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Who were the first humans to befriend kitty cats?
maps

Were Egyptians Really the First to Domesticate Cats? Try Cave Men

A map shows the spread of felines by Egyptians, Romans, Vikings—and prehistoric ancestors.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think May 24, 2024
Parking lots eat U.S. cities.
maps

These U.S. Cities Have More Parking Lots Than Housing

They paved paradise again and again and again.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think May 17, 2024
A map shows the first direct evidence of adult European eels migrating to their breeding place in the Sargasso Sea.
animals

All Eels in America and Europe Come From the Bermuda Triangle

But no one's ever seen them there.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think May 10, 2024
In 100 years, the colors on this map might swap.
globes

The Most Dangerously Populated Latitudes in the World

Impending threats may reverse everything.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think May 3, 2024
Swaths of toxic land the size of Paris still cover much of France.
shells

You Can Still Die From World War I Dangers in France's Red Zones

The Great War never ended in some old battlegrounds.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think April 26, 2024
You're more likely to end up in the ocean than another country.
holes

Dig a Tunnel Through the Center of the Earth to… Where?

If you, hypothetically, ignore the molten lava core.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think April 19, 2024
Is your state in danger of an earthquake? Well, yes.
disasters

Not Even Minnesota Is Safe From Earthquakes

Was the recent New York quake really all that uncommon? Here's a state-by-state map.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think April 12, 2024
You'd never have Italian marinara sauce if not for South America.
food

Why Jesus Never Ate a Banana

About 69 percent of the global diet is "foreign," says a study that pinpoints the origin of 151 food crops.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think April 5, 2024
Some European languages are harder than you might think.
language

The U.S. Thinks It’s Harder to Learn Polish or Greek Than Swahili or Malay

Here are the difficulty levels of most European languages for Americans.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think March 29, 2024
maps

Which States in America Have the Oldest and Youngest People?

Either way, everywhere in the U.S. is seeing a common trend.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think March 22, 2024
objects of intrigue

This New York City Map Is Full of Dutch Secrets

When Broadway was a broad way and Wall Street was a wall.
April White March 19, 2024
The U.S. grabbed a whole lot of soil, but no fish.
oceans

The U.S. Just Expanded the Size of Two Californias

It’s like another Louisiana Purchase.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think March 15, 2024
Latin for “nobody,” Point Nemo has a fitting name.
space exploration

The Most Remote Place on Earth Has Space Junk and a Sea Monster

Eerie things happen at Point Nemo.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think March 8, 2024
One design envisioned landing planes just over the Hudson River.
urban planning

New York City and London Could Have Looked Very Different

An airport in midtown? See alternate versions of the cities based on real proposed projects.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think March 1, 2024
Naughty cartographers with too much time on their hands.
hidden

Swiss Maps Are Full of Hidden Secrets

Find the Easter eggs—or the naked lady.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think February 23, 2024
A New and Correct Map of AMERICA (London, 1752).
islands

For Hundreds of Years, People Thought California Was an Island

Dozens of maps show cartography's most persistent mistake.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think February 16, 2024
Gudrid the Far-Traveled even walked to Rome.
vikings

The First Viking Woman to Sail to America Was a Legendary Traveler

Back when the Icelanders called a part of Canada the “land of grapes.”
Frank Jacobs, Big Think February 9, 2024
Lava from Mount Etna could hit 10 different municipalities.
volcanoes

Europe’s Most Active Volcano Is Also the World’s Only Decipoint

The many eruptions isn't the only reason Mount Etna is unique.
Frank Jacobs, Big Think February 2, 2024