Rise of Cities Across the Globe, 3700BC to 2000AD

Since I'm interested in most things regarding maps this was kinda cool. This goes along with the world population map from a while back.

Last year, a Yale-led research project produced an innovative dataset that mapped the history of urban settlements. Covering a 6,000 year period, the project traced the location and size of cities across the world, starting in 3700 BC (when the first known urban dwellings emerged in Sumer) and continuing through 2000 AD. Done by Yale’s Meredith Reba.

The Yale dataset was originally published in Scientific Data in 2016.

You can read more about the mapping of urban settlements at this Yale website.

And in this day and age what doesn't get turned into a youtube video.

Star Wars - Happy 40th

Almost forgot the date. Star Wars was first released on May 25th, 1977. Today marks it's 40th anniversary.

From a prior post;

The very first Star Wars poster by Brothers Hildebrandt, 1976, before the film was introduced;

(via Posterwire)

A New Hope, Italy, 1977, by Michelangelo Papuzza

(via Space 1970)

A New Hope, Romania, 1977

(via gk)

A New Hope, Israel, 1977

(via eBay)
A New Hope, Japan, 1977

(via Star Wars Aficionado)

A New Hope, US, 1977, Drew Struzan

(via Posterwire)

A New Hope, Poland, 1978, by Jakub Erol

(via eBay)

A New Hope, Hungary, 1979, by András Felvidéki

(via Star Wars Klub)

A New Hope, Hungary, 1979, by Tibor Helényi

(via Star Wars Klub)

The Empire Strikes Back, Hong Kong, 1980

(via Retro-Futurism)

The Empire Strikes Back, France, 1980

(via Mauvais-Genres)

The Empire Strikes Back, Japan, 1980

(via Classic Star Wars)

The Empire Strikes Back, Japan, 1980, Noriyoshi Ohrai

(via Filmonpaper)

The Empire Strikes Back, Turkey, 1980

(via Sci-Fi Movie Posters)

The Empire Strikes Back, Hong Kong, 1980

(via Cinemasterpieces)

The Empire Strikes Back, Germany, 1980

(via The Star Wars Trilogy)

The Empire Strikes Back, Romania, 1981

(via gk)

The Empire Strikes Back, Hungary, 1982, by Tibor Helényi

(via Star Wars Klub)

The Empire Strikes Back, Poland, 1982, Jakub Erol

(via Polishposter)

The Empire Strikes Back, Poland, 1983, Miroslaw Lakomski

(via Polishposter)

Return of the Jedi, Hungary, 1984, by Tibor Helényi

(via Star Wars Klub)

Return of the Jedi, Turkey, 1983

(via Sci-Fi Movie Posters)

Return of the Jedi, Poland, 1984, Witold Dybowski

(via Rowsdowr)

Russia, 1990, by Yury Bokser and Alexander Chantsev

(via eBay)

Russia, 1990, by Yury Bokser and Alexander Chantsev

(via Anywhen)

Russia, 1990, by Yury Bokser and Alexander Chantsev

(via Mean Sheets)

Russia, 1990, by Yury Bokser and Alexander Chantsev

(via Heritage Auctions)

AD&D Core Books Megabundle Sale

For those who might not have heard about it in their newsfeeds yet, there is a 8 book megabundle sale on the AD&D Core Book PDF's. Currently only $14.95 vs the usual $75.

Here are the books that you get in the bundle:





Dungeon Master's Guide [Premium Edition]











Dungeoneer's Survival Guide












Fiend Folio












Monster Manual [Premium Edition]











Monster Manual II











Oriental Adventures











Player's Handbook [Premium Edition]












Wilderness Survival Guide






FYI if you've already bought some of these titles previously, you'll get a discount for that title.

Now, for me, the Survival Guides are not Core Rules but that's just personal preference. Also the Deities and Demigods is missing from this which I do consider core rules. YMMV.
Still a great bargain if you don't have some or all of these yet. Plus there's the BECMI Known World bundle as well if that's your cup of tea. Plus a whole bunch of other things worth checking out.

Map of Chemistry

As a follow up to the Maps of Mathematics & Physics from last month here's a map  of Chemistry.


As well as the youtube link for those interested.





original article.

Map of the World According to 2nd Languages

Since I'm a big lover of maps, I found these pretty interesting. All of these are from MoveHub. They created an infographic to demonstrate the second languages of countries around the world for people looking to move.

World

Language remains an inescapable leftover of conquest and empire.

Europe

Algeria's second language is French - a remnant of France's occupation - and much of Africa speaks English, Italian or French as a result of their colonialism alongside their many countries' native tongues.

The countries which once belonged to the former Soviet Union – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine – still hold Russian as their second language. Romania, Serbia and Slovakia’s collective second language is Hungarian, from their membership in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

North America
Canada's second official language is French, whereas both Alaska and the US's second language is Spanish. The second most popular language in Mexico is the indigenous Nahuatl (known historically as Aztec). 

North America

South America

South America is rich in second languages: the native Quechua (Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia), the inheritance of Spanish in Brazil and English in Suriname - from the state’s English settlers during the colonial period beginning the 17th century. 

South America

Central America

Africa
Italian is spoken in Libya, and English is the second language of both Egypt and Sudan.

Indigenous languages are more popular the further south one goes, with Botswanans speaking Kalanga, and Zimbabweans speaking Shona.

Asia and the Middle East

Many Malaysians also speak English, and the fraught history between Japan and Korea can be seen by the former country's aptitude for Korean.

Asia & Middle East

Original article here.

May 4th

Sandwich Alignment Chart

A handy chart showing the various alignments of popular sandwiches. It proudly declares that “A hot dog is a sandwich”, adding to the endless debate on the topic.

I fall somewhere in the submarine sandwich category, myself.