Nothing's where you think it is

"What do maps have to do with social equality, you ask?"

The good doctor (don't let me say "phlox" here) has a point. Size on a map matters, kids grow up seeing disproportionate sizes, and perhaps, attributing disproportionate values, even unconsciously. I think that as they learn mapping, learning about different projections, and the reasons for them, will continue to be important.

When I lived in Australia, I had a "corrective map of the world."

How much do these things matter? Why?

And I did crack up at the video clip. A lot.

Thematic Maps

Water USe in the US PNG
Originally uploaded by mmmaps.

Amanda Briney at about.com explains thematic maps, what they're for, and how to read them:

http://geography.about.com/od/understandmaps/a/thematicmaps.htm

nifty 3D city modelling

a bit more of the earth from space

One of NASA's many jewels is its Earth Observatory. I like the Natural Hazards section, with its volcano plumes and blowing sand, and its now-and-then unusual features like the ice in Saginaw Bay:



I never would have imagined -- at least, not right now, we'll see what a geography degree brings me -- chlorophyll, along with the other things they map.

The US Space Program isn't all about astronomy. It's invaluable to geographers, too, and I'm glad we don't ignore it.

map and globe vocabulary

I like reading maps and atlases written in different languages, both for the varying names of countries and features, as well as different words for basic map terminology.

zappos - the map

Travel Sponsor: Zappos
Originally uploaded by theritters.

Another quickie, just because I'm so charmed by the Zappos shoe map that I can hardly stand it: http://www.zappos.com/map/

This isn't meant to be a Zappos ad, I like the company but don't have any vested interest in them at all, and am not any sort of shoe-diva. I am just in love with that map, the concept, the execution, the sheer for-the-sake-of-it goodness.

Basic map stuff - How colors are used

Years ago, in physical geography, we had to color in a physiographic map of the United States. I loved that activity, with colored pencils, and thin pens, and geology references. The teacher told us that we could choose our own colors, and one student showed him her map with the sea colored orange. He said, "I know I told you that you can choose your own colors . . . but just no. No. The sea cannot be orange." And he had her start over. It was sad, but . . . just no.

basic school educational flick - The Five Themes of Geography

That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds, snakes, an aeroplane. Lenny Bruce is not afraid.

meteor storm
Originally uploaded by eYe_image.

Phil Plait is requesting data about the fireball over Texas today, to track it and figure out what it was. If you are from Texas and saw it, or know someone who is or did, please go to his post at Bad Astronomy to report.