The Budget
What I thought was a rather well-presented interactive info-graphic explaining Obama’s proposed budget.
(NYT)
the efficacy of slime mold
Slime molds are very efficient at mapping networks and systems:
Using the slime mold’s performance as a guide, the researchers created a mathematical model that they say may help people design other networks, like those used in mobile communications.
(via marginal revolution)
The 2009 Feltron Report is out.
Cindy
I got a second external hard drive today. Care to guess what it’s called?
Off The Charts
A chart from National Geographic, illustrating the cost of health care per country.
(via kottke)
The Incompetence of American Airlines
via Waxy
Mental Calendar–Just had to Draw It
Crust Of The Earth As Related To Zoology
the most remote places in the world
Plotted onto a map, the results throw up surprises. First, less than 10% of the world’s land is more than 48 hours of ground-based travel from the nearest city. What’s more, many areas considered remote and inaccessible are not as far from civilization as you might think. In the Amazon, for example, extensive river networks and an increasing number of roads mean that only 20% of the land is more than two days from a city–around the same proportion as Canada’s Quebec province.
Looking for a Pen that will Grade Papers
“This is the tragic story of a man who’s essay writes about his events.”
The Newspaper Redesigned
It looks an awful lot like a good blog design, don’t it?
The McFarthest Spot
Visualization of every McDonald’s location in the contiguous US (via):
Between the tiny Dakotan hamlets of Meadow and Glad Valley lies the McFarthest Spot: 107 miles distant from the nearest McDonald’s, as the crow flies, and 145 miles by car!
Networks in order of complexity
(via marginal revolution)
Geek/Nerd/Dork/Dweeb
We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture.
Sending this message was important to us.
(via @johndiesattheen)
Graphics and Web Design Based on Edward Tufte’s Principles
Why you should care (via Lone Gunman):
- Its Importance: Printed and graphical information is now the driving force behind all of our lives. It no longer is confined to specialized workers in selected fields but impacts nearly all people through the widespread use of computing and the Internet. Rapid and accurate transfers of information can be a life and death matter for many people (an example being the Challenger disaster). The extent to which symbols and graphics affect our lives can be seen by the dramatic increase in IQ scores in all cultures which have acquired information technology: in the United States there has been an average increase of 3 IQ points per decade over the last 60 years, for a total of an 18 IQ point increase. There is no known biological explanation for this increase and the most likely cause is widespread exposure to text, symbols, and graphics that accompany modern life. As mentioned above, this increase has been seen in all cultures exposed to information technology.
Julius Shulman, 98.8 years young.
Julius Shulman dies at 98; celebrated photographer of modernist architecture. His mission was to use his photography to build the reputation of architects who were bringing innovative design to the West. His clients included Frank Lloyd Wright and Rudolf M. Schindler.
clusterflock interviews clusterflock, #1 — updated, with answer
We have kicked around the idea for a long time of using the site to interview each other in some way. I was supposed to set something up with Andrew and totally dropped the ball. I think part of the problem was we were being too formal. I propose a simple formula: when something interesting occurs to someone that involves another flocker (or someone in some way affiliated with the site), make it a post.
So, without further ado:
Q. Kelsey, I’m curious about your experience(s) with Yahoo! Answers. You mentioned your frustration with the site a few times in comments and I was wondering if you would tell us what it was like working on that project. What it’s limitations were. What you saw as its potential. And how, presumably, it fell short. (As well as any other anecdotes you would care to share.)
A. My case against Yahoo! Answers is dated. For those who are unaware, I worked at Yahoo! from June 2005 to late 2007. The work itself was corporate — simple, predictable, complete with gym membership. It was my first job out of college and, when I showed up, I was as bright-eyed and idealistic as they come. But in order to work there, I left my apartment at seven and rarely returned before eight. After 2.5 years of a 4-6 hour daily commute, I now know how to lose myself. Commuting ever so slowly siphons away my laughter.
Bacon Flow Chart
PORK!
(Thanks to Adam, the Rockin’ Robin!)
Data.gov
Maybe he is a nerd:
The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Although the initial launch of Data.gov provides a limited portion of the rich variety of Federal datasets presently available, we invite you to actively participate in shaping the future of Data.gov by suggesting additional datasets and site enhancements to provide seamless access and use of your Federal data. Visit today with us, but come back often. With your help, Data.gov will continue to grow and change in the weeks, months, and years ahead.
What World MPs Really Make
Created by Shakeup Media— the distance from the yellow cross to each dot represents the base bay of parlimentarians, expressed as a multiple of percapita GDP ($). The angle from the thick yellow line to each dot represents a so-called Good Governance Metric calculated by taking the average of The Democracy Index (DCI) published by the Economist, the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) and the Perception of Corruption Index (PCI) by NGO Transparency. The farther away from zero the angle, the lower the score and the worse the governance.
Thanks, infosthetics.
Iran Political System Infographic
cloaca
45 million years in the making: Ida
Continuing the expansion of Clusterflock as a safe space for the exploration of your feelings about evolution…Ida!
mapping the seven sins
Geographers from Kansas State mapped the seven deadly sins by region.