Inneresting 09
issue 09
November 14, 2018
The map and the territory.
Last week’s election doesn’t look like a #BlueWave on a conventional map of the US. Here’s one from the NY Times:
This looks a lot like the 2016 election map Trump keeps on his wall. Look at at all that red!
But of course, land doesn’t vote. People do. And people voted for Democrats by a significant margin. The cartographic map does a much better job showing the actual outcome district-by-district.
Are there red areas? Sure. But they’re not nearly as big. And one of the most interesting findings from this past week is that the red districts in the US got significantly bluer this election.
Cartographic maps are one of the better ways of looking at people and land. Max Roser’s visualization of world population is a great example. Russia is so tiny!
All maps are simplifications, of course, and distort reality. I remember learning about the Mercator projection in grade school, and why there’s ultimately no perfect solution.
There are even jigsaw puzzles so you can explore the problem for yourself.
And speaking of maps, I’ve been looking for an excuse to show this remarkable 3D map Craig used for D&D a few months back. The torches flicker!
I remember when D&D was all theater of the mind. (“There’s a door ten feet to your left, and another further down the hall.”)
Here are some other things I found interesting this week:
Welcome to the Midnight Zone. The ocean is so much deeper than you think.
The future arrives slowly, then fast. Shayle Kann makes some strong predictions about what a 2018 newborn can expect.
But will it work in the Long Woods? This quantum compass doesn’t rely on satellites.
Goat vs. goad. My friend Chad texted that our dogs were really “getting each other’s goad.” Wait, have I been using the wrong word all this time? It turns out that the phrase is really “get one’s goat up,” but the confusion and overlap between goat and goad probably goes back to the very beginning.
Let me sign your book
I’m just back from another Arlo Finch tour, but no matter how many cities and countries I visit, I can’t sign everyone’s book. But I can do the next best thing!
If you’d like a signed bookplate, just fill out this form. Then attach your receipt, and I’ll mail you a bookplate in a fancy envelope.
This makes for a really nice Christmas/Hanukkah present for that reader in your life. Maybe your son/daughter/brother/sister/niece/nephew. Arlo Finch is middle-grade fantasy – the same general space as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson – so if they dig those books, they’ll probably love Arlo.
You can also get a bookplate for preordering Lake of the Moon, which comes out in February in the US. It’s available at all the stores.
And that’s what’s interesting this week. As always, you can email me at ask@johnaugust.com
See you next Wednesday!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Scriptnotes Holiday Show ON SALE!
Wednesday, December 12th at 8pm
Los Angeles Film School
Tickets
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