A Fantasy Subway Map of Ancient Roman Roads

From The Atlantic CITILAB by John Metcalfe:

“They say all roads lead to Rome, but they also lead outward to a number of intriguing places. There’s Antinoopolis in northern Africa, Londinium in what we now know as the U.K., and—should funding from the mighty Emperor Hadrian arrive—the yet-built Panticapaeum station along the Pontus Euxinus, or Black Sea.

Or so says this wonderfully thought-out fantasy transit map from Sasha Trubetskoy, showing the major thoroughfares of the Roman Empire circa 125 A.D. as dozens of stops along multicolored subway lines. Trubetskoy, who when not dabbling in history has explored the judgmental cartography of the Bay Area, started poking into the idea after noticing there was a dearth of good maps of Rome’s old road network, let alone train-themed ones. So he decided to go for it, pouring about 50 hours of research and design work into his sprawling “Roman Roads.” ”

https://www.citylab.com/design/2017/06/a-fantasy-transit-map-of-the-roads-of-ancient-rome/529404/?utm_source=nl__link6_060817

Thank you, Duane, for pointing out this article. — Jenny

 

Indonesia’s Trying to Figure Out How Many Islands It Contains

From Smithsonian Magazine by Erin Blakemore:

“How many islands are in Indonesia? You might think that the answer “a lot” is a bit glib, but it turns out that the Republic of Indonesia itself doesn’t really know, either. The nation of many islands consists of so many small land masses that they have never been officially counted. Until now: As the BBC reports, Indonesia is embarking on an ambitious island census.”

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/indonesias-trying-figure-out-how-many-islands-it-contains-180963606/

New Online Database Catalogues 20,000 Threatened Archaeological Sites

From Smithsonian Magazine by Brigit Katz:

“The endangered archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa Database includes an interactive map and a detailed search function.”

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-online-database-catalogues-20000-threatened-archaeological-sites-180963451/

Found: Giant Mounds and Craters Across the Arctic Seafloor

From Atlas Obscura by Sarah Laskow:

“In the polar reaches of the Arctic Ocean, in northern Bjørnøyrenna, the seafloor is bumpy, pockmarked mess. Much of the seabed in the region is smooth, but not in the area that’s the subject of a new paper published in Science, where it is dotted with giant mounds and craters.”

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/found-arctic-seafloor-mounds-craters-methane-burps

 

This Map Tells You Where to Find Perfect Weather Any Time of the Year

From Conde Nast Traveler by Cassie Shortsleeve:

“There’s a lot to be said for lingering shoulder seasons and quieter off seasons that present the perfect opportunity to explore a destination without, well, everyone else. But sometimes, we want to hit a place at its prime. Hence, the ever-popular Google search, ’What’s the best time to visit [insert-destination-here]?’ Problem is, that search often yields underwhelming results: wide temperature ranges that don’t quite dictate future plans.

Enter Ryan Whitaker, a data and digital guru who crafted a handy new tool published on DecisionData.org to help travelers track temperatures at any given week around the world, Lonely Planet reports.”

http://www.cntraveler.com/story/this-map-tells-you-where-to-find-perfect-weather-any-time-of-the-year

 

The Universal Language of Crappy Driving

From The Atlantic City Lab by Gracie McKenzie:

“From the California stop to the Pittsburgh left, questionable choices behind the wheel are less local than the names we give them—except when they aren’t.”

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/04/universal-language-bad-driving/517626/?utm_source=nl__link6_041217

I wonder how the terminology compares to that of India and other places. Thank you Duane for sharing this article. — Jenny

 

Transport back in time to ancient Roman sites with virtual reality

From CBS News:

“Cutting-edge technology is helping bring ancient Rome back to life.

Visitors at historic sites thousands of years old can now use virtual reality headsets to see what they once looked like. Digital artists used Renaissance-era artists’ depictions to help re-envision the relics. CBS News correspondent Seth Doane went inside the ancient underground ruins in Rome, where tourists can see what’s no longer there.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/virtual-reality-recreates-roman-ancient-sites-domus-aurea-emperor-nero-palace/