Why not even Minnesota is safe from quakes

Minnesota earned its 'blue mark' in the 1975 Morris earthquake, which had its epicenter in the western part of the state.

Image: USGS, public domain
  • Californians, want to run away from the Big One? Head for Minnesota.
  • As this map shows, the Gopher State is the least likely to be hit by earthquakes.
  • Choose your new home wisely, though: even Minnesota has one earthquake-sensitive spot.
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Why Trump's Palestine map is important

Trump's Middle East peace plan contains the first map of a Palestinian state that 'Israel can live with'.

Image: the White House
  • Trump's Middle East plan is the first U.S. proposal to contain a map of a two-state solution.
  • Considering Israel's close involvement, this map represents a Palestine 'Israel can live with'.
  • But Palestinians are unlikely to agree to give up East Jerusalem—or much else.
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A map of America’s most famous – and infamous – people

The 'People Map of the United States' zooms in on America's obsession with celebrity

Image: The Pudding
  • Replace city names with those of their most famous residents and you get a peculiar map of America's obsession with celebrity.
  • The multitalented Dwayne Johnson, boxing legend Muhammad Ali and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dominate the West Coast.
  • If you seek fame, become an actor, musician or athlete rather than a politician, entrepreneur or scientist.
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Thumbs up? Map shows Europe’s hitchhiking landscape

Average waiting time for hitchhikers in Ireland: Less than 30 minutes. In southern Spain: More than 90 minutes.

Image: Abel Suyok
  • A popular means of transportation from the 1920s to the 1980s, hitchhiking has since fallen in disrepute.
  • However, as this map shows, thumbing a ride still occupies a thriving niche – if at great geographic variance.
  • In some countries and areas, you'll be off the street in no time. In other places, it's much harder to thumb your way from A to B.
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Apparently even NASA is wrong about which planet is closest to Earth

Three scientists publish a paper proving that Mercury, not Venus, is the closest planet to Earth.

www.youtube.com
  • Earth is the third planet from the Sun, so our closest neighbor must be planet two or four, right?
  • Wrong! Neither Venus nor Mars is the right answer.
  • Three scientists ran the numbers. In this YouTube video, one of them explains why our nearest neighbor is... Mercury!
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