The scientific name for the genus of the bananas and plantains is Musa, which in many Romantic Languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian means “muse”.  Isn’t it poetic? While there’s no evidence for a historical connection between the scientific nomenclature for bananas and these fruits’ inspirational nature, I would like to use the coincidence [...]

This is Part 3 of a 3 part series on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill by Joana Tavares-Reager, oceanographer and marine policy expert.  As with all things we classify as disasters, it is sometimes hard to find the silver lining.  The aim of the series is to discuss the broader impacts of the spill and [...]

Part 2 of a 3 part series on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (part 1 here) by Joana Tavares-Reager, oceanographer and marine policy expert.  As with all things we classify as disasters, it is sometimes hard to find the silver lining.  The aim of the series is to discuss the broader impacts of the spill [...]

A new series of Atlases created by scientists at the University of Sheffield rescale the world’s land masses according to population growth.  The series of nearly 200 psychedelic maps make for some interesting reading.  I wonder what those geographers are smokin’?  Whatever it is, I think I want some. … The calculation involves some re-spacing [...]