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11 Things We Learned This Week

What did you learn this week? This week, we learned …

… why children make the best environmentalists.

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The OMG team and other young “rhino ambassadors joined the Operation Game Change Summit in Vietnam. Photograph courtesy OMG

Learn more about conservation and youth empowerment with One More Generation.

 

… why maps point to north up top.

Mind. Blown. Map by Nicoguaro, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-4.0
Mind. Blown.
Map by Nicoguaro, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-4.0

North, south, up, down—how can you read maps like a pro?

 

… Europe’s most dangerous supervolcano is stirring.

What’s a supervolcano? Use our terrific resource to learn more.

 

… algorithms have begun to decode bat chat.

Mexican free-tailed bats flee a bat-cave preserve in Texas. Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic
Mexican free-tailed bats flee a bat-cave preserve in Texas.
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic

Bust some bat myths with our great article!

 

… cold tolerance among the Inuit may come from extinct human ancestors.

A young Inuit boy chills in Baffin Island, Canada. Photograph by Gordon Wiltsie, National Geographic
A young Inuit boy chills in Baffin Island, Canada.
Photograph by Gordon Wiltsie, National Geographic

Learn a little about other distinguishing characteristics of the Inuit.

 

… about the slow death of ecology’s birthplace.

Brazil’s cerrado, where a pioneering botanist traced the evolution of plants, is being plowed under for agribusiness. Photograph by Angeladepaula, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-3.0
Brazil’s cerrado, where a pioneering botanist traced the evolution of plants, is being plowed under for agribusiness.
Photograph by Angeladepaula, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-3.0

What is ecology?

 

… why so many Koreans are named Kim.

Two of Korea’s most famous Kims, Kim Il-sung and his son, Kim Jong-il, smile down from the Mangyongdae Children's Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photograph by Nicor, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-3.0
Two of Korea’s most famous Kims, Kim Il-sung and his son, Kim Jong-il, smile down from the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Photograph by Nicor, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-3.0

There are two Koreas,  North and South. Navigate them both with our one-page maps.

 

… commercial oyster farming could help increase biodiversity in Delaware Bay.

This beautiful oyster farm is thriving on the Georges River in New South Wales, Australia. Photograph by Robert Kerton, CSIRO. CC-BY-3.0
This beautiful oyster farm is thriving on the Georges River in New South Wales, Australia.
Photograph by Robert Kerton, CSIRO. CC-BY-3.0

Where else are oyster farmers hoping to restore bay health?

 

… cheetahs never prosper, unfortunately.

A new study suggests that half the world's fastest cats will be gone in 15 years—and that's being optimistic. Photograph by Chris Johns, National Geographic
A new study suggests that half the world’s fastest cats will be gone in 15 years—and that’s being optimistic.
Photograph by Chris Johns, National Geographic

How is a cheetah built for speed, if not survival?

… there are better ways to get smart than brain-training games, and multitasking is a literal brain drain.

How well do you know your brain? Take our quiz to find out.

 

… the U.S. has two new national monuments.

Bears Ears are buttes in southeastern Utah. Photograph by brewbooks, courtesy Flickr. CC-BY-SA-2.0
Bears Ears are buttes in southeastern Utah.
Photograph by brewbooks, courtesy Flickr. CC-BY-SA-2.0

Find a national park property with our handy map!

One thought on “11 Things We Learned This Week”

  1. I’m really a very bad map reader.. Understaing a north up map is so difficult for me and now this upside down… South up map!! Well it was interesting to know the history of north up map I would also like to read a north up map.. Many corrections has been made in South up map so it’s gonna attract those who are crazy about maps…
    I don’t think it’s possible to decode the language of animals.. Algorithm can helps to teach us about their low and high piches volume nothing else I think.. Let the animals be why are we interfering? We also don’t like when anyone interrupts in our conversation.. And why it’s even necessary to decode chats… I just don’t understand!!

    Reply

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