Thursday, 22 August 2013

40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World


 
If you’re a visual learner like myself, then you know maps, charts and infographics can really help bring data and information to life. Maps can make a point resonate with readers and this collection aims to do just that.
Hopefully some of these maps will surprise you and you’ll learn something new. A few are important to know, some interpret and display data in a beautiful or creative way, and a few may even make you chuckle or shake your head.
If you enjoy this collection of maps, the Sifter highly recommends the r/MapPorn sub reddit. You should also check out ChartsBin.com. There were also fantastic posts on Business Insider andBored Panda earlier this year that are worth checking out. Enjoy!

1. Where Google Street View is Available

map-of-the-world-where-google-street-view-is-available
Map by Google


2. Countries That Do Not Use the Metric System

map-of-countires-that-use-metric-system-vs-imperial


3. The Only 22 Countries in the World Britain Has Not Invaded (not shown: Sao Tome and Principe)

the-only-countries-britain-has-not-invaded


4. Map of ‘Pangea’ with Current International Borders

map-of-pangea-with-current-internatoinal-borders
Map by eatrio.net via Reddit

Pangea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, forming about 300 million years ago. It began to break apart around 200 million years ago. The single global ocean which surrounded Pangaea is accordingly named Panthalassa.

5. McDonald’s Across the World

map-of-countries-with-mcdonalds


6. Paid Maternal Leave Around the World

 
paid-maternal-leave-by-country


7. The Most Common Surnames in Europe by Country

map-of-most-common-surnames-in-europe


8. Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country

Worldwide_Driving_Orientation_by_Country-(1)
Map by ChartsBin.com


9. Map of Time Zones in Antarctica

Map-of-time-zones-in-Anarctica


10. Global Internet Usage Based on Time of Day

internet-usage-of-the-world-based-on-time-of-day_2
Map by Carna Botnet via Reddit


11. The World’s Busiest Air Routes in 2012

 
top-10-busiest-air-travel-routes-of-2012


12. Visualizing Global Population Density

there-are-more-people-living-inside-this-circle-than-outside-of-it


13. Flag Map of the World

Flag-Map-denmark-puerto


14. Map of Alcohol Consumption Around the World

 
map-of-alocohol-consumption-around-the-world


15. Map of Alcoholic Drink Popularity by Country

 
drink-popularity-by-country


16. Map of Rivers in the Contiguous United States

map-of-united-states-rivers
Map by Nelson Minar


17. US Map of the Highest Paid Public Employees by State

highest-paid-US-public-employees-by-state
Map by Deadspin.com


18. World Map of Earthquakes Since 1898

earthquakes-by-magnitude-since-1898
Map by John M Nelson


19. Map of Where 29,000 Rubber Duckies Made Landfall After Falling off a Cargo Ship in the Middle of the Pacific Ocean

where-rubber-ducks-made-landfall-after-being-dumped-in-pacific-ocean


20. Map of Countries with the Most Violations of Bribery

 
bribery-nigeria-is-the-worst


21. World Map of Vegetation on Earth

map-of-vegetation-on-earth
Map by NASA/NOAA


22. Average Age of First Sexual Intercourse by Country

Average_Age_at_first_sex_by_Country-(1)
Map by ChartsBin.com


23. If the World’s Population Lived in One City

the-worlds-population-concentrated


24. The Number of Researchers per Million Inhabitants
Around the World

Number_of_Researchers_per_million_inhabitants_by_Country
Map by ChartsBin.com


25. Worldwide Map of Oil Import And Export Flows

worldwide-oil-import-and-export-flows


26. The 7000 Rivers that Feed into the Mississippi River

map-of-rivers-that-feed-into-the-mississippi-river


27. World Map of the Different Writing Systems

map-of-the-writing-systems-of-the-world


28. Worldwide Annual Coffee Consumption Per Capita

Coffee_Consumption-(3)
Map by ChartsBin.com


29. The Economic Center of Gravity Since 1 AD

 
evolution-of-the-earth's-economic-center-of-gravity


30. The World Divided Into 7 Regions,
Each with a Population of 1 Billion

population-of-the-world-split-into-equal-sections-of-one-billion


31. Earth’s Population by Latitude and Longitude

 
the-worlds-population-by-latitue-and-longitude
Photograph by mrgeng on Reddit


32. Map of Contiguous United States
Overlaid on the Moon

map-of-united-states-overlaid-on-the-moon


33. Frequency of Lightning Strikes Throughout the World

 
frequency-of-lightning-strikes-in-the-world


34. Overall Water Risk Around the World

drought-risk-its-not-just-isolated-around-the-equator


35. The Most Dangerous Areas in the World
To Ship Due to Pirates

riskiest-areas-to-ship-where-the-pirates-rule-the-seas
Map by Control Risks


36. Area Codes in Which Ludacris Claims to Have H*es
(song reference)

area-codes-in-which-ludracris-claims-to-have-hoes


37. Where 2% of Australia’s Population Lives

where-2-percent-of-australia-lives


38. The Longest Straight Line You Can Sail on Earth
(Pakistan to Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia – 20000 miles)

the-longest-straight-line-you-can-sail-in-the-world



39. Map of Europe Showing Literal
Chinese Translations for Country Names

literal-map-of-europe-by-chinese-name


40. Reversed Map with Southern Hemisphere at Top of Map (because position of North is arbitrary)

map-of-world-upside-down-south-pole-on-top
Map via nnm.me
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, 11 August 2013

見鬼不見神

【am730專欄】高樓電梯，不合人性。也許在集體潛意識的作用之下，日前西班牙一座住宅大樓，竟然發現忘記造電梯。西班牙貝尼多姆市(Benidorm)的一座四十七層公寓樓即將完工，承建商忘了預留電梯位置。事緣地產商中途易手，買家將把原本的二十層加建二十七層。設計圖一改，施工人員忘卻要加建電梯。  也許，他們根本沒想到大樓要住人的。
歐洲是現代文明誕生之地，文明一路走來，舊跡、舊思想並無淘洗，只是滯留在某些角落。例如中世紀時代，就留在西班牙和葡萄牙，一部分以詭異的方式留在東歐國家。大廈改圖則之後忘卻電梯位，就想辦法修補吧。巴塞隆拿的聖家堂(全名為「神聖家族贖罪殿暨宗座聖殿」)於一八二二年動工，翌年，原建築師因建築費過高，而教會籌募贖罪捐款不足，無法墊支，彼此鬧翻之後，由建築師高第接手，全盤修改計劃，要興建十八座高塔，在高第生前，只完成「誕生之門」一座立面(Nativity façade)，整座教堂恐怕要一、二百年才竣工。貝尼多姆的住宅大樓中途忘卻設立電梯，也是中世紀建築的遺風吧。
歷史上的高樓、高塔，是宗教建築，供奉神靈用的，並非人類居住的環境。教堂或佛寺的高塔，是用來仰望的，鐘樓、塔樓勉強可以攀登，但正常人不能居住其內，否則就是鐘樓駝俠、塔樓隱士。童年攀登的首座高塔，是沙田萬佛寺的九層萬佛塔，愈上愈逼仄，愈爬愈後悔。歐洲教堂的鐘樓，上過一次，有氣絕之感，以後就免了。
早期的電梯是鐵絲網籠，置身其間，仍可觀察外邊，後來就密閉在電梯槽內，電梯停留及自動門開關之際，如生死關隘。古人寧願住在樹上，巢居也不穴居。垂直型的多層居室，用直立的密閉通道連接，是地鼠、野兔、螞蟻的居住方式，裡面暗無天日。穴居是動物庇護及冬眠之用，並非活動之所，故此高樓即使是拔地而起，視野廣闊，打掃得窗明几淨，在出入居室的一刻，也有穴居的局促和缺氧感覺。身處高樓，心生畏怖，容易見鬼。
所謂見鬼，是內心恍惚不定，與鬼魂妖怪的存在狀態相應，彼此就相見。因為鬼怪是源自裡外相應，是心理作用，也是物理存在，它不純是心理作用，也不純是物理存在，他見到，你見不到，故此科學無法處理。
香港近二十年都市環境惡化，垂直而用密閉管道相連的住宅、商場和辦公樓的群落愈來愈多。即使用盡玻璃窗戶和電燈照明，也掩蓋不了恐怖感。故此香港人容易見鬼，絕少見神。神仙是在山明水秀，民風淳厚的地方才會出現。人跡罕至的田野，老農躬身一拜，香煙裊裊供奉土地伯公，裡面就有神。
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, 4 August 2013

鬼棚處處 全港打齋

轉角 - 陳雲
(2013年08月05日)

【am730專欄】星期六，閒來無事，雲遊去也。行到尖沙咀，鬼聲啾啾，胡語處處，恍惚之間，連彌敦道都認不得。長街盡處，見一金碧輝煌之酒店，除了招牌用正體字之外，接待處和集合點等指示牌，都是殘體字，店面盡作黃金色，露天的大堂，高掛水晶吊燈，整個觀感，活像喪禮焚化予先人的金銀樓。
陽間陰府一般同，今日行走油尖旺三區，彌敦道上，都是金銀樓、時裝店和藥房，專供鬼魂購買金銀衣紙和元寶蠟燭香。地府的藝術品味獨特，這些店舖都是金碧輝煌，燈火閃爍。地府陰暗，鬼魂弱視，喜歡發光之物，即使是日光日白，這些店舖也要用LED閃燈招魂。店舖攤位的招魂幡、陳列貨品的安魂帖都用殘體字，門口迎賓的堂倌講捲舌頭的鬼話。加上四處是狼奔豕突的鬼魂，拖住百貨皮箱，端的是地府專享，生人勿近。
陰曆七月，鬼門大開，市區有些球場開始封閉，搭建盂蘭節醮會。地產財閥也有大發善心的，知道惡鬼擾人，實行陰陽區隔，於是將新界邊區一些商場，改建為全年無休的打齋棚，用過境巴士，接通地府，載鬼魂來香港的商場買金銀衣紙和元寶蠟燭香。這些跨越陰陽界的地府巴士路線，不受到港府運輸署監管，要幾多有幾多，每日由二百班增加到五百班，試圖為地產商施展五鬼運財法，撈個盤滿缽滿。公共巴士公司也加入跨境服務，在陰陽界接載鬼魂往返。
香港地產財閥的商場租金昂貴，逼走本土民生店舖及街坊老店，只有售賣奢侈品的連鎖集團租用。此等連鎖集團，獨霸墟市，專賣地府恩物，如金銀衣紙和元寶蠟燭香，用陰司紙支撐起消費。地府生存，毫無尊嚴，故此地府鬼魂重視皮相，裝飾表面，於是金鏈、鑽戒、金錶、意大利時裝、法國手袋、日本化妝品、法國護膚品，都是裝身恩物。
然而，即使邊境市鎮搭建打齋棚，過境鬼魂並不領情。屯門首間地府商場，生意淡泊，大拍烏蠅。鬼魂嚮往人間，才會跨境而來，他們來人間的目的是吸陽氣，順便搞搞震，鬧哄哄購物充電之後，開心回去。他們不是傻的，不會這麼順攤，只去打齋棚，乖乖集體購物之後就被專車送返鬼國的。然而，鬼魂貪便宜，既然有專車接送往返，鬼魂也會順風搭車，卻不會停留在打齋棚。以過境鬼魂為單一客源的打齋棚，必定拍烏蠅。這些財閥，賺了這麼多陰司紙，卻不明鬼性，活該他們倒賠車費。
聽聞陰曹地府的工廠紛紛倒閉，借貸鏈條處處斷裂。地獄鬼國經濟崩潰之後，香港這些打齋棚、打齋舖，就留番給老闆自用。賺了這麼多陰司紙，老闆係時候落地獄，探望一下往日的顧客了。
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)