientists to produce the first full count of Antarctica's emperor penguins
Sam Capron's insight:
This article about penguin populations is slightly ambiguous. At the start of the article it mentions that with the help of satellite technology it is now possible to get a good count of penguin populations, and that after the tally was in there happens to be more penguins roaming Antarctica than previously anticipated. However then it claims that this is creature that is being impacted by global warming and the melting of the icecaps.
Perhaps the rise in population of these penguins is due to global warming. In the coming years with the continued help of satellite technology we will find out definitively if Penguins are going the way of the polar bear, unable to adapt to a new warmer environment, or maybe perhaps some warmth is just what these creatures needed. Maybe Penguins will thrive under global warming and the populations will skyrocket! Only time and careful study will tell.
On a slight side note, I got a real kick out of the idea that somewhere there is a team of folks sitting around computer screens whose job it is to count little penguins. How do you even sign up for a job like that? Delete the scoop?
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60 Minutes on CBS News: India's love affair with gold - "No gold, no wedding," is a saying in India, indicating the importance of gold to Indian culture and tradition. Byron Pitts reports on India's obsession with gold.
Cultural values strongly impact consumption patterns. India's preference for gold, combined with South Asia's growing population, also leads to environmental impacts around the world as India's obsession for gold drives the global market, accounting for 1/3 of the trade. This video explores the cultural (and economic) logic behind the enormous importance of gold jewelry in Indian society. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
It is amazing to me that the culture and tradition of one place in the world can influence something as small as the price of gold, but on a complete global scale. It is my belief that as long as India continues to buy gold at a high rate, and refuses to sell it, the gold prices will never decreases or slow down in value. It is the demand that influences the price, and it appears as though Indian demand is by no means slowing down.
EDIT: However shortly after I posted this article, the gold market did plummet, having two of the worst days in market history! I wonder if this impact reached as far as India, or if they will never be tired of gold!
Louis Culotta's comment,
April 11, 1:51 PM
I am going to a wedding next weekend and the bride is from India...I will be on the lookout for how much gold is being worn from the people from India that I see.
Louis Culotta's comment,
April 24, 4:01 PM
well... after going to a half Indian wedding. I guess its true about the amout of gold that is used in the wedding itself.
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Stratfor examines Japan's primary geographic challenge of sustaining its large population with little arable land and few natural resources. For more analysi... Via Seth Dixon, Alejandro Restrepo
Sam Capron's insight:
The aspect of this video that I found to be the most intriguing was that it seemed to imply first that Japan had very few natural resources, when I recently learned that in the 17th century Japan came to be known as the “Silver Islands” due to their abundance of silver. However that could have been exploited over the hundreds of years and not a viable option any longer, or silver is not worth what it was in the 17th century.
The other element that is surprising is that Japan does have a very distinct and vibrant culture, one that is homogenously Japanese. This is due to their Geographic location, as well as elements of the culture itself. The world can only imagine what a force Japan would be if instead of small isle with very few resources, it had developed in a place where resources were abundant. That however would mean that the Japanese culture would lose what makes them distinct. 
Chris Magee's comment,
April 28, 12:41 PM
Japan's geography creates a very interesting situation for the country. Due to the fact it is secluded on it's own island, it is not able to have as many natural resources and is therefore forced into some unique situations. Some of these have ended in war (World War II) or simply new trade partners, both things Japan would maybe like to avoid as I'm sure they would like to be a little more self-sufficient.
The mountainous landscape of Japan is a big factor in the way the population is set up. It has created distinct plains areas where the population is crammed into. The urban models must be very unique and interesting for these areas because of how dense the population is. 
David Ricci's comment,
April 30, 9:47 AM
Japan clearly has their job cut out for them due to the geography of the country. Thier land has very limited airable land making agriculture extremely hard to maintain. The mountainous terrain also makes travel much harder for these people. Because of this their population like stated in the video has been pushed to hotspots like the yamato region. Japan has developed their culture solely based on how disconnected they are from the rest of the world. Japan is a chain of many islands so they have to import alot of their goods. This means having good trade partners, always making new trade partners, and avoiding conflict. This didnt work so well looking back at world war II. Unfortunately they must either become more self sufficient like chris said, or they have to stay on the good sides of alot of other countries.
Kevin Cournoyer's comment,
May 1, 12:51 AM
Unlike other larger, more geographically diverse countries, Japan is faced with the problem of a general lack of farmable land and natural resources. The fact that the country is itself an island does not make things any easier for it in an economic sense. The way the country is divided up also makes for a difficult political situation, as mountain ranges create division, and therefore, political disunity.
The proximity of the Korean peninsula and China to Japan is also important to examine. Whenever Japan wishes to acquire natural resources and other economically beneficial materials, Korea is the conduit through which Japan tends to invade the mainland, usually China. Because of this, we can see how Japan’s geographic location may cause strained relationships with its neighbors, both politically and economically. Alienating two of its closest neighbors would clearly be a disastrous move for Japan, but it may be seen as necessary due to its unfortunate geographic location. Delete the scoop?
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Sam Capron's insight:
Another very interesting article on the subject of my research paper, Nyamuragira that also happens to be located in Africa, specifically the D.R. Congo.
I live in Rhode Island which as far as natural disasters goes is one of the safest places in the entire world! I cannot even imagine living within a few miles from a volcano that erupts every two years! Delete the scoop?
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Africa's most active volcano rumbled to life Sunday, spewing lava toward chimp habitat and turning skies orange and red.
Sam Capron's insight:
Called the most active volcano in the world, Nyamuragira in the Congo erupts about every two years, and eruptions can last week or even months! Delete the scoop?
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"The map [above] sorts the countries of the world into three groups based on their relative coup risk for 2013: highest (red), moderate (orange), and lowest (beige)." Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
I notice that most of the countries in red are those right on the cultural divide between North and Sub-Saharan Africa. This is something to follow along closely.
Seth Dixon's curator insight,
January 25, 10:11 AM
While this is not predicting a coup in any of these places, this map is a visualization of data that was used to assess the factors that would make a coup likely (to see an alternate map, here is the Washington Post's review of the same data that mapped the 30 countries most likely to have a coup). Questions to Ponder: What factors do you think would be important in compilling data of this nature? What makes a country susceptible to this type of governmental overthrow? What creates governmental stability? Tags: political, conflict, unit 4 political, governance, Africa. 
wereldvak's curator insight,
January 26, 5:28 AM
Factoren die meespelen zijn hieronder genoemd.
The algorithm for successful coups uses just four risk factors, one of which is really just an adjustment to the intercept. Infant mortality rate (relative to annual global median, logged): higher risk in countries with higher rates.Degree of democracy (Polity score, quadratic): higher risk for countries in the mid-range of the 21-point scale.Recent coup activity (yes or no): higher risk if any activity in the past five years.Post-Cold War period: lower risk since 1989.The algorithm for any coup attempts, successful or failed, uses the following ten risk factors, including all four of the ones used to forecast successful coups. Infant mortality rate (relative to annual global median, logged): higher risk in countries with higher rates.Recent coup activity (count of past five years with any, plus one and logged): higher risk with more activity.Post-Cold War period: lower risk since 1989.Popular uprisings in region (count of countries with any, plus one and logged): higher risk with more of them.Insurgencies in region (count of countries with any, plus one and logged): higher risk with more of them.Economic growth (year-to-year change in GDP per capita): higher risk with slower growth.Regime durability (time since last abrupt change in Polity score, plus one and logged): lower risk with longer time.Ongoing insurgency (yes or no): higher risk if yes.Ongoing civil resistance campaign (yes or no): higher risk if yes.Signatory to 1st Optional Protocol of the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (yes or no): lower risk if yes.from:http://dartthrowingchimp.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/assessing-coup-risk-in-2012/ ; Delete the scoop?
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Was an inebriated Churchill to blame for the jagged Saudi-Jordanian border?
Sam Capron's insight:
I first read about Winston’s Hiccup in a textbook about the Middle East and decided that I wanted to set out and find the best internet article I could so that I could scoop it for everyone.
As the story goes, Winston Churchill was drawing a boarder for the country of Jordan at the Cairo Conference after a large lunch in which he had sampled a few drinks. As he was drawing the line for the Eastern border of Jordan, he hiccupped and the line skipped inward.
If this anecdote was proven true, it would be a classic example of European power in the Middle East, and how is transformed the region both politically and geographically. Delete the scoop?
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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 the "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. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
These landscape at really breathtaking! I hope to one day be able to visit some of them myself and take pictures of my very own! By the way the photo of the Gullfoss in Iceland is now my computers background image. :) 
oliviersc's comment,
November 13, 2012 5:50 PM
Shared in this Revue : Cheesecake et bonnets pour tenir chaud = http://blogoliviersc.org/?p=5974
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Seventeen years after she stared out from the cover of National Geographic, a former Afghan refugee comes face-to-face with the world once more.
The original cover is one of the more famous National Geographic photos of all time, and yet the woman in the photograph has not lived a life as though millions of people could recognize her eyes. This is her story. Via Seth Dixon
Sam Capron's insight:
While this article was very informative, I think it is the image that really speaks volumes, just as it did in 1985 when the picture was first taken. The women in the picture does not appear to be 28-30, rather she looks much older. Clearly she has led a tough life, and the evidence of that is written on her face a mere 15 years after the original was taken.
Emma Lafleur's curator insight,
March 28, 3:10 PM
Both these two pictures and the article illustrate the life of Afghan refugees. There is only a fifteen year difference between the two pictures, and this woman looks as if she has aged much more than those fifteen years. The picture shows the hardships she has gone through, and the article goes more in depth and describes her day to day life, and knowing her life is important. The life of one ordinary person gives great insight into the culture and society of Afghan refugees, and those all around her. However, even without the article, the picture illustrates so much about life as a refugee that words cannot describe. This shows new insights and perspectives of the world around us. Delete the scoop?
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It seems like the sad story of pollution of the deepest lake in the world will be getting a happy ending. The Russian government has announced the closure of the paper mill that has been polluting Baikal for half a century.
Sam Capron's insight:
According to this article, the paper mill that has been polluting Lake Baikal for decades will be closed down by 2015. This is bad news for the folks that live and work around the mill; however this is great news for the world’s largest supply of fresh water! Delete the scoop?
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In the wake of the horse meat scandal in Europe, fast food chains are demanding additional tests to ensure that hamburgers are 100 percent beef.
Sam Capron's insight:
Ok so there may be horse meat in burgers. This has me rethinking some of my dietary choices. There is also a unique story here. Why is cow ok to eat but horses are off limits? I think we tend to think of horses as being "close to" humans, in the same way that dogs are seen as human like. Yet creatures we keep as pets are eaten elsewhere in the world. Delete the scoop?
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I like how this map shows regionaly were most fans of a certain team are. However one thing it fails to take into account are fans of a certain team that live in another region. Like I live in Rhode Isalnd so based on the map i would be a Patriots fan, however I am 49ers fan, and I know i am not the only fan of a team not living in that teams region.
An excellent visual representation of functional regions.