Strange Maps
A special series by Frank Jacobs.
Frank has been writing about strange maps since 2006, published a book on the subject in 2009 and joined Big Think in 2010. Readers send in new material daily, and he keeps bumping in to cartography that is delightfully obscure, amazingly beautiful, shockingly partisan, and more. "Each map tells a story, but the stories told by your standard atlas for school or reference are limited and literal: they show only the most practical side of the world, its geography and its political divisions. Strange Maps aims to collect and comment on maps that do everything but that - maps that show the world from a different angle."
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In 1882, a man wrongly drew a map. His mistake saved a forest of 300-year-old trees.
A 19th-century surveying mistake kept lumberjacks away from what is now Minnesota's largest patch of old-growth trees.
World soccer explained in 10 maps
These ten maps provide a fascinating insight into the impact that soccer (sorry, football) has had worldwide.
Newton’s apple tree has descendants and clones all over the world
Its apples taste bad, but institutions all over the world want a descendant or clone of the tree, anyway.
The “triple alignment” makes world mapping history
True north, magnetic north, and grid north have aligned. There's also a connection to James Bond.
“Flight shame”: Not even Europe’s famous rail network can replace airplanes
Environmental activists want us to feel "flight shame" if we can take a train, instead. But this isn't entirely realistic, even in Europe.
Amazing Amasia: a new take on the next supercontinent
One possible vision of the distant future.
This map solves a century-old mystery about eels
All American and European eels originate in the same place.
Global population will hit 8 billion on November 15, but it will begin shrinking around 2100
Humanity is poised to pass the 8 billion milestone mid-November, but population growth is actually slowing down.
The Great American Road Trip (kosher deli version)
When the great American tradition of the road trip meets the great Jewish tradition of the deli, we get the Great American Deli Schlep.
After oil and gas, Europe is now running out of wind
You might think it's impossible to run out of wind, but Europe's "wind drought" proves otherwise. And it's only going to get worse.
This shell is not just a symbol, but also a map
Scallop shells have accompanied pilgrims to and from Santiago de Compostela for centuries, for more than one reason
One ship in two centuries: the strange tale of the SS Warrimoo
On New Year's Eve 1899, the captain of this Pacific steamliner sailed into history. Or did he?
Map of global emotions shows the world is more stressed out than ever
If you want to escape the negativity, head to Kazakhstan.
America’s early love affair with Antiquity still shows on this map
There are nearly 100 towns named "Troy."
Nuke maps show what a nuclear bomb would do to your city
Total annihilation is a permanent threat.
Step aside, Dutch people. Montenegro is the tallest nation on Earth
Thanks to genetics and improving nutrition, denizens of the Western Balkans have surpassed the Dutch in height.
Europe’s dry rivers reveal creepy “hunger stones”
"When you see me, weep." When rivers dry up in Central Europe, "hunger stones" with ominous inscribed warnings from centuries past reappear.
To learn psychogeography, take a strange, circular walk around London
Break into London Zoo? Illegal, but it would improve the London Circle Walk
Which alt-fuel is right for you? That depends on where you live
EV charging stations are the most widespread alternative to gas and diesel pumps. Each alternative has its own hotspots and "deserts."
Turns out most famous people aren’t that famous at all
An interactive “globe of notability” shows the curious correspondences and the strange landscape of global fame.
How Europe’s newest bridge unites (and divides) the Balkans
A new bridge joins a divided Croatia, but it cuts Bosnia out of Europe — literally and figuratively. A bridge meant to unite also divides.
Umami: You never say its name, yet you taste it every day
Sweet, bitter, salty, sour. These are the four basic tastes we were taught in grade school. But there is a fifth: umami. And it's everywhere.
Bus driver, magician, terrorist, and other “first jobs” of world leaders
"Politics is weird. It’s the only business in the world in which you take a really, really important position, and you give it to someone with no qualifications." —Tony Blair
Fernanda, the Galápagos tortoise that came back from the dead
Genetic analysis reveals that a specimen collected in 2019 is the same subspecies as one caught more than a century earlier.
No, the Yellowstone supervolcano is not “overdue” for an eruption
Here's why mega-eruptions like the ones that covered North America in ash are the least of your worries.
The loneliest roads in America
If you find yourself on one of these roads, it might be a while before you see another fellow traveler.
Lol, jaja, xaxa, and all the other ways people laugh around the world
This world map shows how the rest of the world LOLs. In France, you MDR; in China, you 23333.
What do entrepreneurs dream about in Czechia? A world map of start-up ambitions
In New Zealand, ambitious Kiwis want to launch a lawn mowing business; in South Africa, it's cooking gas refills. Start-up dreams vary widely.
On tiny Hans Island, Denmark and Canada create world’s newest land border
A dispute marked by flags and booze has been replaced with an official land border.
Why 21 severed human feet washed ashore in Canada and the U.S.
The weirdest thing about the 21 feet found near Vancouver since 2007? Foul play has been ruled out.