Each week Spatial Source highlights the best that the internet has to offer.
Given a physical 3D elevation model of the world, how can you dramatically show the effects of sea level rise? Simple… just add water! That’s what the artists behind Terra Forming did, with a number of materials, scales and map projections, which as Fast Company describe, has a very moving effect.
The internet’s fascination with remote sensing ballooned to new heights this week thanks to a 15-year-old Canadian. When William Gadoury claimed to have discovered an ancient Mayan city in Mexico by studying star maps and satellite imagery, internet fame quickly ensued. However, since then the archaeological community have spoken out to the likes of VICE and National Geographic to share their extreme doubts in his findings. The jury is out on whether he has found a Mayan city or a much more recently abandoned crop, but perhaps a visit to the site or just some analysis of historical imagery will soon reveal the truth.
In Australia, failing to make sure Tasmania is included on a map is something we would laugh about. Failing to map Norfolk or Christmas Islands would probably go entirely unnoticed. But in India, if you fail to depict the national map, according to the government’s new Geospatial Information Regulation you could face hefty fines or even seven years in jail. The Economic Times explains the highly political and historical reasons why.
Underwater exploration is set to undergo significant revolution due to DARPA’s new ‘acoustic GPS’ solution that Engadget claim will enable submarines and UUV to triangulate position without having to surface. As well as something else they have developed called a ‘robotic mermaid’ (MIT Technology Review, pictured).
The Conversation discussed how your personal navigation devices can make you vulnerable to theft or disturbing invasion of privacy. It also shows how you can steal an expensive new bike for yourself by monitoring the Strava systems of serious cyclists, as criminals in the UK have been wont to do.
