If you are critical of crypto as a power for social good, you’ll find this graph interesting. If you think crypto is the future, you’ll argue this is a minor part of the system and that money laundering is hardly new.
Source: buff.ly/DVmiuC7
Pretty crazy data mapped here by @MappingFL: The 1919 US House vote on the 19th Amendment to give women the right to vote showed geographic patterns very familiar to students of history...
German car manufacturing was the envy of the world. Currently it is in stark decline while still large in scale. Big parts of Europe managed to grow their manufacturing sector in the meantime. Source: buff.ly/gDmANuL
This data questions the idea that people become more conservative with age. Ok, folks born between 1940 and 1954 did actually turn more conservative with time. The 1955 to 1979 cohort didn’t change their outlook much. The post-1980 group is actually becoming more liberal as they age.
We remember the 80s perfectly, but the 2000s are a mess. Analysis of 18,000 guesses on song release years. Source: buff.ly/7UXKZ1o
This map by @xruiztru shows the Iranian diaspora around the world.
A timely reminder that social progress doesn’t come easy. The idea of half the population not being allowed to vote might sound bizarre now but was reality until embarrassingly recently.
Data on the religious composition on 13 European countries collated by @ryanburge shows how very secular big parts of Europe have become. Catholic strongholds appear to holdout somewhat better.
Oh @terriblemaps how I love you for adding to my #badgeographyjoke collection.
Environmentally the energy transition is desirable. Geopolitically it looks increasingly desirable too as oil and gas prices escalate.
#badgeographyjoke Usbekistan Edition
A minority of people think that the world is getting better - a tiny minority in most countries. Creating circumstances for people to feel the world is improving is of utmost importance. Which global developments would turn YOU into an optimist? Source: buff.ly/B36sCgS
With Russian, Ukrainian, and Iranian airspace closed, there's just a tiny needle eye left for international flights from Europe to Asia. Some airlines are profiting from the current situation more than others. Source: buff.ly/iZ9AfdE
Which movies are the most polarizing? This statistical analysis looked at movies that received super high and super low ratings. Usually ratings for movies are somewhat close together but these movies are either loved or hated. Source: buff.ly/APldg73
This is one of the best charts I’ve seen on intergenerational worldviews. What was the average annual GDP growth that you experienced based on your year of birth?
This map feels like a metaphor for how we live our lives. We carefully step around conflicts (that are in no way inevitable in the first place) and carry on with our banalities. I’m not saying we shouldn’t but it does feel representative of our condition.
The UK used less coal in 2025 than they did in 1600, when Shakespeare was writing Hamlet. Source: buff.ly/Ifmz1Eo
Who's the greatest actor in movie history? According to this data-driven approach it's Leonardo DiCaprio. Source and detailed explanation: buff.ly/DtOaN8a
Read. When you feel powerless, when you feel overwhelmed, when you find yourself doom scrolling, when you are bored. Just read. It's one of the most empowering acts. Read.
Hey, remember that music you loved when you were about 13 or 14? I bet you still loooove that music. Source: buff.ly/LAfSUwp
You deserve a 2-minute musical interlude with a map on the side:
Johnny Cash - Big River listen here: buff.ly/zDafk12
Friendly reminder that while all this geopolitical madness is going on the planet merrily keeps heating up. Source: buff.ly/OylcIxg
Who does the Strait of Hormuz matter to the most?
Great insight about marriages in Spain by @pablogguz_! In 1976 over 99% of first marriages in Spain were Catholic. By 2024 the number of marriages has halved and about three in four marriages are now Civil. The country turned its back to religion and the institution of marriage.
Asia is much more dependent on Middle Eastern LNG (Gas) than Europe is. I’d love to know what the geopolitical considerations in India, China, and Korea are at the moment. Their growth potential is severely limited due to the war in Iran, right?
Fertilizer costs tend to go up dramatically during global supply chain disruptions. That’s annoying for you but potentially catastrophic for the poorest people on the planet.
The chart shows the number of single titles by age won by the greatest male tennis players. Sure the chart shows how successful Jimmy Connors was but even more impressively it shows how great Bjorn Borg might've been. Source: buff.ly/8tdWjND
Computer generated view shows an exaggerated relief of Iran and the Persian Gulf region. Source: buff.ly/39wZjGr
Size of Iran vs Alaska (and the continental USA for scale). Hope that helps to make global news a tiny bit more relatable.
The spike post-40 is hilarious to me as we must assume that the need for glasses increases somewhat gradually. Are folks in their 20s and 30s too self-conscious to wear glasses? What other explanation could there be?! Source: buff.ly/UgnRK74
